A personal practical reflection on the small class teaching in a preschool movement-music program: Hong Kong experience

Teaching is an organic and reflective process. Learning is a dynamic and holistic process. To young children, teaching and learning is an interweaving and continuous action filled up with authentic curriculum. In Hong Kong, the Curriculum Development Council (CD) has published the curriculum guide, entitled Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum since June 2006 for pre-primary institutions serving children aged from 2 to 6. It recommends a small class teaching (SCT) of teacher to students ratio (1:15) for preschools in Hong Kong. However, in daily practice, what is the authentic experience on SCT during the movement-music activities? The purposes of this paper are two-folded. First, it is to examine the personal practical reflection on SCT at the before-during-after stages of teaching. Secondly, it is to discuss the successful strategies on SCT of movement-music activities in preschools. The findings have revealed that there was a smooth and dynamic flow across the stages in learning & teaching. Opportunities on learning & teaching had been widen and deepened. Communicative interaction was promoted enhanced. Learning & teaching became meaningful and pleasurable. In light of the effectiveness, practical recommendations have been drawn for movement-music program based on Schwab’s four common places of curriculum, namely: subject matter, student, teacher and milieu.