EARLY LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: AN EVALUATION OF THE MACEDONIAN EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Abstract

First language acquisition is a complex biological and social phenomenon involving perceptual abilities (auditory discrimination), motor skills (articulation), cognitive structures (semantics and morphosyntax), and interaction with adults. Classical and contemporary theories—from Chomsky’s biological and innate-language perspective to Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach and Piaget’s interactionist perspective—offer complementary explanations of how and why children begin to develop spoken language. Research has demonstrated that infants’ early perceptual abilities during the first months of life can predict subsequent language outcomes, highlighting the importance of providing a stimulating language environment from the earliest stages of childhood.
In Macedonia, the educational process in public preschool institutions, including kindergartens and early childhood development centers, is implemented in accordance with the Early Learning and Development Program, adopted by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy and implemented since 2014. In the context of rapid technological development, substantial changes in socioeconomic dynamics and communication, as well as advances in scientific research in the fields of early childhood education, developmental psychology, sociology, and related disciplines, there is a growing need to examine the extent to which the specific objectives and expected learning outcomes within the area of Language, Communication and Literacy Development, particularly the themes Communication and Media Culture and Reading and Vocabulary Enrichment, correspond to children’s actual developmental achievements.
The present study examines this correspondence across two developmental age groups, children aged 2–3 and 3–4 years, by cross-referencing the findings obtained from the research sample, which comprised all preschool teachers employed in public kindergartens within the Municipality of Aerodrom -Skopje. The main research hypothesis states that the Early Learning and Development Programм for children aged 2–3 and 3–4 provides an adequate foundation for the acquisition and enhancement of early mother-tongue learning.
The main hypothesis was examined through several supporting hypotheses concerning: (1) the alignment between the expected and the actual active vocabulary of children in the respective developmental periods; (2) the relationship between the specific objectives and expected learning outcomes defined for these developmental periods in the Early Learning and Development Program and contemporary scientific knowledge and children’s actual developmental needs; and (3) the availability of relevant instruments for evaluating the implementation and attainment of the objectives established by the Program
The findings indicate that the Early Learning and Development Program represents a relevant and applicable framework for educational practice in preschool settings. However, the results also indicate a need for its systematic revision in order to ensure greater alignment with children’s developmental needs, contemporary social changes, and current scientific knowledge. The conclusions and recommendations arising from the study may be of particular relevance to institutions responsible for developing and revising the Early Learning and Development Program, including the Bureau for Development of Education, the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth, and the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as to other institutions involved in educational policy development and the preparation of future preschool education professionals.