Monitoring and assessment are key components in Early Childhood Development (ECD)
education, especially within the framework of the Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC), which
emphasizes child-centered, culturally relevant, and practical learning. One effective tool for
continuous monitoring and assessment is a checklist book, which tracks the development of
specific skills related to learning areas and topics. In the context of ECD A learners studying the
topic “Numbers”, a checklist provides a structured way for educators to observe, record, and
assess learner progress while ensuring inclusivity and relevance. A checklist helps teachers’
monitor learners’ ability, enables individualized monitoring, parenting engagement and
contributes to curriculum alignment and accountability. This essay will explore how the checklist
book with the skills of topic numbers will assist in monitoring and assessment of ECD A
learners’ progress in Heritage Based Curriculum. Key terms to be defined are Heritage Based
Curriculum, assessment and monitoring.
Chivaura (2008), defines a heritage-based curriculum as a system of education that promotes the
teaching of knowledge, skills, values, and practices rooted in the cultural, historical, and
environmental experiences of a people, to preserve identity and promote relevant learning.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE, 2015), a heritage-based
curriculum emphasises the integration of Zimbabwean culture, history, indigenous knowledge
systems, and national values in the teaching and learning process to produce competent, patriotic,
and culturally grounded learners. HBC can be defined as an educational approach that integrates
local culture, traditions, values and indigenous knowledge systems into teaching and learning
process.
UNESCO (2016), defines monitoring as a continuous process of collecting and analysing
information to track the progress of learners and the effectiveness of educational programmes.
According to Miller (2014), monitoring refers to the routine observation and documentation of
children's learning and development to ensure they are progressing as expected. Therefore,
monitoring is the ongoing process of collecting and reviewing information to track progress and
ensure that activities or programs are being implemented as planned.
NAEYC (2009) defines assessment as the process of gathering information about children’s
learning and development through observation, documentation, and evaluation to inform
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instructional decisions. Wortham (2008) describes assessment as a procedure for obtaining
information that can be used to make judgments about children’s characteristics, behaviours, and
learning outcomes. Hence assessment can be a systematic process of gathering, analysing and
using information about learners’ development, knowledge and skills to support and guide
teaching and learning.
A checklist book is a record-keeping tool that lists expected skills or behaviors which the teacher
ticks off when a child demonstrates them. According to Wortham (2019), checklists provide
objective documentation of children's abilities, helping teachers monitor development over time.
In the topic Numbers, common skills include number recognition, one-to-one correspondence,
sequencing, and basic counting core mathematical competencies for ECD A learners.
For example, when a child counts 1 to 5 using bottle tops, the teacher can tick off number
sequencing and one-to-one correspondence in the checklist. This aligns with the HBC, which
encourages the use of locally available materials like stones, seeds, or traditional games to teach
mathematical concepts (MoPSE, 2015). By incorporating culturally familiar resources, the
checklist supports authentic learning experiences that are grounded in the child’s environment.
Furthermore, the use of a checklist enables individualized monitoring, children develop at
different paces, and a well-maintained checklist helps teachers identify those who need support
or extension. For instance, a learner who struggles with sorting numbers may be given more
tactile or play-based activities using traditional tools like tsoro (a local counting game). As
NAEYC (2020) emphasizes, continuous assessment tools like checklists support differentiated
instruction and inclusive practices.
In terms of parental engagement, the checklist can be shared with caregivers during meetings,
giving them a clear picture of the child’s progress. This aligns with HBC’s focus on community
involvement in education. For example, a parent seeing that their child has not yet mastered
number recognition can be encouraged to support learning at home through counting household
items or livestock.
Moreover, the checklist contributes to curriculum alignment and accountability, teachers can use
the data collected to report progress to school administrators or education officers and plan
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remedial activities. According to McAfee and Leong (2020), checklists help ensure that the
curriculum is being implemented effectively and that all developmental milestones are being
targeted.
In summary, the use of checklist book in a v monitoring and assessing learner progress in the
topic "Numbers" in ECD A is practical, effective and culturally relevant tool within the Heritage
Based Curriculum. It enables teachers to track skill development such as number recognition and
sequencing, while also supporting individualized instruction, parental involvement and use of
local materials. By providing structured, continuous assessment, the checklist ensures that no
learner is left behind and that teaching remains aligned with both developmental milestones and
cultural values.
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REFERENCES
Chivaura, V.G., (2008). African Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Education and the African
Renaissance. Harare: UZ Publications.
McAfee, O. and Leong, D.J., (2020). Assessing and guiding young children's development and
learning. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson.
Miller, L., (2014). Developing Inclusive Practice for Early Childhood Settings: A Practical
Guide. Abingdon: Routledge.
MoPSE (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education), (2015). Early Learning Policy. Harare:
Government of Zimbabwe.
MoPSE, (2015). Curriculum Framework for Primary and Secondary Education 2015–2022.
Harare: Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
NAEYC, (2020). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving
Children from Birth Through Age 8. Washington DC: National Association for the
Education of Young Children.
UNESCO, (2016). Investing against Evidence: The Global State of Early Childhood Care and
Education. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
Wortham, S.C., (2008). Assessment in Early Childhood Education. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River:
Pearson.
Wortham, S.C., (2019). Assessment in Early Childhood Education. 8th ed. Boston: Pearson.
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