Mukhtar Ahmad Qureshi
NEP 2020 underlines a strong basis in education to align the child with lifelong learning. Child profiling is at the core of this vision that needs to be critical at the foundational levels of ages 3-8 so that each child’s unique needs, strengths, and developmental pace are recognized and nurtured. This is an extremely critical period the foundation years in which most of the learning experiences occur that will determine cognitive, social, and emotional development. The same experiences influence one’s future academic success as well as personal happiness. Profiling enables teachers to gain an insight into every child’s progress and preferences so that learning can be personalized, inclusive, and effective.
What is child profiling?
Child profiling refers to the scientific process of recording, analyzing, and making sense of each child’s learning path, developmental milestones, strengths, challenges, and preferences. In practical terms, it collects information through observations, assessment, and interaction that forms a holistic profile of a child’s skills, interests, and unique learning needs. Profiling is more extensive than the traditional assessment. It covers the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive abilities all of which are very much necessary for holistic development.
The NEP 2020 supports a child centered approach wherein the educators focus on developing learning profiles that give an allrounded view of the child, which includes emotional wellbeing, physical health, and social skills. This approach recognizes that each child is unique, developing at their own pace and in their own way, and a standardized approach does not address individual learning needs.
Importance of child profiling at the foundational level
1. Supports individualized learning plans
This is one of the advantages of child profiling, and it helps educators design a personalized learning plan for each student. Every child learns differently, and the development stages are very different especially in foundational years. Profiling helps teachers discover the kind of learning every child requires, their strength, and weaknesses, making it easier to adjust the teaching strategies. For example, for a child who is strong in verbal communication but weak in motor skills, the teacher can create activities that focus on improving motor skills in combination with their strengths in verbal communication to keep them engaged.
2. Tracks developmental milestones
The foundation years are when children attain critical developmental milestones in areas such as language, motor skills, cognitive abilities, and social-emotional skills. Child profiling is important in noting the milestone and the presence of early developmental delays and learning problems. NEP 2020 has emphasized so much on timely interventions that will be given to instructors in terms of data as provided by profiling. Early identification of such issues will eradicate small problems from becoming major issues when children move up their educational ladder.
3. Enhances emotional and social development
Foundational profiling allows teachers to know about the emotional and social growth of children, which is as important as the development of the cognitive. The NEP 2020 has emphasized socio-emotional learning, and profiling helps in identifying the social interactions, emotional responses, and coping strategies of the children. Since a teacher can better understand the social and emotional strengths and challenges of a child, the educator can encourage peer interaction, build their self confidence, and direct children to develop empathy and resilience. For instance, a child who might have an issue with group activities would be supported by soft persuasion and specific assistance to gradually become more comfortable in social settings.
4. Promotes inclusive education
Every child should be given equal opportunities for learning regardless of their background, abilities, or needs. Profiling ensures that all children, whether they have special needs or come from diverse backgrounds, are included in the learning process. Knowing the specific characters of each child, teachers can make learning accessible to each one. NEP 2020 full supports such inclusiveness and profiling plays a role in a teacher’s identification and accommodation of diverse learning needs. Children with disabilities or developmental delays will get individualized support through individualized support plans, keeping these particular needs in mind, while creating a fit of inclusiveness for all children.
5. Encourages parent involvement
Profiling is not only helpful to teachers but also an excellent tool for communication in the involvement of parents in the learning journey of their children. The NEP 2020 promotes a close relationship between parents and teachers for the holistic development of children. It enables educators to share the insights of a child’s profile with parents regarding their child’s progress, strengths, and areas for improvement. This relationship enhances learning and growth, school and at home. Take, for example a story of interest as sparked during school sessions to foster an interest of storytelling among the child when being read with a parent in reading together or through storytelling from the same home setting.
6. Creates confidence and motive in kids
By the child achieving this on their areas of interest he is motivated because what was said about his failure he won it through them and gets motivated again because learning took place as his strong interests were developed, thereby maintaining success in children. Profiling helps to create an enabling learning environment where the children feel understood and valued. This sense of being understood fosters self confidence, and they feel motivated enough to actively participate in the learning process. NEP 2020 underlines making learning enjoyable, and knowing what motivates each child, it will be easier for teachers to plan activities that are enjoyable yet educative. For instance, if a child loves doing art, then they tend to take interest in some mathematics lesson where they need to draw shapes or colouring patterns.
7. Assists in seamless transitions
Child profiling at the early stages also helps in ensuring that transition is smooth when children from preschool are taken to the primary school. With such detailed profiles outlining the learning path, strengths of the child, and areas to be looked after, a better grade educator can begin here without beginning from square one because this will act as a precursor for developing further on knowledge and skills. The principle of consistency in NEP 2020 continues this by providing a seamless transfer of what the child has learned or developed at the foundational level into the subsequent stages of no interruption.
8. Enables lifelong learning and wellbeing
The NEP 2020 expects the production of lifelong learners, and profiling at a foundational level sets the stage for this dream. Profiling cultivates a love of learning because it fosters each child’s natural curiosity through the facilitation of nourishment within the early years. They are more inclined to foster a positive attitude about learning which impacts their academic success and eventual wellbeing in later life. Profiling not only determines academic results but also leads to general development and happiness of a child.
For child profiling to be effective, teachers and other caregivers need proper training for observing, recording, and analyzing children’s behaviours and patterns of learning. It demands tools such as assessment frameworks, observational checklists, and developmental scales that provide appropriate data about the progress of a child. The NEP 2020 also focuses on reducing formal assessments at this juncture and instead implementing play based, observational forms of assessment that are child centered and non-intrusive.
Furthermore, effective implementation requires periodic reviews and updates of each child’s profile to reflect his or her current developmental stage and needs. Regular communication with parents and involving them in the profiling process further.
(The author hails from Boniyar, Baramulla and can be reached [email protected])
