Silviase/jgov_v1.4_full_ann huggingface dataset:
Section 3. Role and Formulation of the Curriculum

### 1. Role of the Curriculum

Each kindergarten should maintain its unique qualities and formulate a curriculum appropriate to the development of the young child's physical and mental being, as well as the context of the kindergarten and its local community, in accordance with the Basic Act on Education, the School Education Law, other laws, and this National Curriculum Standard for Kindergartens.

Also, at each kindergarten, while keeping in mind the overall plan outlined in 6. below, formulate the curriculum based on "the Ideal Image by the End of Childhood", evaluate the implementation status of the curriculum and work to improve it, secure the human resources or material system necessary for implementing the curriculum, and endeavor to improve it. In so doing, we shall endeavor to improve the quality of educational activities of each kindergarten organically and systematically based on the curriculum (hereinafter referred to as "curriculum management").

### 2. Formulation of educational goals and curriculum for each kindergarten

In formulating the curriculum, we shall clarify the educational goals of each kindergarten while taking into consideration the qualities and abilities that we want to develop in kindergarten education, and also strive to share basic policies regarding the formulation of the curriculum with both families and the community.

### 3. Basic matters in formulating the curriculum

(1) Kindergartens should develop specific aims and content by taking into consideration the period of education that the curriculum applies to, individual children's experiences and the child development process in order for the aims outlined in Chapter 2 to be comprehensively achieved throughout their kindergarten years. Kindergartens should take measures from a long-term perspective, from entry into and completion of kindergarten, so that children may experience a fruitful life, in particular, taking into consideration the special characteristics of early childhood development in which children acquire a growing sense of individual identity, the existence of others, and self-control.

(2) The minimum number of weeks per year of kindergarten education based on the curriculum should be 39, except under special circumstances.

(3) Kindergartens should provide education based on the curriculum for a standard four hours per day. They should, however, give appropriate consideration to various circumstances, such as the level of the child's physical and mental development and the season of the year.

### 4. Points for consideration in formulating the curriculum

In formulating the curriculum, the following points shall be considered.

(1) Early childhood activities should be appropriate to each stage in the children's development,
from the stage where they start to become familiar with and feel secure at kindergarten to playing alone and interacting with teachers, when children's voluntary activities deepen in the context of interacting with other children and they recognize that they are necessary for one another, to the stage when they develop and deepen their kindergarten experience through shared aims and cooperation with friends and the class as a whole.

(2) Special consideration should be given to children when they first enter kindergarten, particularly at the age of three, in terms of close cooperation with the household, different lifestyles, and safety. Also, for children that have already turned three years of age, consider the possibility they will enter from the middle of the grade and ensure that they can attend kindergarten without any worries.

(3) To make kindergarten life safe for the children, faculty and staff shall devise a cooperative system for devoting consideration to and instruction of the children regarding the surroundings such as the outside play area and building itself, while taking care to encourage children's voluntary activities.

### 5. Points to keep in mind for transition to elementary school education

(1) In kindergartens, consideration should be given to the fact that kindergarten education leads to the development of foundation for life and learning in and after elementary school, and foundations such as creative thinking and a desire to participate in voluntary activities should be cultivated through a life suited to early childhood.

(2) Based on the qualities and abilities nurtured in kindergarten education, establish opportunities for an exchange of opinions and joint research, etc. with elementary school teachers so that elementary school education can be carried out smoothly. Make efforts to coordinate on "the Ideal Image by the End of Childhood", and make efforts to promote a smooth transition between kindergarten and elementary school education.

### 6. Formulation of an overall plan

In each kindergarten, with the curriculum at the center, educational activities provided during extracurricular hours mentioned in Chapter 3, school health planning, the school safety plan, et al. shall be connected to create an overall plan to carry out educational activities in an integrated manner.

### Section 4. Formulation of Instruction Plans and Evaluation Based on the Understanding of Each Child

### 1. Instruction plan approach

Kindergarten education aims to achieve its goals through concrete activities created by children
themselves motivated by involvement with their surroundings.

Based on this, a harmonious, systematic and developmental instruction plan based on the educational curriculum of each kindergarten shall be created so that an appropriate kindergarten life is developed for children and appropriate instruction is given. Flexible instruction to children must also be given in accordance with their activities.

2. Fundamental matters in formulating instruction plans

(1) Concrete instruction plans shall be formulated for each child to receive an education appropriate to early childhood, and to gain the experiences necessary for their stage of development.

(2) In terms of formulating plans, they should allow for activities to be selected and developed by setting out concrete aims and content based upon the outline below, and by creating an appropriate learning environment.

a) An understanding of the development process of children throughout kindergarten is necessary in order to determine specific aims and content, and they should also be in accordance with the interests and curiosity of children as well as their development process and give consideration to continuity, changes in season, et al.

b) An appropriate environment should be created to achieve the specific aims and to enable children to gain the experiences they need by developing various activities through their individual proactive interaction with the environment. Importance should be placed on the aspects of life and the imagination of children, and this environment should be appropriately maintained at all times.

c) Necessary support should be provided for children's specific activities to enable them to develop in a favorable direction, taking into consideration the possibility that these activities may change during the course of their lives.

Kindergartens should conduct an appropriate review and evaluation of the instruction process with reference to children's situations and changing circumstances, and make continuous improvements to instruction plans.

### 3. Points to consider when formulating the instruction plans

The following points shall be taken into consideration when formulating instruction plans.

(1) Appropriate instruction should be carried out by formulating long-term instruction plans that have both yearly, periodical, and monthly plans, and weekly and daily short-term instruction plans in line with the long-term ones. In particular, consideration should be given to children's lifestyles in the formulation of daily and weekly short-term instruction plans so that activities producing a sense of continuity in children's awareness and interests can be mutually connected and addressed.

(2) Teachers should promote in children the balanced development of physical and mental aspects through various experiences and contact with a wide range of people and things. In this regard, in order to realize proactive and dialogic deep learning in line with the development of
children, teachers should ensure that kindergarten life is fulfilling by establishing a sense of connection between individual experiences and by taking into consideration the fact that emotional experiences give rise to subsequent activities.

(3) Given that the development of ability related to languages is related to the development of thinking skills et al., a language environment for developing children shall be available throughout the kindergarten life to enhance language activities.

(4) To encourage children to look forward to and have motivation for subsequent activities, devise ways for them to gain an outlook on and reflect upon the play and daily life experiences they have with the teachers and other children, while taking into account their current situation.

(5) To enable a smooth transition from kindergarten to elementary school education, cooperation should be promoted by providing opportunities for exchange between kindergarten and elementary school pupils and for opinion exchange and joint research with elementary school teachers.

(6) In view of the fact that direct experiences are important in early childhood, when utilizing information equipment such as audiovisual teaching materials and computers, supplement the experience to make it one that is otherwise difficult to obtain in kindergarten life, and consider how it relates to the experience of the children.

(7) Since it is important for teachers to encourage children's voluntary activities in various ways, teachers' roles should include understanding the children and acting as a co-worker. They should also carry out instruction appropriate to each activity so that children can acquire the enriching experiences necessary for their development.

(8) Children's activities should encompass individual, group, and overall class activities. While creating a cooperative system among kindergarten teachers as a whole, appropriate assistance should be provided to ensure that the interests and desires of each child are fully satisfied.

### 4. Implementation of evaluation based on the understanding of each child

In conducting evaluations based on the understanding of the development of each child, the following matters shall be taken into consideration.

(1) Ensure that understanding of children is promoted while reflecting on the process of instruction while improvement in instruction, grasp the goodness and possibilities of each and every child and make use of it to improve said instruction. In this regard, keep in mind that it is not something that can be accomplished by comparing the child to other children or by rating an achievement against certain criteria.

(2) Use innovative ideas to improve the validity and reliability of the evaluation, promote systematic and organizational efforts, and ensure that the contents are carried appropriately over to the next school year or elementary school.
Section 5 Instruction for Children with Special Needs

### 1. Instruction for young children with disabilities

Regarding instructing children with disabilities, the content of instruction and its methods should be devised systematically and organizationally in accordance with the needs of individual children and should encourage children to develop their lives to the fullest within their peer group. This should be achieved by seeking advice and assistance from schools for special needs education et al., and formulating individual instruction plans and assistance plans in cooperation with families and relevant medical institutions, welfare services, et al. Also, in order to collaborate with families, communities, and related organizations engaged in work such as medical care, welfare, health, et al., and provide educational support to young children from a long-term perspective, prepare and utilize individual educational support and instruction plans and strive to accurately grasp the actual condition of each child.

2. Accommodate children who have returned from overseas and children who have difficulty with Japanese skills necessary for daily living to adapt to kindergarten.

Regarding children who have returned from overseas and children who have difficulty with Japanese skills for daily living, devise measures to allow them to demonstrate themselves freely according to the actual situation of each child, by systematically and organizationally devising measures for instruction content and method.

## Section 6 Points to Consider for Kindergarten Administration

1. In each kindergarten, under the policy of the principal, the faculty and staff should properly share roles based on the division of duties while working together to improve the curriculum and instruction and mutually cooperating. Also, it is important to keep in mind that school evaluation conducted by each kindergarten will be implemented in connection with curriculum management by taking into consideration that the formation, implementation and improvement of the curriculum represent the core of educational activities and kindergarten administration.

2. Although the household remains the foundation of children's lives, it should be noted that contact with the local community broadens their horizons and should be developed by maintaining a sense of continuity between kindergarten and family life as well as the community through full cooperation with children's families.

Local nature spots, human resources including the elderly and children of different ages, events, and public facilities should be actively utilized and creative measures taken to enrich children's lives. With regard to cooperation with the household, consideration should also be given to
deepening parents' understanding of early childhood education by providing opportunities for parents to exchange information and to participate in activities with children.

3. Cooperation and exchange among kindergartens as well as between nurseries, centers for early childhood education and care, elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, special support schools, et al., is to be promoted in accordance with the actual conditions of communities and kindergartens. Particularly for the smooth transition between kindergarten and elementary school education, opportunities for interaction between kindergarten children and elementary school students should be actively provided. Opportunities for exchange and cooperative learning with children with disabilities shall be created, and we shall strive to nurture attitudes for them to respect one another and be willing to cooperate and co-exist.

### Section 7. Educational Activities Provided during Extracurricular Hours

Kindergartens shall implement educational during extracurricular hours described in Chapter 3 based on the objectives and goals stipulated in the School Education Law and the fundamentals of kindergarten education outlined in Section 1 of this Chapter. Also, to contribute to the achievement of the purpose of kindergarten, we shall endeavor to support early childhood education at home and in the region so that children's lives in general become enriched.
'Aims' described in this Chapter center on grasping the qualities and abilities that children should develop in kindergarten education, and 'Content' lists the points to be taught to achieve these aims. Each area sums up and describes the aspects of each child's development: health (physical and mental health); interpersonal relationships (the relationship between the child and other people); environment (the children's surroundings and relationship to them); language (the process of language acquisition); and expression (feelings and expression). 'Dealing with the content' describes points to keep in mind when teaching based on the development of children.

Consideration should be given to steadily realizing the aims indicated in each area in an interrelated manner while children are acquiring various experiences, and ensuring that the content of the curriculum is delivered in a comprehensive manner through specific activities which are developed in relation to the children's learning environment.

Also, it should be taken into consideration when providing instruction that "the Ideal Image by the End of Childhood" is a specific form of a child at the time of completion of kindergarten whose qualities and abilities have been fully nurtured through activities based on these aims and content.

Where there is a necessity to do so, appropriate and specific content can be creatively developed in accordance with the aims indicated in each area, and additions are permitted if careful attention is given to ensure that this does not deviate from the ideals indicated in Section 1 of Chapter 1, Basic Ideals of Kindergarten Education.

## Health

(Developing a sound mind and body, and fostering children's abilities to independently maintain a healthy and safe life.)

1. Aims

(1) To act positively and freely and to experience a sense of fulfillment.

(2) To sufficiently move one’s body and to exercise proactively.

(3) To acquire the habits and attitudes necessary for a healthy and safe life, and act with foresight.

### 2. Content

(1) Communicate with teachers and friends, and act with a sense of stability.

(2) Movie one’s body sufficiently through various kinds of play.

(3) Play outdoors willingly.

(4) Become familiar with various activities and engage in them with joy.

(5) Enjoy eating with teachers and friends, and be curious about and have interest in food.
(6) Acquiring a healthy lifestyle pattern.

(7) Maintain cleanliness and become self-sufficient in essential activities, such as changing one’s clothes, eating, and using the bathroom.

(8) Understand the way of life in kindergarten and understand the consequences of their actions while organizing the kindergarten living space without adult assistance.

(9) Acquire a sense of curiosity about one's health and willingly carry out activities necessary to prevent illness.

(10) Understand where danger lies, what dangerous play is, and how to act in case of disasters, as well as take action with regard to safety.

### 3. Dealing with the Content

It is necessary to note the following points with regard to dealing with content related to health.

(1) Given that there is a close interrelationship between mental and physical health, teachers should promote the flexible development of children's body and mind to allow them to enjoy a sense of their own existence and fulfillment acquired through warm relationships with teachers and other children. In particular, teachers should stimulate in children the desire to move their bodies voluntarily by allowing them to experience the pleasant feeling of doing so sufficiently.

(2) Teachers should encourage children to move their bodies to develop a sense of joy in this activity, an awareness of safety, and a desire to maintain their health through various kinds of play in accordance with children's interests, curiosity and abilities. In doing so, children should become able to coordinate body movements through various exercises.

(3) Children should be encouraged to expand their interest in and curiosity about the outdoors, given the fact that free physical activity and play in a natural environment stimulates the development of bodily functions. In doing so, teachers should creatively design playgrounds and the placement of playground equipment taking into consideration children's patterns of movement.

(4) Given the importance of acquiring desirable eating habits through dietary education for the development of a sound mind and body, teachers should stimulate in children the desire to eat willingly by allowing them to experience the pleasure and joy of eating with teachers and other children in a friendly atmosphere and developing an interest in various kinds of food while also taking into consideration children's individual dietary lifestyles.

(5) In terms of the development of essential basic habits, teachers should guide children to acquire the habits necessary for life by fostering self-reliance and developing voluntary activities while at the same time maintaining the importance of relationships with other children, and taking their life experiences into consideration.

(6) With regard to safety-related instruction, kindergartens should encourage children to maintain emotional stability, to acquire safety preparedness through play, and to learn about dangerous
places and things. Kindergartens should also teach children about traffic safety and be able to take appropriate action at the time of emergency including disasters by taking measures such as conducting evacuation drills.

## Human Relationships

(Developing independence and fostering the ability to communicate with others to associate with and support each other.)

### 1. Aims

(1) To enjoy kindergarten life and to experience a sense of fulfillment in acting by oneself.

(2) To become familiar with and deepen relationships with others they are close to, to know the pleasure of devising and cooperating and working together, and to develop affection and trust.

(3) To acquire socially desirable habits and attitudes.

### 2. Content

(1) Experience the enjoyment of spending time with teachers and friends.

(2) Think and act independently.

(3) Do things for themselves as much as possible.

(4) Have the willingness to accomplish things by enjoying various play activities.

(5) Share enjoyment and sadness through active involvement in relationships with friends.

(6) Share thoughts with friends and understand what friends are thinking.

(7) Understand friends' strengths and experience the enjoyment of doing things together.

(8) Identify common purposes, come up with creative approaches, and cooperate while engaging in enjoyable activities with friends.

(9) Understand the difference between good and bad, and apply this to one’s actions.

(10) Deepen relationships with and be compassionate toward friends.

(11) Understand the importance of rules and observe them to lead an enjoyable life with friends.

(12) Take care of common play equipment and apparatus and share them with everyone.

(13) Become familiar with various people who are deeply involved in their lives, such as the elderly and others in the community.

### 3. Dealing with the Content

It is necessary to note the following points with regard to dealing with content related to interpersonal relationships.

(1) Considering the fact that an individual life built on relationships of trust with teachers serves as a foundation for interpersonal relationships, appropriate support should be provided to children by watching over their actions and encouraging them to experience a wide range of emotions by interacting with their environment in their own way and to gain a sense of fulfillment by never giving up and succeeding on their own with a sense of achievement and