In pursuing any form of change in the basic education curriculum, it is necessary to revise the K to 12 Program. Doing so allows the Department of Education to address existing challenges and needs, especially the issue of overly broad competencies. The Matatag Curriculum is the education sector’s response to streamline these competencies and focus more on foundational learning skills. In addition, the curriculum designates Kindergarten as the entry point into formal schooling within the basic education framework. Thus, the Kindergarten Matatag Curriculum aims to produce active young Filipino learners who are holistically developed and equipped with 21st-century skills. To better understand the Matatag Curriculum for Kindergarten, including its framework and competencies, you may download the Curriculum Guide below.
Remember that the Matatag Curriculum is implemented to simplify the complex selection of learning focuses. The main objective of this revised curriculum is to develop 21st-century skilled learners and promote holistic development. Furthermore, the introduction of the Matatag Curriculum, which carries a nationalistic touch, is more advantageous. It aims to foster learning experiences and content that are nationalistic, culturally responsive, compatible with, and relevant to the learner.
What is the MATATAG Curriculum?
This curriculum goes beyond just ABCs and 123s. It focuses on six key areas: literacy, language, and communication. Through engaging activities and play-based learning, your child will develop essential skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, cooperation, and respect – all while building a strong foundation for future academic success. The education agenda of the current government leadership is known as MATATAG: Bansan Makabata, Batang Makabansa, which sets the new direction of the agency and stakeholders in resolving basic education challenges.
The 21st century demands constant adjustment to rapidly changing environments, which is necessary to navigate multifaceted learning challenges. As the modern era progresses, technological advancements provide our learners with various avenues for information gathering. Thus, the issue of information deprivation is no longer the main concern. It is now the right time to shift education from learner information dependency to the development of lifelong learners. Additionally, the surge in digital technology presents a wide range of opportunities for innovative and personalized learning experiences.
Focus of the MATATAG Curriculum in Kindergarten
The revised Kindergarten Curriculum Framework describes how various elements of education work together to achieve the goals of Republic Act 10157, or the Kindergarten Education Act. This law emphasizes that the primary objective of Kindergarten is to prepare children for formal education. It is also the stage where children begin to grasp the basic foundations of learning the 3Rs—Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Therefore, this stage is crucial in shaping learners as citizens of the country and the world. To make this possible, the official policy of the state is to make the education system learner-oriented, responsive to their needs, capacities, and abilities.
Filipino Kindergarten learners must be equipped with 21st-century skills at the early stage of their educational journey. This will help them develop a sense of responsibility for their own learning. In addition to KSA (knowledge, skills, and attitude), Kindergarten education must focus on building awareness of basic concepts through a play-based approach or other developmentally appropriate teaching practices. Furthermore, learners should be immersed in activities that encourage creative thinking, effective reasoning, clear communication, and collaborative work with others.
Download DepEd K-10 Matatag Curriculum Guide
The Matatag Kindergarten Curriculum Guide highlights the target learning competencies derived from developmental domains such as Literacy, Language and Communication, Cognitive, Socio-emotional, Aesthetic, Physical Health and Motor, and Values Development. These domains also form the basis of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Checklist.
Download the Matatag Curriculum Guide for Kindergarten below:
| DepEd New MATATAG Curriculum Guide (CG) Kindergarten |
|---|
| DOWNLAOD |
Key Learning Areas in Kindergarten (Based on MATATAG CG)
The curricular themes of Kindergarten are aligned with Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory, which defines the “layers of the environment.” These themes are reflected in the curriculum guide, such as Knowing Who We Are and Our Families, Exploring Our Community, Appreciating Our Country, and Caring for Our World—each contributing to a child’s holistic development.
Read the content and performance standards of the Kindergarten Curriculum Guide, organized according to the themes mentioned earlier.
| Kindergarten Curriculum Themes | Content Standards | Performance Standards |
|---|---|---|
| KNOWING WHO WE ARE AND OUR FAMILIES | The learners demonstrate understanding of attitude, emotions, similarities, and differences of oneself and others, including the concept of family, and of the importance of physical health, safety, and appropriate movement concepts. | The learners demonstrate understanding of attitude, emotions, similarities, and differences of oneself and others, including the concept of family, and of the importance of physical health, safety, and appropriate movement concepts. |
| EXPLORING OUR COMMUNITY | The learners understand the value of discipline, honesty, respect, friendship, care, and concern. | The learners demonstrate proper discipline, honesty, respect, friendship, and care towards other people. |
| APPRECIATING OUR COUNTRY | The learners demonstrate understanding of their identity, rights, and responsibilities as Filipino citizens. | The learners show appreciation for their culture, understand their rights as Filipino citizens, and demonstrate a sense of responsibility as Filipino citizens. |
| CARING FOR OUR WORLD | The learners appreciate the beauty of the environment through creative expressions. | The learners express thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and imagination through creative expressions. |
