Pre-School Education (PSE) is one of the most important components of ICDS and considered to be the backbone of ICDS. As part of “Strengthening and Restructuring of ICDS”, the Government of India (GOI) is focusing on strengthening of AWCs as “Vibrant ECD Centers” to become the first village outpost for health, nutrition and early learning and the Government has also proposed minimum 6 hours of working of AWCs. Accordingly, the State Government has made it mandatory for extending the timings of Pre-School from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. and also enhanced the honorarium of AWWs and AWHs.

A day wise programme for conduct of Pre-School activities has been prepared in consultation with experts working with Pre-School Education and other stake holders. The guidelines for conduct of day wise activities and the day-wise time-table are at Table-I and 2 respectively. As detailed in the activity planner 2 good habits, 2 conversation, 3 action songs, 2 stories, 2 games, 2 Creative activities/ Scientific activities and School readiness activities have to be conducted in Pre-School every month.

The Anganwadi worker (AWW) holds the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) meeting once in a month with the parents. The Anganwadi Workers are also instructed to take the help of active Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI), Village Organization members, adolescent girls, local teachers, community members, mothers, NGOs etc in conducting Pre-School activities.

For effective, Pre-School functioning, the Project Directors are expected to review the conduct of Pre-School activities in monthly meetings. Further CDPOs and Supervisors are expected to organize two hours orientation on the syllabus of the coming month in the meetings of AWWs at the Project and Sector level every month. Methodologies for conduct of Pre-School activities are also to be demonstrated at monthly meetings.

Table-1
Guidelines for conduct of day-wise activities

9.00 - 9.20	-	AWW should receive each child and interact with them and allow the children to interact with each other.
9.20 - 9.40	-	Conduct prayer and after that serve the snack (Egg/Kurkure/Chana)
9.40 - 10.00	-	Conduct session exclusively on good habits for two days and conversation session for four days in a week as per topics given month-wise in the Pre-School Curriculum.
10.00 - 10.30	-	Take up School readiness activities for 4 + (UKG) as per pre-school curriculum and free play for 3+ (LKG) under supervision of AWH/Others.
10.30 - 10.50	-	Conduct Indoor games/Outdoor game/Physical exercise/ Action Songs as per the Pre-School Curriculum.
10.50 - 11.00	-	Free Play for children.
11.00 - 11.20	-	This session is meant for storytelling by following the strategies mentioned in Pre-School Curriculum guidelines book.  During sharing of experience session, the children should be allowed to express their feelings freely or speak any topic on their own.
11.20 - 11.30	-	Free Play for children.
11.30 - 12.00	-	AWW to guide children to write Alphabets/Numbers etc in work book separately for 4+ (UKG) and  3+ (LKG) / conduct activities by using Activity Book /take up Creative activities/ Scientific activities as per Pre-School Curriculum.
12.00 - 12.15	-	Preparation for Lunch. Inculcate the habit of washing hands with soap and water before Lunch.
12.15 - 1.00	-	Lunch.
1.00 - 2.30	-	Sleeping time for Children. Clean and neat mats/durries should be available in all AWCs. Children should not be allowed to sleep on the floor.
2.30 - 2.50	-	Conduct Action Songs for 4 days in a week as prescribed.
2.50 - 3.00	-	Snacks (Kurkure/Chana).
3.00 - 3.30	-	Take up School readiness activity as per Pre-School Curriculum for 4+ UKG and free play for LKG 3+ children under the supervision of AWH/others.
3.30 - 4.00	-	Recap the day’s activities and prepare children to go home.
Friday (2.30 p.m. 4.00 p.m.)	-	AWW should go for home visits (prioritized). Outdoor games for children under the supervision of AWH.
Saturday (2.30 p.m. 4.00 p.m)	-	AWW should organize cultural activity or picnic or nature walk or celebration of birthdays or SamuhikaSreemanthalu, Annaprasanas etc. as prescribed in Calendar of activities.

Objectives of the Monthly ECCE Day

• To enlighten the parents and community about age and developmentally appropriate early child care and education practices.
• Facilitate active participation of parents and community by creating opportunities for parents to contribute support to the AWC.
• Inform parents and community to get them well versed with the non-formal play and activity based method of learning.
• Inform parents about the progress of their child on growth, development and learning milestones.

Guidelines for Monthly ECCE Day:

• The Monthly ECCE Day is to be organized once every month at the AWC.
• The Monthly ECCE Day is a platform for interface between the Anganwadi Worker and the parents/community. The ICDS functionaries will organize activities for advocacy, awareness generation and involvement of parents and community.
• The Monthly ECCE Day will facilitate involvement of parents and community in the early childhood care and education of children and establish the partnerships for optimum development of the young child.
• All the children attending the Anganwadi Centre, and preferably all other children in the age group of 0-6 years in the community and their parents are to participate in the Monthly ECCE Day.