The immediate response to the work from home (WFH) and prohibited face-to-face(F2F) classes is the conduct of online instructions. Classes were continued using varied internet forms such as Google classrooms, Facebook messenger, email accounts. These created other problems to students who do not have internet access, have only intermittent access, lack of gadget to use, lack of funds to buy cellphone load including the large numbers of materials to upload in the internet. More so, teachers had problems on the preparation of instructional materials that could cater to the differing needs and concerns of the students.

Since the limited or absence of opportunity to conduct face-to-face is already expected in the new normal and until such time that a vaccine is discovered to stop the pandemic, there is a need to prepare teachers to the implementation of flexible learning which include a combination of the following learning modes: 1)face-to-face; 2)online; and 3)alternative mode.

It is in this context that this study is conducted to develop teaching material to cater the developmental needs of the preschool pupils at the  Mariano Marcos State University College of Teacher Education, Laboratory Elementary School to respond to the challenges of the new normal. 

The developmental skills and learning competencies identified in the activities are based on the National Early learning Competencies (NELC) in order to meet and address the holistic(physical, cognitive/intellectual and socioemotional) among the young learners specifically from ages 3.11 to 4.11. A Developmental Checklist is attached in each weekly module. Specific skills are identified in each module depend on the activities given. It may or may not contain all the different broad domains of development. Moreover, the result may give us an overview on the present developmental abilities of the child and it is not a basis on their intellectual capabilities. This Developmental Checklist was designed and developed not to diagnose or to determine a child's intelligence but to measure objectively the child's skills in different domains. The parents or guardians who administer the activities with the child are the ones who will rate the Developmental Checklist. Descriptive ratings will be based on how the child performed the given activities. It is strongly advised and highly appreciated that the parents/guardians may provide an honest assessment so that teachers will be able to identify the current developmental status of the child. Thus, appropriate interventions will be given by the teachers if found out that there are developmental delays manifested by the child.

It is in this way that teachers' and students' concerns shall be addressed and that teaching and learning continue to take place despite the pandemic which the world is facing. This study will be conducted for 12 months, starting July of 2020, which is the estimated date of implementation.     

 The research project will be conducted in Ilocos Norte, specifically at the Mariano Marcos State University - College of Teacher Education, Laboratory Elementary School, Laoag City. The study covers  basic education and higher education of the said college. The research project will be completed in a maximum period of 12 months, and it shall start on July, 2020 prior to the commencement of classes for the first semester. The highlight of the study is the creation of developmentally appropriate teaching materials that will be suited for flexible learning as response to the shift in educational landscape brought about by the new normal. Therefore, this project shall produce a compendium of validated teaching materials in selected courses from the various programs of the College for use in flexible learning.

Moreover, this project will generate information on the effectiveness of the developed instructional materials. Eventually, this materials developed shall be copyrighted and commercialized.

Findings in this project shall be disseminated through oral and poster presentation in seminars and/or conferences. Furthermore, the  project will be repackaged  into articles that could be submitted in peer-reviewed, top journals for potential publication.