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52
How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years A resource about learning through relationships for those who work with young children and their families 2014

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Page 1: Learning HappenDoes How

How

Doe

s

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Onta

rio’s

Peda

gogy

for t

he E

arly

Yea

rs

A re

sour

ce a

bout

lear

ning

thr

ough

rel

atio

nshi

ps f

or t

hose

who

wor

k w

ith y

oung

chi

ldre

n an

d th

eir

fam

ilies

20

14

Page 2: Learning HappenDoes How

The

Onta

rio P

ublic

Ser

vice

end

eavo

urs

to d

emon

stra

te le

ader

ship

with

resp

ect t

o ac

cess

ibili

ty in

Ont

ario

. Our

goa

l is

to

ensu

re th

at O

ntar

io g

over

nmen

t ser

vice

s, p

rodu

cts,

and

facil

ities

are

acc

essib

le to

all

our e

mpl

oyee

s an

d to

all

mem

bers

of

the

publ

ic w

e se

rve.

Thi

s do

cum

ent,

or th

e in

form

atio

n th

at it

con

tain

s, is

ava

ilabl

e, o

n re

ques

t, in

alte

rnat

ive

form

ats.

Plea

se fo

rwar

d al

l req

uest

s fo

r alte

rnat

ive

form

ats

to S

ervi

ceOn

tario

at 1

-800

-668

-993

8 (T

TY: 1

-800

-268

-709

5).

13-1

62 •

ISBN

978

-1-4

606-

3838

-5 (

Prin

t) •

ISBN

978

-1-4

606-

3839

-2 (

PDF)

© Q

ueen

’s Pr

inte

r for

Ont

ario

, 201

4

Page 3: Learning HappenDoes How

Cont

ents

Ack

now

led

gem

ents

3

A V

isio

n f

or

Onta

rio’s

Ea

rly Y

ea

rs

4

Intr

od

uct

ion

5

An

Und

erst

and

ing

of

Chi

ldre

n, F

am

ilies

, a

nd E

duc

ato

rs

6

The

Four

Fou

nda

tions

of

How

Does

Lea

rnin

g H

ap

pen

?

7

ELE

CT

and

a B

rief

His

tory

of

Ea

rly L

ea

rnin

g in O

nta

rio

9

ELEC

T Pr

inci

ple

s 10

Build

ing

fro

m E

LEC

T to

How

Does

Lea

rnin

g H

ap

pen

? 10

Rese

arc

h, T

heor

y, a

nd P

ract

ice

11

Wha

t’s M

ost

Imp

orta

nt?

11

How

to U

se T

his

Reso

urc

e G

uid

e

12

Goa

ls f

or C

hild

ren

12

Exp

ecta

tions

for

Pro

gra

ms

13

Que

stio

ns f

or R

efle

ctio

n

13

Sup

port

ing

a C

onti

nuum

of

Lea

rnin

g

14

Earl

y Ye

ars

Cur

ricu

lum

15

Earl

y Ye

ars

Ped

ag

og

y

16

The

Chi

ld

17

Unders

tandin

g C

hild

Dev

elo

pm

ent

17

Unders

tandin

g C

hild

ren f

rom

Diffe

rent Pe

rspect

ives

17

The

Fam

ily

18

The

Com

mun

ity

19

The

Educ

ato

r 19

Cri

tica

l Reflect

ion

20

Colla

bora

tive

Inqui

ry

20

The

Env

ironm

ent

20

Pedagogic

al D

ocu

menta

tion

21

Found

ati

ons

for

Lea

rnin

g

23

Belo

ngin

g: C

ultiv

atin

g A

uthe

ntic

Rel

atio

nshi

ps

and

Con

nect

ions

24

Ove

rvie

w

24

Goals

and E

xpect

ations

26

Que

stio

ns

for

Reflect

ion

28

Une

publ

icatio

n éq

uiva

lent

e es

t disp

onib

le e

n fra

nçai

s so

us le

titre

sui

vant

:Co

mm

ent a

ppre

nd-o

n? –

Péd

agog

ie d

e l’O

ntar

io p

our l

a pe

tite

enfa

nce.

This

publ

icatio

n is

also

ava

ilabl

e on

the

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion’

s w

ebsit

e, a

t ww

w.on

tario

.ca/

edu.

Page 4: Learning HappenDoes How

Wel

l-Be

ing:

Nur

turi

ng H

ealth

y D

evel

opm

ent

and

Wel

l-Be

ing

2

9

Ove

rvie

w

29

Goals

and E

xpect

ations

32

Que

stio

ns

for

Reflect

ion

34

Eng

ag

emen

t: C

rea

ting

Con

text

s fo

r Le

arn

ing

thr

oug

h

Exp

lora

tion,

Pla

y, a

nd In

qui

ry

3

5

Ove

rvie

w

35

Goals

and E

xpect

ations

37

Que

stio

ns

for

Reflect

ion

39

Exp

ress

ion:

Fos

teri

ng C

omm

unic

atio

n a

nd E

xpre

ssio

n

in A

ll Fo

rms

41

Ove

rvie

w

41

Goals

and E

xpect

ations

4

3

Que

stio

ns

for

Reflect

ion

45

Refe

rence

s 4

6

Page 5: Learning HappenDoes How

3 Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Ackn

owle

dgem

ents

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Ear

ly Y

ears

is t

he

pro

du

ct o

f h

un

dre

ds

of

con

vers

atio

ns.

Th

e M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n w

ou

ld l

ike

to s

ince

rely

th

ank

the

man

y vo

ices

th

at h

ave

con

trib

ute

d t

o t

his

do

cum

ent.

Yo

ur

exp

erie

nce

, k

no

wle

dg

e, w

isd

om

, an

d p

assi

on

hav

e in

form

ed o

ur

coll

ecti

ve t

hin

kin

g t

o s

hap

e th

is t

ran

sfo

rmat

ion

al d

ocu

men

t.

Ove

r th

e p

ast

two

yea

rs, w

e h

ave

eng

aged

wit

h v

ario

us

par

tner

s,

syst

em l

ead

ers,

exp

erts

, p

rofe

ssio

nal

s, a

nd

pra

ctit

ion

ers

fro

m a

ll

seg

men

ts o

f th

e ea

rly

year

s se

cto

r. T

hro

ugh

in

div

idu

al d

ialo

gu

e,

loca

l fo

cus

gro

up

s, a

nd

var

iou

s p

rovi

nci

al f

oru

ms,

th

ere

wer

e

man

y ri

ch d

iscu

ssio

ns

and

th

ere

wil

l b

e m

any

mo

re t

o c

om

e.

We

loo

k fo

rwar

d t

o c

on

tin

uin

g o

ur

con

vers

atio

ns

acro

ss t

he

pro

vin

ce a

s w

e ex

plo

re t

og

eth

er h

ow

lea

rnin

g h

app

ens.

Page 6: Learning HappenDoes How

4

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

A V

isio

n fo

r O

ntar

io’s

Ear

ly Y

ears

Chi

ldre

n’s

earl

y ex

peri

ence

s la

st a

lif

etim

e.

Du

rin

g o

ur

firs

t ye

ars

of

life

, th

e b

rain

dev

elo

ps

at a

n a

sto

un

din

g

rate

. S

cien

tist

s n

ow

kn

ow

th

is p

roce

ss i

s n

ot

just

gen

etic

bu

t is

dra

mat

ical

ly i

nfl

uen

ced

by

ou

r ea

rly

exp

erie

nce

s w

ith

peo

ple

an

d

ou

r su

rro

un

din

gs.

1

Wh

ile

a ch

ild

’s p

rin

cip

al s

ou

rces

fo

r su

pp

ort

ive

rela

tio

nsh

ips

and

lea

rnin

g e

xper

ien

ces

are

at h

om

e, m

any

On

tari

o c

hil

dre

n

also

att

end

ch

ild

car

e an

d c

hil

d a

nd

fam

ily

pro

gra

ms.

Ear

ly

year

s p

rog

ram

s p

lay

an i

mp

ort

ant

role

in

su

pp

ort

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

lear

nin

g, d

evel

op

men

t, h

ealt

h, an

d w

ell-

bei

ng.

Evi

den

ce f

rom

div

erse

fiel

ds

of

stu

dy

tell

s u

s th

at c

hil

dre

n g

row

in

pro

gra

ms

wh

ere

adu

lts

are

cari

ng

an

d r

esp

on

sive

. C

hil

dre

n s

ucc

eed

in

pro

gra

ms

that

fo

cus

on

act

ive

lear

nin

g t

hro

ugh

exp

lora

tio

n, p

lay,

and

in

qu

iry.

Ch

ild

ren

th

rive

in

pro

gra

ms

wh

ere

they

an

d t

hei

r

fam

ilie

s ar

e va

lued

as

acti

ve p

arti

cip

ants

an

d c

on

trib

uto

rs.

1. N

atio

nal S

cient

ific C

ounc

il on

the

Deve

lopi

ng C

hild,

n.d

.

In J

anu

ary

2013

, th

e

On

tari

o g

ove

rnm

ent

rele

ased

the

Ont

ario

Ear

ly Y

ears

Pol

icy

Fra

mew

ork,

wh

ich

art

icu

late

s th

e

foll

ow

ing

vis

ion

fo

r ea

rly

year

s p

rog

ram

s:

“Ont

ario

’s c

hild

ren

an

d fa

mil

ies

are

wel

l

supp

orte

d by

a s

yste

m o

f re

spon

sive

, hi

gh-q

ual

ity,

acc

essi

ble,

and

incr

easi

ngly

int

egra

ted

ear

ly y

ears

pro

gram

s an

d se

rvic

es t

hat

cont

ribu

te t

o he

alth

y ch

ild

deve

lopm

ent

toda

y an

d a

stro

nger

futu

re

tom

orro

w.”

2

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Ear

ly Y

ears

,

201

4 b

uil

ds

on

th

is p

oli

cy f

ram

ewo

rk a

nd

is

a ke

y co

mp

on

ent

of

On

tari

o’s

visi

on

fo

r th

e ea

rly

year

s. I

t d

emo

nst

rate

s o

ur

com

mit

men

t to

str

eng

then

ing

th

e q

ual

ity

of

earl

y ye

ars

pro

gra

ms

by

ensu

rin

g t

hes

e p

rog

ram

s ar

e ce

ntr

ed o

n t

he

chil

d

and

th

e fa

mil

y.

Th

ere

is p

erh

aps

no

rel

atio

nsh

ip t

hat

ho

lds

gre

ater

res

po

nsi

bil

ity

or

rew

ard

th

an t

he

rela

tio

nsh

ips

we

dev

elo

p w

ith

ch

ild

ren

.

As

edu

cato

rs, as

fam

ily

mem

ber

s, a

s p

oli

cy m

aker

s, o

r as

adm

inis

trat

ors

, w

e al

l k

no

w t

hat

th

e st

ron

ger

ou

r p

artn

ersh

ips

and

th

e d

eep

er a

nd

mo

re v

alu

able

ou

r co

nn

ecti

on

s, t

he

gre

ater

the

ben

efit.

It’

s an

in

vest

men

t th

at a

llo

ws

us

all

to g

row

.

2. M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

n, O

ntar

io, 2

013,

p. 2

.

Page 7: Learning HappenDoes How

5 Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Intr

oduc

tion

How

doe

s le

arnin

g ha

ppen

?

Wh

at r

elat

ion

ship

s an

d e

nvi

ron

men

ts s

up

po

rt it?

Wh

at

acti

on

s su

pp

ort

ch

ild

ren’s

lea

rnin

g? W

hat

do

es t

heo

ry

and

res

earc

h t

ell

us?

Th

ese

are

qu

esti

on

s w

ith

co

nst

antl

y

evo

lvin

g a

nd

sh

ifti

ng

an

swer

s. W

hil

e th

ere

are

gen

eral

pri

nci

ple

s an

d k

no

wle

dg

e w

e ca

n r

efer

to

, w

e m

ust

alw

ays

thin

k, fe

el, an

d a

ct i

n w

ays

that

refl

ect

the

envi

ron

men

t,

the

circ

um

stan

ces,

an

d m

ost

im

po

rtan

tly

the

chil

dre

n,

fam

ilie

s, a

nd

co

llea

gu

es w

e h

ave

bef

ore

us

in e

very

un

iqu

e

situ

atio

n. A

s w

e q

ues

tio

n, re

sear

ch, re

flec

t, r

esp

on

d, an

d

co-c

on

stru

ct o

ur

un

der

stan

din

g o

f th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

us

wit

h c

hil

dre

n a

nd

fam

ilie

s, w

e g

ain

new

per

spec

tive

s an

d

new

an

d m

ore

co

mp

lex

qu

esti

on

s ar

ise.

Th

is d

ocu

men

t is

no

t so

mu

ch a

bo

ut

pro

vid

ing

all

th

e an

swer

s, b

ut

rath

er i

s

inte

nd

ed t

o p

rovo

ke q

ues

tio

ns

– fo

r it

is

in e

xplo

rin

g o

ur

qu

esti

on

s th

at l

earn

ing

hap

pen

s.

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Ear

ly Y

ears

is a

pro

fess

ion

al l

earn

ing

res

ou

rce

gu

ide

abo

ut

lear

nin

g t

hro

ugh

rela

tio

nsh

ips

for

tho

se w

ork

ing

wit

h y

ou

ng

ch

ild

ren

an

d f

amil

ies.

It i

s in

ten

ded

to

su

pp

ort

ped

ago

gy

and

cu

rric

ulu

m/p

rog

ram

dev

elo

pm

ent

in e

arly

yea

rs p

rog

ram

s.

Ped

agog

y is

“th

e u

nde

rsta

nd

ing

of

ho

w l

earn

ing

tak

es p

lace

and

th

e p

hil

oso

ph

y an

d p

ract

ice

that

su

pp

ort

th

at u

nd

erst

and

ing

of

lear

nin

g”.

3 C

urr

icu

lum

(th

e co

nte

nt

of

lear

nin

g)

and

ped

ago

gy

(ho

w l

earn

ing

hap

pen

s) i

n

earl

y ye

ars

sett

ing

s ar

e sh

aped

by

view

s ab

ou

t ch

ild

ren

, th

e

role

of

edu

cato

rs a

nd

fam

ilie

s, a

nd

rel

atio

nsh

ips

amo

ng

th

em.

Th

is p

edag

og

ical

do

cum

ent,

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

, h

elp

s

edu

cato

rs f

ocu

s o

n t

hes

e in

terr

elat

ion

ship

s in

th

e co

nte

xt o

f ea

rly

year

s en

viro

nm

ents

.

We

hav

e u

sed

th

e te

rm “

edu

cato

r” t

hro

ugh

ou

t th

is

do

cum

ent

to r

efer

to

all

wh

o w

ork

wit

h c

hil

dre

n a

nd

fam

ilie

s in

ear

ly y

ears

pro

gra

ms

(e.g

., ce

ntr

e- a

nd

ho

me-

bas

ed c

hil

d c

are,

ch

ild

an

d f

amil

y p

rog

ram

s, b

efo

re a

nd

afte

r sc

ho

ol

pro

gra

ms)

.

3. E

arly

Lear

ning

for E

very

Chi

ld To

day:

A F

ram

ewor

k fo

r Ont

ario

Ear

ly Ch

ildho

od S

ettin

gs (

Min

istry

of E

duca

tion,

Onta

rio, 2

007)

, p. 9

0; h

erea

fter c

ited

as E

LECT

.

Page 8: Learning HappenDoes How

6

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

How

Does

Lea

rnin

g H

appen

? se

ts o

ut a

sha

red u

nder

stand

ing o

f

child

ren,

fam

ilies

, and

educ

ato

rs.

Refle

ctin

g o

n th

ese

view

s about

chi

ldre

n, fam

ilies

, and

educ

ato

rs

in the

cont

ext o

f th

e ea

rly

years

env

ironm

ent i

s a s

tartin

g p

oin

t for

dev

elopin

g p

rogra

ms

and

pra

ctic

es to s

upport le

arn

ing.

Figur

e 1.

Lea

rnin

g an

d de

velo

pmen

t hap

pens

with

in th

e co

ntex

t of r

elatio

nshi

ps a

mon

g ch

ildre

n,

fam

ilies,

educ

ator

s, an

d th

eir e

nviro

nmen

ts.

An U

nder

stan

ding

of C

hild

ren,

Fam

ilies

, and

Ed

ucat

ors

Set

tin

g o

ut

and

act

ing

on

a s

tro

ng

im

age

of

chil

dre

n, fa

mil

ies,

and

ed

uca

tors

has

a p

rofo

un

d i

mp

act

on

wh

at h

app

ens

in e

arly

year

s se

ttin

gs.

4 R

eflec

tin

g o

n a

sh

ared

un

der

stan

din

g a

nd

wo

rkin

g t

ow

ard

s g

reat

er c

on

sist

ency

bet

wee

n w

hat

we

say

and

wh

at w

e d

o p

rovi

des

a m

ean

s to

str

eng

then

an

d t

ran

sfo

rm e

arly

year

s p

rog

ram

s ac

ross

th

e p

rovi

nce

.

Ch

ild

ren

are

co

mp

eten

t, c

apab

le o

f co

mp

lex

thin

kin

g,

curi

ou

s, a

nd

ric

h i

n p

ote

nti

al. T

hey

gro

w u

p i

n f

amil

ies

wit

h d

iver

se s

oci

al, cu

ltu

ral,

an

d l

ing

uis

tic

per

spec

tive

s.

Eve

ry c

hil

d s

ho

uld

fee

l th

at h

e o

r sh

e b

elo

ng

s, i

s a

valu

able

co

ntr

ibu

tor

to h

is o

r h

er s

urr

ou

nd

ing

s, a

nd

des

erve

s th

e o

pp

ort

un

ity

to s

ucc

eed

. W

hen

we

reco

gn

ize

chil

dre

n a

s ca

pab

le a

nd

cu

rio

us,

we

are

mo

re l

ikel

y to

del

iver

pro

gra

ms

and

ser

vice

s th

at v

alu

e an

d b

uil

d o

n

thei

r st

ren

gth

s an

d a

bil

itie

s.

4. M

oss,

2010

.

Page 9: Learning HappenDoes How

7 Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Fam

ilie

s ar

e co

mp

ose

d o

f in

div

idu

als

wh

o a

re c

om

pet

ent

and

cap

able

, cu

rio

us,

an

d r

ich

in

exp

erie

nce

. F

amil

ies

love

th

eir

chil

dre

n a

nd

wan

t th

e b

est

for

them

. F

amil

ies

are

exp

erts

on

th

eir

chil

dre

n. T

hey

are

th

e fi

rst

and

mo

st

po

wer

ful

infl

uen

ce o

n c

hil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g, d

evel

op

men

t,

hea

lth

, an

d w

ell-

bei

ng.

Fam

ilie

s b

rin

g d

iver

se s

oci

al,

cult

ura

l, a

nd

lin

gu

isti

c p

ersp

ecti

ves.

Fam

ilie

s sh

ou

ld

feel

th

at t

hey

bel

on

g, a

re v

alu

able

co

ntr

ibu

tors

to

th

eir

chil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g, a

nd

des

erve

to

be

eng

aged

in

a

mea

nin

gfu

l w

ay.

Ed

uca

tors

are

co

mp

eten

t an

d c

apab

le, cu

rio

us,

an

d r

ich

in e

xper

ien

ce. T

hey

are

kn

ow

led

gea

ble

, ca

rin

g, r

eflec

tive

,

and

res

ou

rcef

ul

pro

fess

ion

als.

Th

ey b

rin

g d

iver

se s

oci

al,

cult

ura

l, a

nd

lin

gu

isti

c p

ersp

ecti

ves.

Th

ey c

oll

abo

rate

wit

h o

ther

s to

cre

ate

eng

agin

g e

nvi

ron

men

ts a

nd

exp

erie

nce

s to

fo

ster

ch

ild

ren’s

lea

rnin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent.

Ed

uca

tors

are

lif

elo

ng

lea

rner

s. T

hey

tak

e re

spo

nsi

bil

ity

for

thei

r o

wn

lea

rnin

g a

nd

mak

e d

ecis

ion

s ab

ou

t w

ays

to i

nte

gra

te k

no

wle

dg

e fr

om

th

eory

, re

sear

ch, th

eir

ow

n

exp

erie

nce

, an

d t

hei

r u

nd

erst

and

ing

of

the

ind

ivid

ual

chil

dre

n a

nd

fam

ilie

s th

ey w

ork

wit

h. E

very

ed

uca

tor

sho

uld

fee

l h

e o

r sh

e b

elo

ng

s, i

s a

valu

able

co

ntr

ibu

tor,

and

des

erve

s th

e o

pp

ort

un

ity

to e

ng

age

in m

ean

ing

ful

wo

rk.

The

Four

Fou

ndat

ions

of H

ow D

oes

Lear

ning

Ha

ppen

?

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

is

org

aniz

ed a

rou

nd

fo

ur

fou

nd

atio

nal

co

nd

itio

ns

that

are

im

po

rtan

t fo

r ch

ild

ren

to

gro

w a

nd

flo

uri

sh: B

elo

ng

ing

, W

ell-

Bei

ng

, E

ng

agem

ent,

an

d

Exp

ress

ion

. T

hes

e fo

un

dat

ion

s, o

r w

ays

of b

eing

, ar

e a

visi

on

fo

r

all

chil

dre

n’s

fu

ture

po

ten

tial

an

d a

vie

w o

f w

hat

th

ey s

ho

uld

exp

erie

nce

eac

h a

nd

eve

ry d

ay. T

hes

e fo

ur

fou

nd

atio

ns

app

ly

reg

ard

less

of

age,

ab

ilit

y, c

ult

ure

, la

ng

uag

e, g

eog

rap

hy,

or

sett

ing.

Th

ey a

re a

lig

ned

wit

h t

he

Kin

der

gar

ten

pro

gra

m. T

hey

are

con

dit

ion

s th

at c

hil

dre

n n

atu

rall

y se

ek f

or

them

selv

es.

Bel

on

gin

g r

efer

s to

a s

ense

of

con

nec

ted

nes

s to

oth

ers,

an i

nd

ivid

ual

’s e

xper

ien

ces

of

bei

ng

val

ued

, o

f fo

rmin

g

rela

tio

nsh

ips

wit

h o

ther

s an

d m

akin

g c

on

trib

uti

on

s as

par

t

of

a g

rou

p, a

com

mu

nit

y, t

he

nat

ura

l w

orl

d.

Wel

l-b

ein

g a

dd

ress

es t

he

imp

ort

ance

of

ph

ysic

al a

nd

men

tal

hea

lth

an

d w

elln

ess.

It

inco

rpo

rate

s ca

pac

itie

s su

ch a

s se

lf-

care

, se

nse

of

self

, an

d s

elf-

reg

ula

tio

n s

kil

ls.

En

gag

emen

t su

gg

ests

a s

tate

of

bei

ng

in

volv

ed a

nd

fo

cuse

d.

Wh

en c

hil

dre

n a

re a

ble

to

exp

lore

th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

th

em

wit

h t

hei

r n

atu

ral

curi

osi

ty a

nd

exu

ber

ance

, th

ey a

re f

ull

y

eng

aged

. T

hro

ugh

th

is t

yp

e o

f p

lay

and

in

qu

iry,

th

ey

dev

elo

p s

kil

ls s

uch

as

pro

ble

m s

olv

ing,

cre

ativ

e th

ink

ing,

an

d

inn

ova

tin

g, w

hic

h a

re e

ssen

tial

fo

r le

arn

ing

an

d s

ucc

ess

in

sch

oo

l an

d b

eyo

nd

.

Page 10: Learning HappenDoes How

8

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Exp

ress

ion

or

com

mu

nic

atio

n (

to b

e h

eard

, as

wel

l as

to

list

en)

may

tak

e m

any

dif

fere

nt

form

s. T

hro

ugh

th

eir

bo

die

s,

wo

rds,

an

d u

se o

f m

ater

ials

, ch

ild

ren

dev

elo

p c

apac

itie

s fo

r

incr

easi

ngl

y co

mp

lex

com

mu

nic

atio

n. O

pp

ort

un

itie

s to

exp

lore

mat

eria

ls s

up

po

rt c

reat

ivit

y, p

rob

lem

so

lvin

g, a

nd

mat

hem

atic

al b

ehav

iou

rs. L

ang

uag

e-ri

ch e

nvi

ron

men

ts

sup

po

rt g

row

ing

co

mm

un

icat

ion

sk

ills

, w

hic

h a

re

fou

nd

atio

nal

fo

r li

tera

cy.

A f

ocu

s o

n t

hes

e fo

un

dat

ion

s th

rou

gh

ou

t al

l as

pec

ts o

f ea

rly

year

s

pro

gra

ms

ensu

res

op

tim

al l

earn

ing

an

d h

ealt

hy

dev

elo

pm

ent.

Wh

ile

this

ped

ago

gic

al d

ocu

men

t is

bu

ilt

on

th

e ab

ove

fou

nd

atio

ns,

th

e g

rou

nd

wo

rk f

or

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

is t

he

2007

pu

bli

cati

on

Ear

ly L

earn

ing

for

Eve

ry C

hild

Tod

ay:

A F

ram

ewor

k fo

r O

ntar

io E

arly

Chi

ldho

od S

etti

ngs,

co

mm

on

ly

refe

rred

to

as

EL

EC

T o

r th

e E

arly

Lea

rnin

g F

ram

ewo

rk.

Figur

e 2.

The

four

foun

datio

ns e

nsur

e op

timal

learn

ing

and

deve

lopm

ent.

Thes

e fo

unda

tions

info

rm th

e

goal

s for

child

ren

and

expe

ctat

ions

for p

rogr

ams.

Page 11: Learning HappenDoes How

9 Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

ELEC

T an

d a

Brie

f H

isto

ry o

f

Early

Lea

rnin

g in

Ont

ario

All

ed

uca

tors

wh

o d

eliv

er h

igh

-qu

alit

y ea

rly

year

s p

rog

ram

s

kn

ow

th

at y

ou

are

nev

er d

on

e.

Th

e O

nta

rio

go

vern

men

t la

un

ched

Bes

t S

tart

in

20

05 a

lon

g

wit

h t

he

Bes

t S

tart

Exp

ert

Pan

el o

n E

arly

Lea

rnin

g. T

he

pan

el’s

man

dat

e w

as t

o c

reat

e an

ear

ly l

earn

ing

fra

mew

ork

th

at w

ou

ld

hel

p t

o i

mp

rove

qu

alit

y an

d c

on

sist

ency

in

ear

ly c

hil

dh

oo

d

sett

ing

s ac

ross

On

tari

o.

In J

anu

ary

2007

, th

e g

ove

rnm

ent

pu

bli

shed

Ear

ly L

earn

ing

for

Eve

ry C

hild

Tod

ay: A

Fra

mew

ork

for

Ont

ario

Ear

ly C

hild

hood

Set

ting

s. T

his

ear

ly l

earn

ing

fra

mew

ork

, re

ferr

ed t

o a

s E

LE

CT

thro

ugh

ou

t th

is d

ocu

men

t, s

ets

ou

t si

x p

rin

cip

les

to g

uid

e

pra

ctic

e in

ear

ly y

ears

set

tin

gs.

It

also

pro

vid

es a

co

nti

nu

um

of

dev

elo

pm

ent

for

chil

dre

n f

rom

bir

th t

o a

ge

eigh

t.

EL

EC

T i

s re

cog

niz

ed a

s a

fou

nd

atio

nal

do

cum

ent

in t

he

earl

y ye

ars

sect

or.

It

pro

vid

es a

sh

ared

lan

gu

age

and

co

mm

on

un

der

stan

din

g o

f ch

ild

ren’s

lea

rnin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent

for

earl

y ye

ars

pro

fess

ion

als

as t

hey

wo

rk t

og

eth

er i

n v

ario

us

earl

y

chil

dh

oo

d s

etti

ng

s. T

he

pri

nci

ple

s o

f E

LE

CT

hav

e in

form

ed

pro

vin

cial

ch

ild

car

e p

oli

cy, su

ch a

s th

e O

ntar

io E

arly

Yea

rs

Pol

icy

Fra

mew

ork,

as

wel

l as

pan

-Can

adia

n e

arly

lea

rnin

g

init

iati

ves

such

as

the

Sta

tem

ent

on P

lay

of

the

Co

un

cil

of

Min

iste

rs o

f

Ed

uca

tio

n, C

anad

a. E

LE

CT

pri

nci

ple

s ar

e

also

em

bed

ded

in

th

e p

rog

ram

do

cum

ent

use

d i

n

On

tari

o’s

inn

ova

tive

Kin

der

gar

ten

pro

gra

m.

Th

e B

est

Sta

rt E

xper

t P

anel

on

Ear

ly L

earn

ing

bas

ed t

he

pri

nci

ple

s in

EL

EC

T o

n t

hei

r p

rofe

ssio

nal

exp

erti

se, as

wel

l as

an e

xten

sive

rev

iew

of

Can

adia

n a

nd

in

tern

atio

nal

res

earc

h a

bo

ut

earl

y ch

ild

ho

od

dev

elo

pm

ent

and

lea

rnin

g. T

hes

e p

rin

cip

les

hav

e

pro

vid

ed a

sta

rtin

g p

oin

t fo

r re

flec

tio

n a

nd

dee

per

in

vest

igat

ion

.

Ove

r th

e p

ast

seve

ral

year

s, E

LE

CT

has

had

a s

ign

ifica

nt

imp

act.

Man

y ch

ild

car

e o

per

ato

rs, ch

ild

an

d f

amil

y p

rog

ram

s,

mu

nic

ipal

itie

s, p

ost

seco

nd

ary

inst

itu

tio

ns,

an

d o

ther

org

aniz

atio

ns

hav

e in

teg

rate

d e

lem

ents

of

EL

EC

T i

nto

th

eir

pro

gra

ms,

tra

inin

g, a

nd

qu

alit

y im

pro

vem

ent

stra

teg

ies.

Page 12: Learning HappenDoes How

10

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

ELEC

T Pr

incip

les5

Pri

nci

ple

1: P

osi

tive

exp

erie

nce

s in

ear

ly c

hil

dh

oo

d

set

the f

ou

nd

atio

n f

or

life

lon

g l

ear

nin

g,

beh

avio

ur,

heal

th, an

d w

ell-

bei

ng.

Pri

nci

ple

2: P

artn

ersh

ips

wit

h f

amil

ies

and

com

mu

nit

ies

are e

ssen

tial

.

Pri

nci

ple

3: R

esp

ect

fo

r d

iver

sity

, eq

uit

y, a

nd

incl

usi

on

is

vit

al.

Pri

nci

ple

4: A

n i

nte

nti

on

al, p

lan

ned

pro

gra

m

sup

po

rts

lear

nin

g.

Pri

nci

ple

5: P

lay

and

in

qu

iry

are l

ear

nin

g a

pp

roac

hes

that

cap

ital

ize o

n c

hil

dre

n’s

nat

ura

l cu

rio

sity

an

d

exu

ber

ance

.

Pri

nci

ple

6: K

no

wle

dgeab

le, re

spo

nsi

ve,

and

refl

ect

ive e

du

cato

rs a

re e

ssen

tial

.

5. E

LECT

, pp.

7–2

0.

Build

ing

from

ELE

CT to

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng

Happ

en?

No

w, se

ven

yea

rs a

fter

th

e p

ub

lica

tio

n o

f E

LE

CT

, th

is

ped

ago

gic

al d

ocu

men

t, H

ow D

oes

Lea

rnin

g H

appe

n?, h

as b

een

crea

ted

to

hel

p e

du

cato

rs b

uil

d o

n t

hei

r fo

un

dat

ion

al k

no

wle

dg

e

of

the

earl

y ye

ars.

Th

is r

eso

urc

e g

uid

e re

pre

sen

ts o

ur

evo

lvin

g

un

der

stan

din

g o

f ch

ild

ren

, ped

ago

gy

(ho

w le

arn

ing

hap

pen

s), a

nd

the

role

of

edu

cato

rs i

n s

up

po

rtin

g l

earn

ing

in

th

e ea

rly

year

s.

It i

s g

rou

nd

ed i

n n

ew r

esea

rch

an

d l

ead

ing

-ed

ge

pra

ctic

e fr

om

aro

un

d t

he

wo

rld

. It

in

corp

ora

tes

wh

at w

e h

ave

lear

ned

fro

m

EL

EC

T a

nd

ho

w it

has

bee

n a

pp

lied

in

pro

gra

ms

and

pra

ctic

e

acro

ss t

he

pro

vin

ce. R

ath

er t

han

co

nsi

der

ing

th

e p

rin

cip

les

of

EL

EC

T a

s se

par

ate

elem

ents

, H

ow D

oes

Lea

rnin

g H

appe

n? h

elp

s

us

thin

k ab

ou

t h

ow

th

e p

rin

cip

les

wo

rk t

og

eth

er.

Figur

e 3.

Bui

ldin

g fro

m a

foun

datio

nal k

now

ledge

abo

ut ch

ildre

n an

d m

ovin

g to

ward

s new

unde

rstan

ding

s abo

ut p

edag

ogy

are

supp

orte

d by

an

ongo

ing

prac

tice

of cr

itica

l refl

ectio

n an

d lea

rnin

g.

Page 13: Learning HappenDoes How

11

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Rese

arch

, The

ory,

and

Pra

ctice

Dif

fere

nt

sch

oo

ls o

f th

ou

gh

t –

fro

m D

ewey

to

Vyg

ots

ky,

Mu

star

d t

o M

alag

uzz

i6 –

hav

e sh

aped

ed

uca

tors

’ ap

pro

ach

es

and

un

der

stan

din

g o

f ch

ild

ren

, fa

mil

ies,

an

d e

arly

lea

rnin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent.

Neu

rosc

ien

ce, d

evel

op

men

tal

and

so

cial

psy

cho

log

y, e

con

om

ics,

med

ical

res

earc

h, an

d e

du

cati

on

an

d e

arly

ch

ild

ho

od

th

eory

and

stu

die

s h

ave

all

add

ed t

o o

ur

kn

ow

led

ge

of

the

earl

y ye

ars.

Ove

r th

e p

ast

dec

ade

rese

arch

acr

oss

th

ese

dis

cip

lin

es g

ives

us

a

dra

mat

ic a

nd

co

nsi

sten

t st

ory

. H

igh-

qual

ity

earl

y ch

ildh

ood

sett

ings

are

asso

ciat

ed w

ith

imm

edia

te a

nd

long

-ter

m p

osit

ive

outc

omes

for

chil

dren

. S

tud

ies

sho

w t

hat

ch

ild

ren

wh

o a

tten

d h

igh

-qu

alit

y ea

rly

chil

dh

oo

d p

rog

ram

s w

her

e th

ey e

xper

ien

ce w

arm

, su

pp

ort

ive

rela

tio

nsh

ips

are

hap

pie

r, l

ess

anxi

ou

s, a

nd

mo

re m

oti

vate

d t

o

lear

n t

han

ch

ild

ren

wh

o d

o n

ot.

7

6. R

efer

ence

s and

add

ition

al re

sour

ces a

re a

vaila

ble

on th

e M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

n we

bsite

, at w

ww.

onta

rio.ca

/edu

.

7. S

hank

er, 2

013.

Wha

t’s M

ost I

mpo

rtant

?

Rec

urr

ing

th

emes

fro

m r

esea

rch

, th

eory

, an

d p

ract

ice

sug

ges

t th

at h

igh

-qu

alit

y ea

rly

chil

dh

oo

d p

rog

ram

s:

esta

bli

sh p

osi

tive

, re

spo

nsi

ve r

elat

ion

ship

s w

ith

chil

dre

n a

nd

th

eir

fam

ilie

s;

valu

e ch

ild

ren

as

ind

ivid

ual

s an

d a

s ac

tive

an

d

com

pet

ent

con

trib

uto

rs w

ith

th

eir

ow

n i

nte

rest

s an

d

po

ints

of

view

;

reco

gn

ize

the

con

nec

tio

n b

etw

een

em

oti

on

al w

ell-

bei

ng

an

d s

oci

al a

nd

co

gn

itiv

e d

evel

op

men

t an

d t

he

imp

ort

ance

of

focu

sin

g o

n t

hes

e ar

eas

ho

list

ical

ly;

pro

vid

e en

viro

nm

ents

an

d e

xper

ien

ces

for

chil

dre

n t

o

exp

lore

id

eas,

in

vest

igat

e th

eir

theo

ries

, an

d i

nte

ract

wit

h o

ther

s in

pla

y;

eng

age

wit

h f

amil

ies

and

su

pp

ort

eac

h c

hil

d w

ith

in t

he

con

text

of

his

or

her

fam

ily,

rec

og

niz

ing

th

at f

amil

y an

d

chil

d w

ell-

bei

ng

are

in

extr

icab

ly l

inke

d;

pro

vid

e o

ng

oin

g o

pp

ort

un

itie

s fo

r ed

uca

tors

to

eng

age

in c

riti

cal

refl

ecti

on

an

d d

iscu

ssio

n w

ith

oth

ers

abo

ut

ped

ago

gy

and

pra

ctic

e to

su

pp

ort

co

nti

nu

ou

s

pro

fess

ion

al l

earn

ing

an

d g

row

th.

Page 14: Learning HappenDoes How

12

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

How

to

Use

This

Res

ourc

e G

uide

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

is

for

tho

se w

ho

wo

rk w

ith

an

d

care

fo

r yo

un

g c

hil

dre

n (

fro

m b

irth

to

8 y

ears

of

age)

in

ch

ild

care

an

d c

hil

d a

nd

fam

ily

pro

gra

ms.

It

may

als

o s

erve

as

a

use

ful

reso

urc

e fo

r th

ose

wo

rkin

g w

ith

ch

ild

ren

in

oth

er

con

text

s. T

his

res

ou

rce

gu

ide

is i

nte

nd

ed t

o i

nsp

ire

edu

cato

rs

and

ad

min

istr

ato

rs i

n e

arly

yea

rs s

etti

ng

s an

d t

o i

gn

ite

crit

ical

refl

ecti

on

an

d d

iscu

ssio

n. In

corp

ora

tin

g a

sh

ared

un

der

stan

din

g

of

the

role

s o

f th

e ed

uca

tor,

ch

ild

, an

d f

amil

y, it

pro

vid

es g

oal

s

for

chil

dre

n a

nd

exp

ect

atio

ns

for

pro

gra

ms

in a

ch

art

form

at.

Th

e ex

amp

les

are

by

no

mea

ns

exh

aust

ive

bu

t ra

ther

are

in

ten

ded

as a

sta

rtin

g p

oin

t fo

r th

ink

ing

ab

ou

t th

e ty

pes

of

envi

ron

men

ts,

exp

erie

nce

s, a

nd

in

tera

ctio

ns

that

su

pp

ort

eac

h g

oal

an

d p

rog

ram

exp

ecta

tio

n. T

his

ped

ago

gic

al d

ocu

men

t al

so i

ncl

ud

es q

uest

ion

s

for

refl

ect

ion

– a

sec

tio

n t

hat

ch

alle

ng

es e

du

cato

rs a

nd

adm

inis

trat

ors

to

dis

cuss

an

d r

eflec

t o

n t

hei

r ta

ken

-fo

r-g

ran

ted

bel

iefs

an

d p

ract

ices

an

d t

o t

ake

on

th

e ro

le o

f re

sear

cher

s,

app

lyin

g n

ew i

dea

s fr

om

th

eory

an

d r

esea

rch

to

th

eir

exis

tin

g

kn

ow

led

ge.

Goal

s fo

r Chi

ldre

n

Go

als

for

chil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g, d

evel

op

men

t, h

ealt

h, an

d w

ell-

bei

ng

are

in

teg

ral

to a

ll a

spec

ts o

f ea

rly

year

s p

rog

ram

s, f

rom

po

lici

es a

nd

pro

ced

ure

s to

en

viro

nm

ents

, ex

per

ien

ces,

an

d

inte

ract

ion

s. G

rou

nd

ed

in a

vie

w o

f th

e ch

ild

as

com

pet

ent

and

cap

able

an

d

org

aniz

ed a

rou

nd

th

e fo

un

dat

ion

s o

f

bel

on

gin

g, w

ell-

bei

ng

, en

gag

emen

t,

and

exp

ress

ion

, th

e g

oal

s w

ill

hel

p e

du

cato

rs

and

ad

min

istr

ato

rs r

emai

n f

ocu

sed

on

ch

ild

ren

firs

t

and

fo

rem

ost

th

rou

gh

ou

t al

l el

emen

ts o

f th

e p

rog

ram

. T

he

go

als

are

not

in

ten

ded

to

be

use

d a

s a

chec

kli

st o

f ta

sks

to b

e co

mp

lete

d

or

ben

chm

ark

s to

be

ach

ieve

d. T

hey

are

in

ten

ded

to

be

use

d b

y

edu

cato

rs i

n p

lan

nin

g a

nd

cre

atin

g e

nvi

ron

men

ts, ex

per

ien

ces,

and

co

nte

xts

for

chil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent

acro

ss

all

do

mai

ns.

Th

ey a

re a

lso

in

ten

ded

to

gu

ide

the

pro

cess

of

ob

serv

ing,

do

cum

enti

ng,

stu

dyin

g, a

nd

dis

cuss

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

exp

erie

nce

s w

ith

fam

ilie

s.

Eve

ry c

hil

d h

as a

sen

se o

f b

elo

ng

ing

wh

en h

e o

r sh

e is

con

nec

ted

to

oth

ers

and

co

ntr

ibu

tes

to t

hei

r w

orl

d.

Eve

ry c

hil

d i

s d

evel

op

ing

a s

ense

of

self

, h

ealt

h, an

d

wel

l-b

ein

g.

Eve

ry c

hil

d i

s an

act

ive

and

en

gag

ed

lea

rner

wh

o

exp

lore

s th

e w

orl

d w

ith

bo

dy,

min

d, an

d s

ense

s.

Eve

ry c

hil

d i

s a

cap

able

co

mm

un

icat

or

wh

o e

xpre

sses

him

self

or

her

self

in

man

y w

ays.

Page 15: Learning HappenDoes How

13

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Expe

ctat

ions

for P

rogr

ams

Th

e ex

pec

tati

on

s fo

r p

rog

ram

s al

ign

wit

h t

he

go

als

for

chil

dre

n. T

hey

pro

vid

e co

ncr

ete

idea

s ab

ou

t h

ow

ed

uca

tors

,

adm

inis

trat

ors

, fa

mil

ies,

an

d c

om

mu

nit

ies

can

wo

rk t

og

eth

er

tow

ard

s th

e g

oal

s fo

r ch

ild

ren’s

lea

rnin

g, d

evel

op

men

t, h

ealt

h,

and

wel

l-b

ein

g. T

hey

are

no

t an

exh

aust

ive

list

bu

t ar

e m

ean

t to

pro

vid

e a

star

tin

g p

oin

t fo

r ed

uca

tors

as

they

wo

rk t

ow

ard

s th

e

go

als

for

chil

dre

n. T

he

exp

ecta

tio

ns

for

pro

gra

ms:

pro

vid

e p

edag

og

ical

dir

ecti

on

an

d e

xam

ple

s ed

uca

tors

can

ref

er

to a

s th

ey t

hin

k ab

out

and

plan

how

to

act

on t

he g

oals

for

child

ren

;

hel

p e

du

cato

rs b

eco

me

rese

arch

ers

and

co

-lea

rner

s w

ith

chil

dre

n, p

aren

ts, ca

reg

iver

s, a

nd

co

llea

gu

es –

lea

rnin

g a

bo

ut

chil

dre

n, w

ith

ch

ild

ren

, an

d f

rom

ch

ild

ren

;

hel

p e

du

cato

rs f

ocu

s o

n b

uil

din

g a

nd

mai

nta

inin

g

rela

tio

nsh

ips

and

su

pp

ort

ing

co

nn

ecti

on

s am

on

g t

hem

selv

es,

chil

dre

n, fa

mil

ies,

an

d t

he

earl

y ye

ars

envi

ron

men

t.

Th

e ex

pec

tati

on

s fo

r p

rog

ram

s p

rovi

de

ped

ago

gic

al d

irec

tio

n f

or

edu

cato

rs a

s th

ey:

cult

ivat

e au

then

tic,

car

ing r

elat

ion

ship

s an

d c

on

nec

tio

ns

to c

reat

e a

sen

se o

f b

elo

ng

ing

am

on

g a

nd

bet

wee

n

chil

dre

n, ad

ult

s, a

nd

th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

th

em;

nu

rtu

re c

hil

dre

n’s

heal

thy

deve

lop

men

t an

d s

up

po

rt

thei

r g

row

ing

sen

se o

f se

lf;

pro

vid

e en

viro

nm

ents

an

d e

xper

ien

ces

to e

ng

age

chil

dre

n i

n a

ctiv

e, c

reat

ive,

an

d m

ean

ing

ful

exp

lora

tio

n,

pla

y, a

nd

in

qu

iry;

fost

er c

om

mu

nic

atio

n a

nd

exp

ress

ion

in

all

fo

rms.

Ques

tions

for R

efle

ctio

n

Th

e q

ues

tio

ns

sup

po

rt c

riti

cal

refl

ecti

on

an

d p

rovi

de

a m

ean

s fo

r

dis

cuss

ing,

in

terp

reti

ng,

in

vest

igat

ing,

an

d a

ctin

g o

n t

he

go

als

for

chil

dre

n. T

ho

ugh

tfu

l q

ues

tio

nin

g a

nd

ch

alle

ng

ing

of

the

stat

us

qu

o o

n a

n o

ng

oin

g b

asis

can

hel

p t

ran

sfo

rm p

rog

ram

s an

d b

rin

g

ou

t th

e b

est

in c

hil

dre

n, fa

mil

ies,

an

d e

du

cato

rs. T

her

e ar

e m

any

way

s to

en

gag

e in

cri

tica

l re

flec

tio

n, fo

r ex

amp

le:

Ad

min

istr

ato

rs, b

oar

ds,

par

ents

, an

d e

du

cato

rs m

ay f

ocu

s o

n

seve

ral

of

the

qu

esti

on

s fo

r d

iscu

ssio

n a

s th

ey c

on

sid

er t

he

po

lici

es a

nd

pro

ced

ure

s o

f th

eir

pro

gra

m.

Ed

uca

tor

team

s m

ay c

ho

ose

a p

arti

cula

r q

ues

tio

n t

o

inve

stig

ate

ove

r a

per

iod

of

tim

e (a

nd

als

o i

ncl

ud

e fa

mil

ies

in

thei

r in

qu

iry)

.

A g

rou

p o

f ed

uca

tors

fro

m s

ever

al p

rog

ram

s m

ay s

tud

y th

eir

pra

ctic

e an

d s

har

e th

eir

exp

erie

nce

s in

rel

atio

n t

o o

ne

of

the

go

als

for

chil

dre

n.

Ind

ivid

ual

s m

ay i

nco

rpo

rate

var

iou

s q

ues

tio

ns

into

per

son

al

dai

ly r

eflec

tio

ns

at t

he

beg

inn

ing

an

d e

nd

of

each

day

.

Th

ese

qu

esti

on

s ar

e a

star

tin

g p

oin

t. E

du

cato

rs a

nd

ad

min

istr

ators

are

enco

ura

ged

to

co

nsi

der

ad

dit

ion

al q

ues

tio

ns

that

em

erg

e fr

om

the

go

als

and

exp

ecta

tio

ns

du

rin

g d

aily

pra

ctic

e.

“By

invo

lvin

g ou

rsel

ves

in a

con

stan

t in

quir

y in

to w

hat

we

beli

eve

we

wil

l be

on

a jo

urn

ey o

f ge

ttin

g to

be

bett

er a

nd

bett

er a

s te

ache

rs a

ll

the

tim

e.”

8

8. C

alla

ghan

, 201

1, E

arly

Lear

ning

Fra

mew

ork

webs

ite,

Prin

ciple

6: W

hat t

he e

xper

ts sa

y.

Page 16: Learning HappenDoes How

14

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Supp

ortin

g a

Cont

inuu

m o

f Le

arni

ng

Ped

ago

gic

al a

pp

roac

hes

an

d p

ract

ices

th

at w

ork

fo

r yo

un

g ch

ild

ren

are

sim

ilar

to

str

ateg

ies

that

wo

rk f

or

lear

ner

s o

f al

l ag

es, fr

om

infa

ncy

to

adu

lth

oo

d. A

com

mon

vie

w o

f ch

ild

ren

as

com

pet

ent

and

cap

able

, a

shar

ed u

nd

erst

and

ing

of

the

fou

nd

atio

ns

for

lear

nin

g

and

dev

elop

men

t, a

nd

coh

eren

ce a

cro

ss p

edag

ogic

al a

ppro

ach

es le

ad

to m

ore

sea

mle

ss p

rog

ram

s

for

chil

dre

n, fa

mil

ies,

an

d a

ll

lear

ner

s al

on

g a

co

nti

nu

um

of

lear

nin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent.

Th

is v

isio

n i

s il

lust

rate

d b

elo

w.

Figur

e 4.

Ped

agog

ical a

ppro

ache

s to

supp

ort t

he k

ey fo

unda

tions

for l

earn

ing

are

com

mon

acro

ss se

tting

s and

age

s for

a co

ntin

uum

of l

earn

ing.

Page 17: Learning HappenDoes How

15

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Early

Yea

rs C

urric

ulum

Ear

ly y

ears

cu

rric

ulu

m f

ram

ewo

rks

hav

e b

eco

me

a p

rio

rity

in

nea

rly

all

dev

elo

ped

co

un

trie

s. A

co

mm

on

fra

mew

ork

has

man

y

ben

efits

an

d c

on

trib

ute

s to

hig

her

qu

alit

y ea

rly

year

s ex

per

ien

ces

and

ou

tco

mes

. A

cco

rdin

g t

o t

he

inte

rnat

ion

al O

rgan

isat

ion

for

Eco

no

mic

Co

-op

erat

ion

an

d D

evel

op

men

t, a

cu

rric

ulu

m

fram

ewo

rk:

esta

bli

shes

a c

om

mo

n u

nd

erst

and

ing

of

go

od

pra

ctic

e ac

ross

dif

fere

nt

sett

ing

s;

pro

vid

es p

edag

og

ical

dir

ecti

on

fo

r ed

uca

tors

;

info

rms

and

in

clu

des

fam

ilie

s in

wh

at a

nd

ho

w t

hei

r ch

ild

ren

are

lear

nin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pin

g;

sup

po

rts

incr

ease

d c

on

tin

uit

y fo

r ch

ild

ren

as

they

tra

nsi

tio

n

acro

ss s

etti

ng

s.9

Cu

rric

ulu

m i

n e

arly

yea

rs s

etti

ng

s is

ver

y d

iffe

ren

t fr

om

th

at

use

d i

n f

orm

al s

cho

ol

con

text

s. A

s d

efin

ed i

n E

LE

CT

, ea

rly

year

s cu

rric

ulu

m i

s th

e su

m t

ota

l o

f ex

per

ien

ces,

act

ivit

ies,

an

d

even

ts t

hat

occ

ur

wit

hin

an

in

clu

sive

en

viro

nm

ent

des

ign

ed

to f

ost

er c

hil

dre

n’s

wel

l-b

ein

g, l

earn

ing,

an

d d

evel

op

men

t an

d

ensu

re m

ean

ing

ful

par

tici

pat

ion

fo

r ev

ery

chil

d. It

beg

ins

wit

h a

n

info

rmed

un

der

stan

din

g o

f w

hat

ch

ild

ren

are

cap

able

of

lear

nin

g

and

ho

w t

hey

lea

rn e

ffec

tive

ly; it

set

s o

ut

go

als

for

chil

dre

n’s

lear

nin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent,

hea

lth

, an

d w

ell-

bei

ng

; an

d it

pro

vid

es

dir

ecti

on

fo

r ed

uca

tors

.10 T

his

is

the

bas

is o

f tr

ain

ing

in

th

e ea

rly

9. O

rgan

isatio

n fo

r Eco

nom

ic Co

-ope

ratio

n an

d De

velo

pmen

t (OE

CD),

2012

.

10. E

LECT

, p. 6

6.

chil

dh

oo

d e

du

cati

on

fiel

d.11

It

is a

n e

xpec

tati

on

fo

r al

l re

gis

tere

d

earl

y ch

ild

ho

od

ed

uca

tors

in

On

tari

o.1

2

Th

e fo

cus

is n

ot o

n t

each

ing

a b

od

y o

f k

no

wle

dg

e o

r a

pre

det

erm

ined

set

of

top

ics.

No

r is

it

cen

tred

on

ch

ild

ren’s

ach

ieve

men

t o

f a

spec

ific

skil

l se

t. I

n t

he

earl

y ye

ars,

pro

gra

ms

are

mo

st e

ffec

tive

wh

en t

he

con

ten

t o

f le

arn

ing

is

focu

sed

on

sup

po

rtin

g t

he

dev

elo

pm

ent

of

stra

teg

ies,

dis

po

siti

on

s, a

nd

sk

ills

for

life

lon

g l

earn

ing

th

rou

gh

pla

y an

d i

nq

uir

y.

Th

rou

gh

pla

y an

d i

nq

uir

y, y

ou

ng

ch

ild

ren

pra

ctis

e w

ays

of

lear

nin

g a

nd

in

tera

ctin

g w

ith

th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

th

em t

hat

th

ey

wil

l ap

ply

th

rou

gh

ou

t th

eir

live

s. P

rob

lem

so

lvin

g a

nd

cri

tica

l

thin

kin

g, c

om

mu

nic

atio

n a

nd

co

llab

ora

tio

n, cr

eati

vity

an

d

imag

inat

ion

, in

itia

tive

an

d c

itiz

ensh

ip a

re a

ll c

apac

itie

s vi

tal

for

succ

ess

thro

ugh

ou

t sc

ho

ol

and

bey

on

d.13

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

ask

s ed

uca

tors

to

be

attu

ned

to

wh

at c

hil

dre

n k

no

w, w

hat

th

ey w

on

der

ab

ou

t, a

nd

th

eir

wo

rkin

g

theo

ries

ab

ou

t th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

th

em. E

du

cato

rs e

ng

age

wit

h, o

bse

rve,

an

d l

iste

n t

o c

hil

dre

n. T

hey

dis

cuss

wit

h o

ther

edu

cato

rs, as

wel

l as

wit

h c

hil

dre

n a

nd

fam

ilie

s an

d c

areg

iver

s,

the

po

ssib

ilit

ies

for

chil

dre

n’s

fu

rth

er e

xplo

rati

on

in

in

crea

sin

gly

com

ple

x w

ays.

All

are

co

-lea

rner

s, c

on

stru

ctin

g k

no

wle

dg

e

tog

eth

er.

11. M

inist

ry o

f Tra

inin

g, C

olle

ges a

nd U

nive

rsiti

es, O

ntar

io, D

ecem

ber 2

012,

p. 8

; Col

lege

of E

arly

Child

hood

Educ

ator

s, 20

11, p

. 19.

12. C

olle

ge o

f Ear

ly Ch

ildho

od E

duca

tors,

201

1.

13. F

ulla

n, 2

013.

Page 18: Learning HappenDoes How

16

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

“In

tak

ing

a n

ego

tiat

ed l

earn

ing

ap

pro

ach

, te

ach

ers

mo

ve

bey

on

d s

imp

ly p

rovi

din

g c

hil

dre

n w

ith

exp

erie

nce

s. T

hey

pro

be

furt

her

, ei

ther

by

ask

ing

qu

esti

on

s, o

r b

y en

gag

ing

in d

iscu

ssio

n t

o d

isco

ver

wh

y ch

ild

ren

are

dee

ply

abso

rbed

in

exp

lori

ng

a m

ater

ial,

or

they

try

to

fig

ure

ou

t

wh

at c

hil

dre

n a

re t

hin

kin

g a

s th

ey t

ou

ch, ta

ste,

exa

min

e,

and

exp

lore

[th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

th

em].”

14

Early

Yea

rs P

edag

ogy

Ped

ago

gy

is d

efin

ed a

s th

e u

nd

erst

and

ing

of

ho

w l

earn

ing

hap

pen

s an

d t

he

ph

ilo

sop

hy

and

pra

ctic

e th

at s

up

po

rt t

hat

un

der

stan

din

g o

f le

arn

ing.

15

Th

e te

rm “

ped

ago

gy”

may

be

un

fam

ilia

r to

so

me

in e

arly

yea

rs

sett

ing

s. T

hin

kin

g a

bo

ut

ped

ago

gy

pro

vid

es a

new

way

fo

r

edu

cato

rs t

o c

on

sid

er t

hei

r w

ork

. It

hel

ps

edu

cato

rs t

o:

loo

k m

ore

car

efu

lly

at w

hat

they

do

eac

h a

nd

eve

ry d

ay;

thin

k ab

ou

t th

e w

hy o

f th

eir

pra

ctic

e;

un

der

stan

d m

ore

dee

ply

how

th

eir

acti

on

s h

ave

an i

mp

act

on

chil

dre

n a

nd

th

eir

fam

ilie

s.

14. F

rase

r, 20

12, p

. 184

.

15. E

LECT

, p. 9

0.

Ped

ago

gic

al a

pp

roac

hes

th

at n

urt

ure

lea

rnin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent

in t

he

earl

y ye

ars

incl

ud

e:

esta

bli

shin

g p

osi

tive

, re

spo

nsi

ve a

du

lt-c

hil

d r

elat

ion

ship

s;

pro

vid

ing

in

clu

sive

lea

rnin

g e

nvi

ron

men

ts a

nd

exp

erie

nce

s

that

en

cou

rag

e ex

plo

rati

on

, p

lay,

an

d i

nq

uir

y;

eng

agin

g a

s co

-lea

rner

s w

ith

ch

ild

ren

, fa

mil

ies/

care

giv

ers,

an

d

oth

ers;

pla

nn

ing

an

d c

reat

ing

en

viro

nm

ents

as

a “t

hir

d t

each

er”;

usi

ng

ped

ago

gic

al d

ocu

men

tati

on

as

a m

ean

s to

val

ue,

dis

cuss

,

and

mak

e le

arn

ing

vis

ible

;

par

tici

pat

ing

in

on

go

ing

refl

ecti

ve p

ract

ice

and

co

llab

ora

tive

inq

uir

y w

ith

oth

ers.

16

Th

ese

sam

e ap

pro

ach

es t

hat

are

eff

ecti

ve f

or

chil

dre

n a

re a

lso

key

elem

ents

of

lear

nin

g a

nd

en

gag

emen

t fo

r fa

mil

ies

and

th

ose

wh

o

wo

rk w

ith

ch

ild

ren

; w

hat

is

go

od

ped

ago

gy

for

chil

dre

n i

s al

so

go

od

ped

ago

gy

for

adu

lts.

16. R

efer

ence

s and

add

ition

al re

sour

ces o

n pe

dago

gica

l app

roac

hes a

re a

vaila

ble

on th

e M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

n

webs

ite, a

t ww

w.on

tario

.ca/e

du.

Page 19: Learning HappenDoes How

17

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

The

Child

Und

erst

andi

ng C

hild

Dev

elop

men

t A

so

lid

un

der

stan

din

g o

f ch

ild

dev

elo

pm

ent

is e

ssen

tial

fo

r

edu

cato

rs t

o a

pp

ly t

he

ped

ago

gic

al a

pp

roac

hes

th

at a

re o

utl

ined

in t

his

do

cum

ent.

Ch

ild

dev

elo

pm

ent

pro

vid

es a

bo

dy

of

kn

ow

led

ge

that

can

hel

p u

s to

rec

og

niz

e an

d a

rtic

ula

te c

hil

dre

n’s

ob

serv

ed b

ehav

iou

rs a

nd

dis

cuss

th

eir

emer

gin

g s

kil

ls w

ith

fam

ilie

s an

d o

ther

s.

Wh

en e

du

cato

rs h

ave

an u

nd

erst

and

ing

of

chil

d d

evel

op

men

t –

of

wh

at h

as c

om

e b

efo

re a

nd

wh

at m

ay c

om

e n

ext

– th

ey a

re a

ble

to

pro

vid

e ex

per

ien

ces

that

ch

alle

ng

e ch

ild

ren

to

str

etch

ju

st b

eyo

nd

wh

at t

hey

kn

ow

an

d c

an d

o. A

s L

.S. V

ygo

tsk

y su

gg

ests

, “g

oo

d

lear

nin

g”

hap

pen

s th

rou

gh

in

tera

ctio

ns

wh

ere

the

adu

lt c

an

chal

len

ge

chil

dre

n a

nd

pro

voke

lea

rnin

g a

t a

leve

l th

at i

s sl

igh

tly

in a

dva

nce

of

the

chil

d’s

cu

rren

t ca

pac

itie

s.17

Kn

ow

ing

wh

at t

o

exp

ect

in t

yp

ical

ly d

evel

op

ing

ch

ild

ren

can

als

o h

elp

ed

uca

tors

to

reco

gn

ize

wh

en a

ch

ild

is

exp

erie

nci

ng

ch

alle

ng

es o

r w

hen

his

or

her

nee

ds

are

no

t b

ein

g m

et.

EL

EC

T p

rovi

des

a r

eso

urc

e, t

he

con

tin

uu

m o

f d

eve

lop

men

t,

that

ed

uca

tors

can

use

to

un

der

stan

d t

he

seq

uen

ces

of

dev

elo

pm

ent.

It

is n

ot

a lo

ck-s

tep

, u

niv

ersa

l p

atte

rn t

hat

sh

ou

ld

be

ach

ieve

d a

cco

rdin

g t

o a

sp

ecifi

c ti

met

able

, n

or

is it

inte

nd

ed

to b

e u

sed

as

an a

sses

smen

t to

ol

or

chec

kli

st o

f ta

sks

to b

e

com

ple

ted

.18

17. V

ygot

sky,

1978

.

18. E

LECT

, p. 2

2.

Wh

ile

chil

d d

evel

op

men

t is

oft

en c

ateg

ori

zed

in

to s

epar

ate

do

mai

ns,

it

is i

mp

ort

ant

to k

eep

in

min

d t

hat

all

asp

ects

of

hu

man

dev

elo

pm

ent

are

inte

rco

nn

ecte

d. E

LE

CT

say

s,

“sep

arat

ing

ou

t th

e d

evel

op

men

t o

f em

oti

on

al m

atu

rity

fro

m s

oci

al c

om

pet

ence

or

lan

gu

age

abil

itie

s is

an

art

ifici

al

cate

go

riza

tio

n o

f w

hat

is

an i

nte

gra

ted

pro

cess

”.19

Res

earc

h t

ells

us

that

hig

h-q

ual

ity

pro

gra

ms

are

tho

se t

hat

in

teg

rate

all

are

as

of

dev

elo

pm

ent

in a

ho

list

ic m

ann

er, w

ith

no

gre

ater

em

ph

asis

on

on

e ar

ea o

ver

ano

ther

.20

Und

erst

andi

ng C

hild

ren

from

Diff

eren

t Per

spec

tives

W

hil

e it

is

imp

ort

ant

to p

ay a

tten

tio

n t

o c

hil

dre

n’s

dev

elo

pm

ent

acro

ss t

he

“tra

dit

ion

al”

do

mai

ns

(so

cial

, em

oti

on

al, p

hys

ical

,

cog

nit

ive,

an

d l

ang

uag

e d

evel

op

men

t), th

is d

oes

no

t p

rovi

de

the

wh

ole

pic

ture

. O

ther

are

as s

uch

as

the

crea

tive

, ae

sth

etic

, an

d

spir

itu

al d

imen

sio

ns

of

exp

erie

nce

mu

st a

lso

be

con

sid

ered

.

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

fu

rth

er e

xpan

ds

on

wh

at w

e k

no

w

abo

ut

chil

d d

evel

op

men

t an

d i

nvi

tes

edu

cato

rs t

o c

on

sid

er a

mo

re

com

ple

x vi

ew o

f ch

ild

ren

an

d t

he

con

text

s in

wh

ich

th

ey l

earn

and

mak

e se

nse

of

the

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

. T

his

th

ink

ing

may

req

uir

e, f

or

som

e, a

sh

ift

in m

ind

sets

an

d h

abit

s. I

t m

ay p

rom

pt

a re

thin

kin

g o

f th

eori

es a

nd

pra

ctic

es –

a c

han

ge

in w

hat

we

pay

atte

nti

on

to

; in

th

e co

nve

rsat

ion

s th

at w

e h

ave

wit

h c

hil

dre

n,

fam

ilie

s, a

nd

co

llea

gu

es; an

d i

n h

ow

we

pla

n a

nd

pre

par

e.

Ch

ild

ren

are

in

flu

ence

d b

y m

ult

iple

fac

tors

su

ch a

s th

e fa

mil

y,

soci

al a

nd

cu

ltu

ral

con

text

s in

wh

ich

th

ey l

ive

and

pla

y, t

hei

r o

wn

19. E

LECT

, p. 2

1.

20. O

ECD,

201

3.

Page 20: Learning HappenDoes How

18

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

un

iqu

e p

ersp

ecti

ves,

an

d t

hei

r li

fe e

xper

ien

ces.

Ed

uca

tors

can

kn

ow

mo

re a

bo

ut

the

com

ple

xity

of

each

ch

ild

an

d c

an d

eep

en

chil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g a

nd

exp

erie

nce

s w

hen

th

ey l

oo

k at

an

d l

iste

n

to c

hil

dre

n f

rom

mu

ltip

le p

ersp

ecti

ves,

ask

ing,

fo

r ex

amp

le:

Wh

at a

re t

he

un

iqu

e st

ren

gth

s an

d n

eed

s, a

pp

roac

hes

,

atti

tud

es, an

d d

isp

osi

tio

ns

of

each

ch

ild

?

Ho

w d

o a

ch

ild

’s r

elat

ion

ship

s, f

amil

ies,

ho

me

envi

ron

men

ts,

and

th

e cu

ltu

ral

con

text

in

wh

ich

th

e ch

ild

liv

es i

nfl

uen

ce h

is

or

her

dev

elo

pm

ent

and

lea

rnin

g?

Wh

at m

oti

vate

s a

chil

d’s

act

ion

s; w

hat

is

mea

nin

gfu

l to

him

or

her

; w

hat

bri

ng

s a

chil

d jo

y?

Wh

at c

an b

e d

on

e to

ext

end

an

d d

eep

en c

hil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g?

Wh

at d

o I

kn

ow

ab

ou

t ea

ch c

hil

d’s

un

iqu

e sp

irit

an

d

char

acte

r?

Th

ese

sam

e q

ues

tio

ns

can

be

app

lied

to

fam

ilie

s.

The

Fam

ily

Gai

nin

g k

no

wle

dg

e ab

ou

t ch

ild

ren

fro

m m

ult

iple

per

spec

tive

s

hel

ps

edu

cato

rs e

nsu

re t

hat

pro

gra

ms

also

val

ue

the

un

iqu

e

and

div

erse

ch

arac

teri

stic

s o

f th

e ch

ild

ren’s

fam

ilie

s an

d t

he

com

mu

nit

ies

in w

hic

h t

hey

liv

e. I

t’s

no

t a

“on

e-si

ze-fi

ts-a

ll”

app

roac

h. In

par

ticu

lar,

pro

gra

ms

sho

uld

be

refl

ecti

ve o

f th

e

cult

ura

l an

d l

ing

uis

tic

bac

kg

rou

nd

s o

f th

e ch

ild

ren

an

d f

amil

ies

they

ser

ve, in

clu

din

g t

ho

se f

rom

Fir

st N

atio

ns,

Mét

is, In

uit

, an

d

fran

cop

ho

ne

com

mu

nit

ies.

“T

he

web

of

fam

ily

and

co

mm

un

ity

is

the

chil

d’s

an

cho

r fo

r ea

rly

dev

elo

pm

ent.

”21

21. E

LECT

, p. 9

.

A s

har

ed v

iew

of

fam

ilie

s as

co

mp

eten

t an

d c

apab

le, cu

rio

us,

an

d

rich

in

exp

erie

nce

in

form

s o

ur

rela

tio

nsh

ips

wit

h f

amil

ies

and

has

a si

gn

ifica

nt

imp

act

on

ch

ild

ren

. T

he

pri

nci

ple

s o

f E

LE

CT

, as

wel

l as

fin

din

gs

fro

m r

ecen

t re

sear

ch, h

igh

ligh

t th

e im

po

rtan

ce

of

stro

ng,

res

pec

tfu

l, a

nd

rec

ipro

cal

rela

tio

nsh

ips

wit

h f

amil

ies.

Cre

atin

g a

n e

nvi

ron

men

t th

at w

elco

mes

fam

ilie

s in

to t

he

spac

e,

invi

tin

g t

hei

r p

ersp

ecti

ves

and

pro

vid

ing

op

po

rtu

nit

ies

for

fam

ilie

s to

par

tici

pat

e in

mea

nin

gfu

l w

ays

(th

at t

hey

are

mo

st

com

fort

able

wit

h)

on

an

on

go

ing

bas

is, su

pp

ort

s th

eir

sen

se o

f

bel

on

gin

g.22

So

me

qu

esti

on

s ed

uca

tors

can

refl

ect

on

to

en

sure

that

fam

ilie

s ar

e va

lued

, fo

r ex

amp

le, in

clu

de:

Wh

at a

re t

he

un

iqu

e ch

arac

teri

stic

s an

d s

tren

gth

s o

f ea

ch

fam

ily

in o

ur

pro

gra

m?

Ho

w c

an w

e w

eave

th

ese

into

dif

fere

nt

area

s o

f th

e p

rog

ram

?

Wh

at c

an w

e d

o t

o s

tren

gth

en “

cult

ura

l co

mp

eten

ce”

wit

hin

ou

r p

rog

ram

?

Ho

w c

an w

e h

elp

fam

ilie

s to

exp

erie

nce

a s

ense

of

bel

on

gin

g

in o

ur

pro

gra

m?

Ho

w c

an w

e en

gag

e w

ith

fam

ilie

s as

co

-lea

rner

s ab

ou

t an

d

wit

h t

hei

r ch

ild

ren

?

Wh

en w

e re

cog

niz

e an

d b

uil

d o

n

the

stre

ng

ths

of

fam

ilie

s an

d t

he

love

th

ey h

ave

for

thei

r ch

ild

ren

,

ever

yon

e b

enefi

ts.

22. F

RP C

anad

a, 2

011.

Page 21: Learning HappenDoes How

19

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

The

Com

mun

ity

Ear

ly y

ears

set

tin

gs

can

pla

y a

key

role

in

pro

mo

tin

g t

he

visi

bil

ity,

in

clu

sio

n, an

d a

ctiv

e p

arti

cip

atio

n o

f yo

un

g c

hil

dre

n i

n

soci

ety.

23 O

pp

ort

un

itie

s to

en

gag

e w

ith

peo

ple

, p

lace

s, a

nd

th

e

nat

ura

l w

orl

d i

n t

he

loca

l en

viro

nm

ent

hel

p c

hil

dre

n, fa

mil

ies,

edu

cato

rs, an

d c

om

mu

nit

ies

bu

ild

co

nn

ecti

on

s, l

earn

an

d

dis

cove

r, a

nd

mak

e co

ntr

ibu

tio

ns

to t

he

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

. It

fost

ers

a se

nse

of

bel

on

gin

g t

o t

he

loca

l co

mm

un

ity,

th

e n

atu

ral

envi

ron

men

t, a

nd

th

e la

rger

un

iver

se o

f li

vin

g t

hin

gs.

As

wel

l,

com

mu

nit

ies

ben

efit

fro

m t

he

rich

exp

erie

nce

s th

ey h

ave

in

lear

nin

g a

bo

ut,

wit

h, an

d f

rom

ch

ild

ren

.

“Pro

gra

ms

are

mo

st e

ffec

tive

if

the

pri

mar

y fo

cus

stay

s o

n

sup

po

rtin

g t

he

chil

d w

ith

in h

is o

r h

er f

amil

y an

d c

om

mu

nit

y.

Ch

ild

, fa

mil

y an

d c

om

mu

nit

y w

ell-

bei

ng

mu

st b

e eq

ual

ly v

alu

ed,

sin

ce t

hey

are

in

extr

icab

ly l

inke

d.”

24 E

du

cato

rs c

an r

eflec

t o

n

way

s to

bu

ild

co

nn

ecti

on

s w

ith

th

e lo

cal

envi

ron

men

t b

y as

kin

g,

for

exam

ple

:

Wh

at o

pp

ort

un

itie

s ar

e av

aila

ble

in

ou

r co

mm

un

ity

to b

uil

d

con

nec

tio

ns?

Ho

w c

an w

e fa

cili

tate

str

on

ger

rel

atio

nsh

ips

wit

hin

ou

r lo

cal

com

mu

nit

y?

Wh

at c

on

trib

uti

on

s ca

n w

e m

ake

in c

arin

g f

or

the

nat

ura

l

envi

ron

men

t ar

ou

nd

us?

23. D

ahlb

erg

et a

l., 2

007.

24. F

RP C

anad

a, 2

011,

p. 1

5.

The

Educ

ator

Th

e ro

le o

f th

e ed

uca

tor

is m

ult

idim

ensi

on

al. T

he

bes

t

edu

cato

rs, fi

rst

and

fo

rem

ost

, u

se a

war

m, re

spo

nsi

ve, an

d

incl

usi

ve a

pp

roac

h, b

uil

din

g p

osi

tive

rel

atio

nsh

ips

wit

h c

hil

dre

n,

fam

ilie

s, c

oll

eag

ues

, an

d c

om

mu

nit

ies.

Ed

uca

tors

par

tici

pat

e as

co-l

earn

ers

wit

h f

amil

ies

and

ch

ild

ren

– l

earn

ing

wit

h c

hil

dre

n,

abo

ut

chil

dre

n, an

d f

rom

ch

ild

ren

. K

no

wle

dg

eab

le e

du

cato

rs g

et

invo

lved

in

pla

y w

ith

ch

ild

ren

to

su

pp

ort

dev

elo

pm

ent,

ch

alle

ng

e

thin

kin

g, a

nd

ext

end

lea

rnin

g. T

hey

en

gag

e in

rec

ipro

cal

rela

tio

nsh

ips

wit

h f

amil

ies

and

car

egiv

ers,

lea

rnin

g a

bo

ut,

wit

h,

and

fro

m t

hem

. E

du

cato

rs s

har

e th

eir

pro

fess

ion

al k

no

wle

dg

e

and

exp

erie

nce

an

d a

lso

see

k o

ut

the

kn

ow

led

ge

and

per

spec

tive

s

of

fam

ilie

s. T

he

valu

e o

f ea

rly

year

s ed

uca

tors

can

no

t b

e

ove

rsta

ted

.

Ed

uca

tors

are

refl

ecti

ve p

ract

itio

ner

s w

ho

lea

rn a

bo

ut

chil

dre

n

usi

ng

var

iou

s st

rate

gie

s. T

hey

lis

ten

, o

bse

rve,

do

cum

ent,

and

dis

cuss

wit

h o

ther

s, f

amil

ies

in p

arti

cula

r, t

o u

nd

erst

and

chil

dre

n a

s u

niq

ue

ind

ivid

ual

s. T

hey

ob

serv

e an

d l

iste

n t

o l

earn

ho

w c

hil

dre

n m

ake

mea

nin

g t

hro

ugh

th

eir

exp

erie

nce

s in

th

e

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

. E

du

cato

rs c

on

sid

er t

hei

r o

wn

pra

ctic

es a

nd

app

roac

hes

an

d t

he

imp

acts

th

ey h

ave

on

ch

ild

ren

, fa

mil

ies,

an

d

oth

ers.

Ed

uca

tors

use

th

is k

now

led

ge, g

ain

ed t

hro

ugh

ob

serv

ing

and

dis

cuss

ing

wit

h o

ther

s, a

nd

th

eir

pro

fess

ion

al ju

dge

men

t to

cre

ate

con

text

s to

su

pp

ort

ch

ild

ren’

s le

arn

ing,

dev

elo

pm

ent,

hea

lth

, an

d

wel

l-b

ein

g.

Page 22: Learning HappenDoes How

20

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Crit

ical

Ref

lect

ion

A p

roce

ss o

f cr

itic

al r

eflec

tio

n, le

arn

ing,

an

d g

row

th i

s th

e b

asis

of

hig

h-q

ual

ity

pro

gra

ms

that

co

nti

nu

ou

sly

imp

rove

an

d c

reat

e

con

text

s th

at a

re m

ean

ing

ful

for

the

chil

dre

n a

nd

fam

ilie

s/

care

giv

ers

they

ser

ve. C

hil

dre

n l

earn

th

rou

gh

qu

esti

on

ing

an

d

test

ing

th

eori

es i

n t

hei

r p

lay.

In

th

e sa

me

way

, w

e en

cou

rag

e

edu

cato

rs t

o b

e re

sear

cher

s, t

o t

ry n

ew i

dea

s an

d t

est

theo

ries

.

Wh

en e

du

cato

rs e

ng

age

in c

on

tin

uo

us

lear

nin

g a

nd

qu

esti

on

ing,

exp

lori

ng

new

id

eas

and

ad

just

ing

pra

ctic

es, th

ey a

chie

ve t

he

bes

t

ou

tco

mes

fo

r ch

ild

ren

, fa

mil

ies,

an

d t

hem

selv

es.25

Th

rou

gh

cri

tica

l re

flec

tio

n, ed

uca

tors

tes

t lo

ng

-sta

nd

ing

vie

ws

and

tak

en-f

or-

gra

nte

d p

ract

ices

an

d c

on

sid

er n

ew a

pp

roac

hes

and

way

s o

f th

ink

ing

ab

ou

t th

eir

wo

rk. A

s d

escr

ibed

by

Joh

n

Dew

ey, le

arn

ing

hap

pen

s th

rou

gh

“re

flec

tive

act

ion

(ac

tio

n g

iven

care

ful

con

sid

erat

ion

an

d ju

stifi

cati

on

) as

op

po

sed

to

ro

uti

ne

acti

on

(ac

tio

n d

rive

n b

y h

abit

an

d r

ou

tin

e)”.

26 H

ow D

oes

Lea

rnin

g

Hap

pen?

su

pp

ort

s ed

uca

tors

in

th

ink

ing,

fee

lin

g, a

ctin

g o

n t

hei

r

idea

s an

d q

ues

tio

ns,

an

d l

earn

ing

abo

ut

and

wit

h ch

ild

ren

an

d

fam

ilie

s ev

ery

day

.

Col

labo

rativ

e In

quir

y W

hen

ed

uca

tors

en

gag

e w

ith

oth

ers

in c

riti

cal

refl

ecti

on

as

a m

ean

s to

qu

esti

on

th

eory

an

d p

ract

ice,

dis

cuss

id

eas,

tes

t

theo

ries

, an

d s

har

e le

arn

ing,

th

ey a

re e

ng

agin

g i

n c

oll

abo

rati

ve

inq

uir

y.

25. M

acNa

ught

on, 2

003;

Pai

ge-S

mith

& C

raft,

201

1; R

aban

et a

l., 2

007.

26. D

ewey

, 193

3, p

p. 4

–7.

“In

pra

ctic

e, i

nq

uir

y en

gag

es t

each

ers

as l

earn

ers

in c

riti

cal

and

crea

tive

th

ink

ing.

It

ho

no

urs

op

enn

ess

and

flex

ibil

ity.

Th

rou

gh

coll

abo

rati

ve d

ialo

gu

e, t

each

ers

seek

em

erg

ent

po

ssib

ilit

ies

– n

ew

qu

esti

on

s an

d s

olu

tio

ns.

”27 C

oll

abo

rati

ve i

nq

uir

y ca

n b

e ca

rrie

d

ou

t w

ith

in i

nd

ivid

ual

pro

gra

ms,

in

co

mm

un

ity

net

wo

rks,

or

as a

ctio

n r

esea

rch

pro

ject

s. W

hen

ed

uca

tors

en

gag

e in

cri

tica

l

refl

ecti

on

to

get

her

, th

ey d

isco

ver

mu

ltip

le p

ersp

ecti

ves

and

dee

per

un

der

stan

din

gs.

The

Envi

ronm

ent

Th

e en

viro

nm

ent

is t

he

con

text

in

wh

ich

lea

rnin

g t

akes

pla

ce.

Th

e en

viro

nm

ent

was

des

crib

ed b

y L

ori

s M

alag

uzz

i as

“th

e

thir

d t

each

er”

and

is

valu

ed f

or

its

po

wer

to

org

aniz

e, p

rom

ote

rela

tio

nsh

ips,

an

d e

du

cate

. It

mir

rors

th

e id

eas,

val

ues

, at

titu

des

,

and

cu

ltu

res

of

tho

se w

ho

use

th

e sp

ace.

28 A

s su

gg

este

d b

y K

aryn

Cal

lagh

an, “t

he

envi

ron

men

t is

a t

each

er”.

29 F

rom

th

e ae

sth

etic

s

of

the

spac

e, t

o t

he

typ

e o

f fu

rnis

hin

gs

and

mat

eria

ls a

vail

able

,

to t

he

org

aniz

atio

n o

f ti

me,

th

e en

viro

nm

ent

com

mu

nic

ates

a

po

wer

ful

mes

sag

e an

d c

on

trib

ute

s to

sh

apin

g t

he

acti

on

s th

at c

an

be

take

n w

ith

in it.

Ch

ild

ren

th

rive

in

in

do

or

and

ou

tdo

or

spac

es t

hat

in

vite

th

em

to i

nve

stig

ate,

im

agin

e, t

hin

k, cr

eate

, so

lve

pro

ble

ms,

an

d

mak

e m

ean

ing

fro

m t

hei

r ex

per

ien

ces

– es

pec

iall

y w

hen

th

e

spac

es c

on

tain

in

tere

stin

g a

nd

co

mp

lex

op

en-e

nd

ed m

ater

ials

that

ch

ild

ren

can

use

in

man

y w

ays.

In

ad

dit

ion

, w

hen

th

e

sch

edu

le a

llo

ws

for

lon

g p

erio

ds

of

un

inte

rru

pte

d p

lay,

wit

h

27. M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

n, O

ntar

io, 2

010,

p. 2

.

28. M

alag

uzzi,

199

3.

29. C

alla

ghan

, 201

3, p

. 11.

Page 23: Learning HappenDoes How

21

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

few

tra

nsi

tio

ns,

ch

ild

ren

are

cal

mer

an

d m

ore

en

gag

ed. W

hen

the

envi

ron

men

t su

pp

ort

s ch

ild

ren’s

gro

win

g a

uto

no

my

and

ind

epen

den

ce, ch

alle

ng

ing

beh

avio

urs

are

red

uce

d a

nd

ed

uca

tors

can

fo

cus

mo

re f

ull

y o

n o

bse

rvin

g, i

nte

ract

ing,

an

d e

xten

din

g

chil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent

in m

ean

ing

ful

way

s.3

0

All

of

thes

e b

enefi

ts o

ccu

r es

pec

iall

y w

ith

in c

hil

dre

n’s

con

nec

tio

ns

to a

nd

in

tera

ctio

ns

wit

h t

he

nat

ura

l w

orl

d.

Op

po

rtu

nit

ies

to e

xper

ien

ce n

atu

re e

nh

ance

ch

ild

ren’s

sen

se o

f

wo

nd

er a

nd

joy

in t

he

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

, w

het

her

pro

gra

ms

are

loca

ted

in

lar

ge

urb

an c

entr

es w

ith

sm

all

pat

ches

of

gre

en

spac

e, g

ard

ens,

an

d t

rees

or

in v

ast

fiel

ds

and

fo

rest

s. A

gro

win

g

bo

dy

of

rese

arch

su

gg

ests

th

at c

on

nec

tin

g t

o t

he

nat

ura

l w

orl

d

con

trib

ute

s to

ch

ild

ren’s

men

tal,

ph

ysic

al, em

oti

on

al, an

d

spir

itu

al h

ealt

h a

nd

wel

l-b

ein

g.31

Pro

vid

ing

dai

ly o

pp

ort

un

itie

s

to e

xplo

re, ca

re f

or,

an

d i

nte

ract

wit

h t

he

nat

ura

l w

orl

d h

elp

s to

stre

ng

then

th

ese

con

nec

tio

ns.

30. S

hank

er, 2

013;

Wie

n, 2

004.

31. L

ouv,

2008

.

Peda

gogi

cal D

ocum

enta

tion

Ped

ago

gic

al d

ocu

men

tati

on

is

abo

ut

mo

re t

han

rec

ord

ing

eve

nts

– it

is

a m

ean

s to

lea

rnin

g a

bo

ut

ho

w c

hil

dre

n t

hin

k an

d l

earn

.

It o

ffer

s a

pro

cess

to

exp

lore

all

of

ou

r q

ues

tio

ns

abo

ut

chil

dre

n.

As

sug

ges

ted

by

Car

lin

a R

inal

di,

it

is a

way

of

list

enin

g t

o

chil

dre

n, h

elp

ing

us

to l

earn

ab

ou

t ch

ild

ren

du

rin

g t

he

cou

rse

of

thei

r ex

per

ien

ces

and

to

mak

e th

is l

earn

ing

vis

ible

to

oth

ers

for

inte

rpre

tati

on

.32 A

nd

, it

en

cou

rag

es e

du

cato

rs t

o b

e co

-lea

rner

s

alo

ng

sid

e b

oth

ch

ild

ren

an

d t

hei

r fa

mil

ies.

“Ped

ago

gic

al d

ocu

men

tati

on

su

pp

ort

s ed

uca

tors

in

bo

th i

ncl

ud

ing

ch

ild

dev

elo

pm

ent

in t

hei

r vi

ew, b

ut

also

loo

kin

g b

eyo

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent

to c

aptu

re b

road

er a

spec

ts

of

exp

erie

nce

fo

r re

flec

tio

n.”

33

Mo

vin

g b

eyo

nd

sim

ply

an

ob

ject

ive

rep

ort

ing

of

chil

dre

n’s

beh

avio

ur,

ped

ago

gic

al d

ocu

men

tati

on

hel

ps

to fi

nd

mea

nin

g i

n

wh

at c

hil

dre

n d

o a

nd

wh

at t

hey

exp

erie

nce

.34 I

t is

:

a w

ay t

o v

alu

e ch

ild

ren’s

exp

erie

nce

s an

d i

ncl

ud

e th

eir

per

spec

tive

s;

a w

ay t

o m

ake

chil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g a

nd

un

der

stan

din

g o

f th

e

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

vis

ible

to

th

e ch

ild

ren

th

emse

lves

;

a p

roce

ss f

or

edu

cato

rs t

o c

o-p

lan

wit

h c

hil

dre

n a

nd

wit

h

fam

ilie

s;

32. R

inal

di, 2

004.

33. W

ien,

201

3, p

. 28.

34. G

andi

ni &

Kam

insk

y, n.

d.

Page 24: Learning HappenDoes How

22

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

a m

ean

s o

f sh

arin

g p

ersp

ecti

ves

wit

h p

aren

ts a

nd

co

llea

gu

es.

Wh

en f

amil

ies

and

oth

ers

are

invi

ted

to

co

ntr

ibu

te t

o t

he

do

cum

enta

tio

n a

nd

sh

are

thei

r o

wn

in

terp

reta

tio

ns,

it

can

pro

vid

e ev

en m

ore

in

sigh

ts t

hat

ch

ild

ren

, ed

uca

tors

, an

d

fam

ilie

s ca

n r

etu

rn t

o, re

flec

t o

n, an

d r

emem

ber

in

ord

er t

o

exte

nd

lea

rnin

g.

Usi

ng

qu

esti

on

s ca

n h

elp

to

fra

me

do

cum

enta

tio

n, su

pp

ort

pla

nn

ing

th

at r

eflec

ts t

he

com

ple

xity

of

chil

dre

n’s

liv

ed

exp

erie

nce

s, a

nd

pro

vid

e a

dee

per

un

der

stan

din

g o

f w

hy

thes

e

exp

erie

nce

s ar

e im

po

rtan

t fo

r ch

ild

ren

. F

or

exam

ple

:

Ask

ing

“H

ow

do

ch

ild

ren

dem

on

stra

te t

hey

are

co

mp

eten

t

and

cap

able

of

com

ple

x th

ink

ing?

” h

elp

s ed

uca

tors

bu

ild

on

wh

at c

hil

dre

n a

lrea

dy

kn

ow

an

d c

an d

o. It

hel

ps

to e

nsu

re

the

envi

ron

men

ts a

nd

exp

erie

nce

s cr

eate

d f

or

chil

dre

n a

re

eng

agin

g a

nd

sti

mu

lati

ng

rat

her

th

an l

imit

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

po

ten

tial

.

Ask

ing

“H

ow

is

a ch

ild

’s c

urr

ent

app

roac

h t

o a

pro

ble

m

dif

fere

nt

fro

m a

n e

arli

er r

esp

on

se?”

hel

ps

edu

cato

rs t

o i

den

tify

the

pro

gre

ssio

n o

f le

arn

ing

an

d t

he

incr

easi

ng

co

mp

lexi

ty o

f

app

roac

hes

. T

his

can

be

shar

ed w

ith

par

ents

an

d w

ith

ch

ild

ren

them

selv

es.

Ask

ing

“W

hat

qu

esti

on

s an

d t

heo

ries

do

ch

ild

ren

hav

e ab

ou

t

the

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

? H

ow

are

th

ey g

oin

g a

bo

ut

fin

din

g

answ

ers

to t

hei

r q

ues

tio

ns

or

test

ing

th

eir

theo

ries

?” h

elp

s

edu

cato

rs t

o b

e co

-lea

rner

s w

ith

ch

ild

ren

. T

his

can

hel

p

edu

cato

rs t

o m

ake

sure

th

e m

ater

ials

an

d e

xper

ien

ces

avai

lab

le

to c

hil

dre

n s

up

po

rt t

his

dee

per

in

vest

igat

ion

.

Ask

ing

“H

ow

do

ch

ild

ren

fo

rm r

elat

ion

ship

s w

ith

on

e

ano

ther

?” h

elp

s ed

uca

tors

un

der

stan

d w

her

e ch

ild

ren

mig

ht

nee

d a

ssis

tan

ce i

n e

ng

agin

g i

n p

osi

tive

in

tera

ctio

ns,

rec

og

niz

e

and

fo

ster

dev

elo

pin

g s

oci

al s

kil

ls, an

d s

up

po

rt c

hil

dre

n’s

sen

se

of

bel

on

gin

g.

Page 25: Learning HappenDoes How

23

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Foun

datio

ns f

or L

earn

ing

How

Doe

s L

earn

ing

Hap

pen?

in

clu

des

go

als

for

chil

dre

n a

nd

exp

ecta

tio

ns

for

pro

gra

ms.

Org

aniz

ed a

rou

nd

th

e fo

un

dat

ion

s

of

bel

on

gin

g, w

ell-

bei

ng,

en

gag

emen

t, a

nd

exp

ress

ion

, th

e g

oal

s

and

exp

ecta

tio

ns

inte

gra

te t

he

six

gu

idin

g p

rin

cip

les

of

EL

EC

T.

Rat

her

th

an c

on

sid

erin

g t

he

pri

nci

ple

s as

sep

arat

e el

emen

ts i

n

hig

h-q

ual

ity

pro

gra

ms,

th

is p

edag

og

ical

do

cum

ent

hel

ps

us

to

thin

k ab

ou

t h

ow

th

e p

rin

cip

les

and

th

e g

oal

s an

d e

xpec

tati

on

s

wo

rk t

og

eth

er.

Th

e g

oal

s an

d e

xpec

tati

on

s

hel

p e

du

cato

rs t

o s

triv

e to

pro

vid

e th

e b

est

exp

erie

nce

s an

d

ou

tco

mes

fo

r ch

ild

ren

an

d f

amil

ies

and

fo

r ed

uca

tors

. T

hes

e co

mp

on

ents

are

ou

tlin

ed i

n t

he

char

t b

elo

w.

FO

UN

DA

TIO

NS

GO

ALS F

OR

CH

ILD

REN

EX

PEC

TATIO

NS F

OR

PR

OG

RA

MS

Belo

ng

ing

Ever

y ch

ild h

as

a s

ense

of bel

ong

ing w

hen

he o

r sh

e is

co

nnec

ted to o

ther

s and

cont

ribut

es to the

ir w

orld.

Early

child

hood p

rogra

ms

culti

vate

aut

hent

ic,

caring

re

latio

nshi

ps

and

conn

ectio

ns to c

reate

a s

ense

of

bel

ong

ing a

mong

and

bet

wee

n ch

ildre

n, a

dul

ts,

and

th

e w

orld a

roun

d the

m.

Well-B

ein

gEv

ery

child

is

dev

elopin

g a

sen

se o

f se

lf, h

ealth

, and

w

ell-b

eing

.

Early

child

hood p

rogra

ms

nurt

ure

child

ren’

s he

alth

y dev

elopm

ent and

sup

port

the

ir g

row

ing s

ense

of se

lf.

En

ga

gem

ent

Ever

y ch

ild is

an

act

ive

and

eng

aged

lea

rner

who

ex

plo

res

the

world w

ith b

ody,

min

d,

and

sen

ses.

Early

child

hood p

rogra

ms

pro

vide

envi

ronm

ents

and

ex

per

ienc

es to e

ngage

child

ren

in a

ctiv

e, c

reativ

e,

and

mea

ning

ful ex

plo

ratio

n, p

lay,

and

inq

uiry

.

Ex

pre

ssio

nEv

ery

child

is

a c

apable

com

mun

icato

r w

ho e

xpre

sses

hi

mse

lf or

hers

elf in

many

ways

.Ea

rly

child

hood p

rogra

ms

fost

er c

om

mun

icatio

n and

ex

pre

ssio

n in

all

form

s.

Page 26: Learning HappenDoes How

24

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Belo

ngin

g: C

ultiv

atin

g Au

then

tic R

elat

ions

hips

an

d Co

nnec

tions

Go

al f

or

chil

dre

n:

Eve

ry c

hil

d h

as a

sen

se o

f b

elo

ng

ing

wh

en h

e o

r sh

e is

co

nn

ecte

d t

o o

ther

s an

d c

on

trib

ute

s to

thei

r w

orl

d.

Pro

gra

m e

xpect

atio

n:

Ear

ly c

hil

dh

oo

d p

rog

ram

s

cult

ivat

e au

then

tic,

car

ing

rel

atio

nsh

ips

and

co

nn

ecti

on

s

to c

reat

e a

sen

se o

f b

elo

ng

ing

am

on

g a

nd

bet

wee

n

chil

dre

n, ad

ult

s, a

nd

th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

th

em.

Ove

rvie

w

“You

ng c

hild

ren

exp

erie

nce

the

ir w

orld

as

an e

nvi

ron

men

t

of r

elat

ion

ship

s, w

hich

aff

ect

virt

ual

ly a

ll a

spec

ts o

f th

eir

deve

lopm

ent.”

35

Fo

ster

ing

go

od

rel

atio

nsh

ips

wit

h c

hil

dre

n a

nd

th

eir

fam

ilie

s is

the

sin

gle

mo

st i

mp

ort

ant

pri

ori

ty f

or

edu

cato

rs i

n e

arly

yea

rs

pro

gra

ms.

Th

e ab

ilit

y to

est

abli

sh c

on

stru

ctiv

e re

lati

on

ship

s

wit

h c

hil

dre

n a

nd

fam

ilie

s is

a r

equ

irem

ent

for

Reg

iste

red

Ear

ly

Ch

ild

ho

od

Ed

uca

tors

in

On

tari

o, as

set

ou

t in

th

e C

oll

ege

of

Ear

ly C

hil

dh

oo

d E

du

cato

rs C

ode

of E

thic

s an

d S

tan

dard

s of

Pra

ctic

e.36

35. N

atio

nal S

cient

ific C

ounc

il on

the

Deve

lopi

ng C

hild,

200

4, p

. 1.

36. C

olle

ge o

f Ear

ly Ch

ildho

od E

duca

tors,

201

1.

A s

ign

ifica

nt

bo

dy

of

rese

arch

in

dic

ates

th

at p

osi

tive

, ca

rin

g, a

nd

resp

ectf

ul

rela

tio

nsh

ips

are

the

fou

nd

atio

n f

or

op

tim

al l

earn

ing,

dev

elo

pm

ent,

hea

lth

, an

d w

ell-

bei

ng.

By

resp

on

din

g p

osi

tive

ly

to c

hil

dre

n’s

cu

es a

nd

en

gag

ing

in

rec

ipro

cal

inte

ract

ion

s

wit

h t

hem

, ed

uca

tors

su

pp

ort

th

e d

evel

op

men

t o

f se

cure

rela

tio

nsh

ips.

37 S

ecu

re r

elat

ion

ship

s co

ntr

ibu

te t

o c

hil

dre

n’s

emo

tio

nal

wel

l-b

ein

g a

nd

pro

vid

e th

em w

ith

a s

afe

envi

ron

men

t

in w

hic

h t

o l

earn

. P

osi

tive

in

tera

ctio

ns

sup

po

rt t

he

dev

elo

pm

ent

of

soci

al a

nd

co

gn

itiv

e co

mp

eten

ce a

nd

co

mm

un

icat

ion

sk

ills

,38

wh

ich

in

tu

rn s

tren

gth

en c

hil

dre

n’s

cap

acit

y to

lea

rn i

n t

he

sho

rt

and

lo

ng

ter

m. W

hen

ch

ild

ren

are

str

on

gly

con

nec

ted

to

th

eir

care

giv

ers,

th

ey f

eel

safe

an

d h

ave

the

con

fid

ence

to

pla

y, e

xplo

re,

and

lea

rn a

bo

ut

the

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

.

En

abli

ng

ch

ild

ren

to

dev

elo

p a

sen

se o

f b

elo

ng

ing

as

par

t o

f a

gro

up

is

also

a k

ey c

on

trib

uto

r to

th

eir

life

lon

g w

ell-

bei

ng.

A

sen

se o

f b

elo

ng

ing

is

sup

po

rted

wh

en e

ach

ch

ild

’s u

niq

ue

spir

it,

ind

ivid

ual

ity,

an

d p

rese

nce

are

val

ued

.

“Eve

ry c

hild

des

erve

s to

hav

e so

meo

ne’

s ey

es lig

ht u

p w

hen

the

y

ente

r th

e ro

om.”

39

As

chil

dre

n e

ng

age

in v

ario

us

form

s o

f so

cial

pla

y an

d a

re

sup

po

rted

to

rec

og

niz

e th

e va

ried

cap

abil

itie

s an

d c

har

acte

rist

ics

of

oth

er c

hil

dre

n, th

ey l

earn

to

get

alo

ng

wit

h o

ther

s; t

o

neg

oti

ate,

co

llab

ora

te, an

d c

om

mu

nic

ate;

an

d t

o c

are

for

oth

ers.

Stu

die

s sh

ow

th

at w

hen

ed

uca

tors

mo

del

led

an

d h

elp

ed c

hil

dre

n

37. A

insw

orth

& B

owlb

y, 19

65; B

owlb

y, 19

88; N

atio

nal S

cient

ific C

ounc

il on

the

Deve

lopi

ng C

hild,

201

2.

38. B

urch

inal

et a

l., 2

008;

Syl

va e

t al.,

201

1; W

ylie

et a

l., 2

009.

39. C

linto

n, 2

012.

Page 27: Learning HappenDoes How

25

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

exp

ress

fee

lin

gs,

rec

og

niz

e o

ther

s’ f

eeli

ng

s, a

nd

hel

p o

ther

s,

chil

dre

n d

evel

op

ed p

osi

tive

so

cial

sk

ills

su

ch a

s p

ersp

ecti

ve-

tak

ing,

em

pat

hy,

40 a

nd

em

oti

on

reg

ula

tio

n41

an

d w

ere

less

lik

ely

to e

ng

age

in p

rob

lem

atic

beh

avio

urs

.42

Rel

atio

nsh

ips

mat

ter

for

fam

ilie

s to

o. F

amil

ies

dev

elo

p t

rust

,

con

fid

ence

, an

d a

sen

se o

f b

elo

ng

ing

in

pro

gra

ms

that

val

ue

the

cen

tral

ity

of

the

fam

ily

to t

he

hea

lth

an

d w

ell-

bei

ng

of

chil

dre

n.

In h

igh

-qu

alit

y p

rog

ram

s, t

he

aim

is

to s

triv

e to

est

abli

sh a

nd

mai

nta

in r

ecip

roca

l re

lati

on

ship

s am

on

g e

du

cato

rs a

nd

fam

ilie

s,

and

to

vie

w f

amil

ies

as i

mp

ort

ant

con

trib

uto

rs w

ith

un

iqu

e

kn

ow

led

ge,

exp

erie

nce

s, a

nd

str

eng

ths.

43 C

hil

dre

n’s

sen

se o

f

bel

on

gin

g a

nd

fee

lin

gs

of

secu

rity

are

als

o s

tren

gth

ened

wh

en

they

hav

e o

pp

ort

un

itie

s to

mak

e an

d e

xplo

re c

on

nec

tio

ns

bet

wee

n h

om

e an

d t

he

earl

y ch

ild

ho

od

pro

gra

m. In

viti

ng

fam

ilie

s to

par

tici

pat

e (a

t th

eir

com

fort

lev

el)

in t

hei

r ch

ild

ren’s

exp

erie

nce

s in

ear

ly y

ears

pro

gra

ms

ign

ites

ch

ild

ren’s

in

tere

st

in l

earn

ing.

44 W

hen

ed

uca

tors

bu

ild

rel

atio

nsh

ips

and

wo

rk i

n

par

tner

ship

wit

h f

amil

ies,

un

der

stan

d t

he

fam

ily’

s p

erce

pti

on

of

thei

r ch

ild

, an

d h

elp

fam

ilie

s k

no

w t

hei

r ch

ild

fro

m t

he

edu

cato

r’s

po

int

of

view

, ev

eryo

ne

gai

ns

a d

eep

er u

nd

erst

and

ing.

Ear

ly y

ears

set

tin

gs

can

pla

y a

key

role

in

pro

mo

tin

g t

he

visi

bil

ity,

in

clu

sio

n, an

d a

ctiv

e p

arti

cip

atio

n o

f yo

un

g c

hil

dre

n i

n

soci

ety.

45 A

ll c

hil

dre

n b

enefi

t fr

om

bei

ng

in

in

clu

sive

40. G

ordo

n, 2

005;

Hol

ahan

& C

oste

nbad

er, 2

000;

Odo

m, 2

002.

41. S

hank

er, 2

013.

42. P

icken

s, 20

09; S

chul

tz e

t al.,

201

1.

43. F

RP C

anad

a, 2

011.

44. G

ordo

n, 2

005.

45. D

ahlb

erg

et a

l., 2

007.

envi

ron

men

ts w

her

e th

ey a

re a

ble

to

par

tici

pat

e an

d c

oll

abo

rate

in m

ean

ing

ful

way

s an

d f

orm

au

then

tic,

car

ing

rel

atio

nsh

ips.

Th

e

Con

vent

ion

on

the

Rig

hts

of t

he C

hild

(C

RC

) an

d t

he

Con

vent

ion

on t

he R

ight

s of

Per

son

s w

ith

Dis

abil

itie

s (C

RP

D)

hig

hli

gh

t h

ow

all

chil

dre

n, in

clu

din

g t

ho

se w

ith

sp

ecia

l n

eed

s, a

re e

nti

tled

to

the

sam

e o

pp

ort

un

itie

s –

for

exam

ple

to

hea

lth

car

e, n

utr

itio

n,

edu

cati

on

, so

cial

in

clu

sio

n, an

d p

rote

ctio

n. W

hen

ch

ild

ren

wit

h

spec

ial

nee

ds

hav

e ac

cess

to

ap

pro

pri

ate

sup

po

rt f

rom

ear

ly y

ears

pro

gra

ms

it c

an h

elp

th

em t

o h

ave

rich

an

d f

ulfi

llin

g c

hil

dh

oo

ds

and

pre

par

e th

em f

or

mea

nin

gfu

l p

arti

cip

atio

n i

n s

oci

ety.

46

Th

rou

gh

op

po

rtu

nit

ies

to e

ng

age

wit

h a

nd

mak

e co

ntr

ibu

tio

ns

to t

he

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

, ch

ild

ren

dev

elo

p a

sen

se o

f

bel

on

gin

g a

nd

co

nn

ecte

dn

ess

to t

hei

r lo

cal

com

mu

nit

y, t

he

nat

ura

l en

viro

nm

ent,

an

d t

he

larg

er u

niv

erse

of

livi

ng

th

ing

s.

Su

pp

ort

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

co

nn

ecti

on

s to

th

e n

atu

ral

wo

rld

is

an

imp

ort

ant

area

of

focu

s. O

pp

ort

un

itie

s to

exp

erie

nce

nat

ure

ever

y d

ay a

nd

to

car

e fo

r an

d i

nte

ract

wit

h t

he

nat

ura

l w

orl

d

enh

ance

ch

ild

ren’s

co

nn

ecti

on

s to

th

e w

orl

d a

rou

nd

th

em. A

gro

win

g b

od

y o

f re

sear

ch s

ug

ges

ts t

hat

co

nn

ecti

ng

to

th

e n

atu

ral

wo

rld

co

ntr

ibu

tes

to c

hil

dre

n’s

men

tal,

ph

ysic

al, em

oti

on

al, an

d

spir

itu

al h

ealt

h a

nd

wel

l-b

ein

g.47

46. W

orld

Hea

lth O

rgan

izatio

n &

UNI

CEF,

2012

, p.5

.

47. L

ouv,

2008

.

Page 28: Learning HappenDoes How

26

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Goa

ls an

d Ex

pect

atio

ns

Belo

ng

ing

: Cult

iva

tin

g A

uth

enti

c R

ela

tio

nsh

ips

and

Co

nn

ect

ions

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

dem

onst

rate

a s

ense

of

belo

ng

ing

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n h

elp

cre

ate

a

sense

of

belo

ng

ing

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

Goa

l fo

r ch

ild

ren:

Ever

y ch

ild h

as

a s

ense

of bel

ong

ing w

hen

he o

r sh

e is

conn

ecte

d to o

ther

s and

cont

ribut

es

to the

ir w

orld.

Chi

ldre

n dem

ons

trate

a s

ense

of

bel

ong

ing w

hen

they

:

feel

inc

luded

and

safe

in

rela

tions

hips

with

adul

ts a

nd o

ther

ch

ildre

n in

the

early

years

set

ting;

part

icip

ate

ful

ly in

ways

tha

t are

m

ost

com

fort

able

to the

m;

part

icip

ate

in

soci

al in

tera

ctio

ns,

share

d e

xplo

ratio

n, p

lay,

and

le

arn

ing w

ith a

dul

ts a

nd c

hild

ren;

make

sm

ooth

tra

nsiti

ons

bet

wee

n ho

me

and

early

years

set

tings;

beg

in to s

how

conc

ern

and

em

path

y and

take

act

ion

to a

ssis

t oth

ers;

notic

e si

mila

ritie

s and

diffe

renc

es

bet

wee

n se

lf and

oth

ers

and

re

spond

posi

tivel

y to

the

un

ique

ness

, diffe

ring

capabili

ties,

and

per

spec

tives

of oth

ers;

Pro

gra

m e

xp

ect

ati

on:

Early

chi

ldho

od

pro

gra

ms

culti

vate

aut

hent

ic, ca

ring

rel

atio

nshi

ps

and

conn

ectio

ns to c

reate

a s

ense

of bel

ong

ing

am

ong

and

bet

wee

n ch

ildre

n, a

dul

ts,

and

the

w

orld a

roun

d the

m.

Educ

ato

rs c

an

crea

te c

ont

exts

in

whi

ch a

ll ch

ildre

n ca

n dev

elop a

sen

se o

f bel

ong

ing b

y:

bei

ng a

ttune

d to the

phy

sica

l and

em

otio

nal

state

s of ea

ch c

hild

and

res

pond

ing in

a

warm

and

sen

sitiv

e m

ann

er;

conn

ectin

g w

ith e

ach

chi

ld a

nd r

ecogni

zing

and

valu

ing h

is o

r he

r un

ique

spirit,

in

div

idua

lity,

and

pre

senc

e;

pla

nnin

g for

ways

to s

upport

sm

ooth

trans

itions

: –

bet

wee

n th

e ho

me

and

the

early

years

se

tting

, –

in d

aily

rout

ines

, –

acr

oss

early

years

set

tings;

support

ing r

elatio

nshi

ps

bet

wee

n ch

ildre

n as

they

ini

tiate

, re

spond

, co

llabora

te,

cele

bra

te,

and

dem

ons

trate

care

for

oth

ers;

A w

arm

and

caring

mann

er is

conv

eyed

th

roug

h body

lang

uage

as

wel

l as

word

s –

how

w

e to

uch,

carr

y, a

nd m

ove

chi

ldre

n th

roug

h daily

rout

ines

sen

ds

a s

trong

mes

sage.

Capita

lize

on

opport

uniti

es for

one

-to-o

ne

inte

ract

ions

dur

ing d

aily

rout

ines

(e.

g., for

infa

nts

and

toddle

rs:

dia

per

cha

ngin

g,

dre

ssin

g

to g

o o

utdoors

, and

fee

din

g/m

eal tim

es a

re

idea

l opport

uniti

es for

maki

ng c

onn

ectio

ns a

nd

bui

ldin

g r

elatio

nshi

ps)

.

Dis

cove

r th

e un

ique

cha

ract

eris

tics

and

gifts

of ea

ch c

hild

by

talk

ing w

ith h

is o

r he

r fa

mily

, obse

rvin

g,

and

docu

men

ting (e.

g., in

additi

on

to w

hat th

e ch

ildre

n are

int

eres

ted in,

notic

e w

hat bring

s th

em joy

and

how

the

y re

late

to

oth

ers

and

to the

env

ironm

ent aro

und the

m;

to s

upport

inc

lusi

on,

cons

ider

each

chi

ld’s

ca

pabili

ties

rath

er tha

n fo

cusi

ng s

ole

ly o

n hi

s

or

her

need

s and

defi

cien

cies

).

(cont

inue

d)

Page 29: Learning HappenDoes How

27

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

dem

onst

rate

a s

ense

of

belo

ng

ing

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n h

elp

cre

ate

a

sense

of

belo

ng

ing

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

reco

gni

ze,

explo

re,

and

make

co

nnec

tions

: –

bet

wee

n ho

me

and

the

early

child

hood s

ettin

g,

–w

ith the

ir c

om

mun

ity,

–w

ith the

natu

ral en

viro

nmen

t;•

expre

ss a

sen

se o

f pur

pose

as

they

part

icip

ate

and

make

cont

ribut

ions

to

the

pro

gra

m a

nd c

om

mun

ity.

dev

elopin

g p

olic

ies,

pra

ctic

es,

and

en

viro

nmen

ts tha

t re

spec

t and

sup

port

incl

usio

n, m

eani

ngfu

l part

icip

atio

n, a

nd a

se

nse

of bel

ong

ing for

all

child

ren;

findin

g w

ays

to int

entio

nally

int

egra

te the

un

ique

per

spec

tives

and

gifts

of pare

nts,

ca

regiv

ers,

and

ext

ended

fam

ily thr

oug

hout

all

elem

ents

of th

e pro

gra

m in

a m

eani

ngfu

l and

aut

hent

ic w

ay;

esta

blis

hing

and

main

tain

ing p

osi

tive

reci

pro

cal re

latio

nshi

ps

with

com

mun

ity

part

ners

to s

upport

mea

ning

ful part

icip

atio

n;

crea

ting o

pport

uniti

es thr

oug

hout

daily

ex

per

ienc

es tha

t en

able

chi

ldre

n to

ex

plo

re,

wond

er a

bout

, ca

re for, a

nd m

ake

co

nnec

tions

to the

natu

ral en

viro

nmen

t; •

giv

ing v

isib

ility

to the

many

rel

atio

nshi

ps

that

child

ren

form

with

adul

ts,

oth

er c

hild

ren,

the

co

mm

unity,

and

the

natu

ral w

orld thr

oug

h va

rious

form

s of docu

men

tatio

n;

invi

ting c

om

mun

ity

mem

ber

s to

cont

ribut

e to

and

part

icip

ate

in

the

pro

gra

m a

nd

pro

vidin

g o

pport

uniti

es for

child

ren

to p

art

icip

ate

and

make

mea

ning

ful

cont

ribut

ions

to the

com

mun

ity

on

an

ong

oin

g b

asi

s.

Rath

er tha

n re

prim

and

ing c

hild

ren

for

undes

irable

beh

avi

our

s, a

ssis

t th

em in

findin

g

new

ways

to a

chie

ve the

ir g

oals

(e.

g., look

for

the

root ca

use

of beh

avi

our

; re

duc

e st

ress

ors

; su

pport

chi

ldre

n’s

effo

rts

to ini

tiate

and

join

in

pla

y w

ith o

ther

s; n

otic

e, a

ckno

wle

dge,

and

docu

men

t posi

tive

inte

ract

ions

and

atte

mpts

at

self-

regul

atio

n and

sha

re the

inf

orm

atio

n w

ith

child

ren

and

fam

ilies

to g

ain

new

ins

ight

s).

Hel

pin

g a

ll ch

ildre

n in

the

pro

gra

m to g

ain

a

clea

rer

under

stand

ing o

f th

e ca

pabili

ties

and

ch

alle

nges

of oth

ers

is a

way

to b

uild

the

ir

soci

al co

mpet

ence

. Th

e abili

ty to v

alu

e th

e diffe

renc

es o

f oth

ers

is s

tren

gth

ened

both

for

typic

ally

dev

elopin

g c

hild

ren

and

for

child

ren

who

req

uire

additi

ona

l su

pport.

Bui

ld c

onn

ectio

ns b

etw

een

the

hom

e and

the

pro

gra

m b

y co

mm

unic

atin

g w

ith fam

ilies

usi

ng

mul

tiple

mea

ns (e.

g., s

end e

-mail

update

s;

crea

te a

blo

g;

set up

a d

ocu

men

tatio

n pane

l and

pla

ce it ne

ar

the

entranc

e w

here

fam

ilies

ca

n fin

d o

ut m

ore

about

the

ir c

hild

ren’

s ex

per

ienc

es;

invi

te fam

ilies

to c

om

men

t on

a

spec

ific

pie

ce o

f docu

men

tatio

n; s

ugges

t w

ays

fa

mili

es c

an

exte

nd lea

rnin

g a

t ho

me

to b

uild

on

a p

art

icul

ar

idea

chi

ldre

n are

exp

loring

; en

cour

age

fam

ilies

to h

elp y

ou

under

stand

the

ch

ild fro

m the

ir p

ersp

ectiv

e).

Belo

ng

ing

: Cult

iva

tin

g A

uth

enti

c R

ela

tio

nsh

ips

and

Co

nn

ect

ions

(cont

inue

d)

Page 30: Learning HappenDoes How

28

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Que

stio

ns fo

r Re

flect

ion

Belo

ng

ing

: Cult

iva

tin

g A

uth

enti

c R

ela

tio

nsh

ips

and

Co

nn

ect

ions

Con

sider

you

r pro

gra

m –

its

phi

loso

phy

, m

issi

on,

pol

icie

s, a

nd d

aily

pra

ctic

es.

How

do

the

pro

gra

m’s

valu

es r

eflec

t and

aff

ect y

our

rela

tions

hip w

ith e

ach

chi

ld?

With

each

fam

ily?

Is e

very

one’

s vo

ice

valu

ed?

How

wou

ld a

n ob

serv

er k

now

?

Whi

ch p

olic

ies

and

pra

ctic

es m

ay

be

barr

iers

to e

stablis

hing

rel

atio

nshi

ps

and

ens

urin

g th

e m

eani

ngfu

l part

icip

atio

n of

all

child

ren?

Of

all

fam

ilies

?

Wha

t els

e ca

n be

don

e to

str

ength

en r

elatio

nshi

ps

and

ens

ure

soci

al i

nclu

sion

, part

icip

atio

n, a

nd a

sen

se o

f bel

ongin

g f

or e

ach

chi

ld a

nd

fam

ily?

If yo

u m

ake

one

cha

nge

today

to s

tren

gth

en r

elatio

nshi

ps

in y

our

pro

gra

m,

wha

t will

it b

e? If

you

wer

e to

make

ano

ther

cha

nge

tom

orro

w,

wha

t wou

ld i

t be?

“Wha

t I’v

e co

me

to u

nder

stand

is

that t

he m

ost i

mpor

tant

wor

k I d

o –

to s

ee a

chi

ld i

n pos

itive

ways

– i

s w

ithin

me.

I m

ust c

ontin

ually

wor

k to

trans

form

my

own

view

of

child

ren’

s beh

avi

ours

, se

e th

eir

poi

nts

of v

iew

, and

str

ive

to u

ncov

er h

ow w

hat I

am

see

ing r

evea

ls

the

child

ren’

s dee

p d

esir

e, e

ager

ness

, and

capaci

ty f

or r

elatio

nshi

ps.

The

re i

s no

mor

e im

por

tant

or

rew

ard

ing w

ork

than

this

.”4

8

Con

sider

a c

hild

who

se b

ehavi

our

you

find “

diffi

cult”

. W

hat p

ossi

bili

ties

mig

ht e

xist

if

you

wer

e to

vie

w th

e ch

ild’s

beh

avi

our

and

int

entio

ns

from

the

child

’s p

oint

of

view

and

fro

m th

e ch

ild’s

des

ire

for

rela

tions

hips?

48. C

urtis

, 200

9, p

. 12.

Page 31: Learning HappenDoes How

29

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Wel

l-Bei

ng: N

urtu

ring

Heal

thy

Deve

lopm

ent

and

Wel

l-Bei

ng

Go

al f

or

chil

dre

n:

Eve

ry c

hil

d i

s d

evel

op

ing

a s

ense

of

self

, h

ealt

h, an

d w

ell-

bei

ng.

Pro

gra

m e

xpect

atio

n:

Ear

ly c

hil

dh

oo

d p

rog

ram

s

nu

rtu

re c

hil

dre

n’s

hea

lth

y d

evel

op

men

t an

d s

up

po

rt t

hei

r

gro

win

g s

ense

of

self

.

Ove

rvie

wT

her

e is

cle

ar e

vid

ence

th

at e

arly

exp

erie

nce

s h

ave

a si

gn

ifica

nt

imp

act

on

th

e b

iolo

gy

of

the

bo

dy

and

on

bra

in d

evel

op

men

t,

wit

h i

mp

lica

tio

ns

for

life

lon

g p

hys

ical

an

d m

enta

l h

ealt

h a

nd

wel

l-b

ein

g.4

9

Ph

ysic

al w

ell-

bei

ng.

Pat

tern

s o

f ea

tin

g, p

hys

ical

act

ivit

y, a

nd

slee

p t

hat

are

est

abli

shed

in

ear

ly c

hil

dh

oo

d c

on

tin

ue

into

lat

er

life

. In

adeq

uat

e n

utr

itio

n a

nd

sle

ep, lo

w l

evel

s o

f p

hys

ical

act

ivit

y,

and

per

sist

ent

stre

ss i

n e

arly

ch

ild

ho

od

can

lea

d t

o l

ater

hea

lth

pro

ble

ms,

in

clu

din

g o

bes

ity,

dia

bet

es, h

eart

dis

ease

, d

epre

ssio

n,

and

an

xiet

y.50

Th

ere

is a

var

iety

of

way

s in

wh

ich

ear

ly y

ears

49. N

atio

nal S

cient

ific C

ounc

il on

the

Deve

lopi

ng C

hild,

200

7.

50. C

hapu

t & Tr

embl

ay, 2

012;

Ont

ario

Hea

lthy

Kids

Pan

el, 2

013.

pro

gra

ms

can

hav

e a

po

siti

ve i

nfl

uen

ce o

n c

hil

d h

ealt

h a

nd

wel

l-

bei

ng,

su

ch a

s b

y:

pro

vid

ing

nu

trit

iou

s fo

od

an

d b

ever

ages

th

at i

nco

rpo

rate

fam

ily

and

cu

ltu

ral

pre

fere

nce

s;

crea

tin

g p

osi

tive

eat

ing

en

viro

nm

ents

wit

h f

oo

ds

and

po

rtio

n

size

s th

at a

re r

esp

on

sive

to

ch

ild

ren’s

cu

es o

f h

un

ger

an

d

full

nes

s;

incr

easi

ng

ch

ild

ren’s

ph

ysic

al a

ctiv

ity

and

dec

reas

ing

th

e

amo

un

t o

f ti

me

spen

t in

sed

enta

ry a

ctiv

itie

s;

resp

ecti

ng

an

d fi

nd

ing

way

s to

su

pp

ort

eac

h c

hil

d’s

var

ied

ph

ysio

log

ical

an

d b

iolo

gic

al r

hy

thm

s an

d n

eed

s fo

r ac

tive

pla

y,

rest

, an

d q

uie

t ti

me.

Co

nn

ect

ion

s b

etw

een

co

gn

itio

n a

nd

ph

ysic

al a

nd

em

oti

on

al

wel

l-b

ein

g.

Ch

ild

ren

th

rive

in

pro

gra

ms

wh

ere

they

can

eng

age

in v

igo

rou

s p

hys

ical

pla

y in

nat

ura

l o

utd

oo

r sp

aces

and

pla

ygro

un

ds

that

pre

sen

t m

anag

eab

le l

evel

s o

f ch

alle

ng

e.

Wh

ile

thes

e en

viro

nm

ents

nee

d t

o b

e sa

fe, it

is

also

im

po

rtan

t

for

them

to

pro

vid

e ch

ild

ren

wit

h i

nte

rest

ing

op

po

rtu

nit

ies

for

a re

aso

nab

le d

egre

e o

f ri

sk t

akin

g. P

rog

ram

ad

apta

tio

ns

and

ph

ysic

al a

cco

mm

od

atio

ns

can

be

mad

e to

all

ow

eve

ry c

hil

d t

o

par

tici

pat

e an

d b

e ch

alle

ng

ed i

n m

ean

ing

ful

way

s. I

n a

dd

itio

n

to p

rovi

din

g p

hys

ical

ben

efits

, ac

tive

pla

y o

utd

oo

rs s

tren

gth

ens

fun

ctio

nin

g i

n c

og

nit

ive

area

s su

ch a

s p

erce

pti

on

, at

ten

tio

n,

crea

tive

pro

ble

m s

olv

ing,

an

d c

om

ple

x th

ink

ing.

51 T

hro

ugh

act

ive

pla

y an

d p

hys

ical

exp

lora

tio

n, ch

ild

ren

gai

n i

ncr

easi

ng

lev

els

of

ind

epen

den

ce, le

arn

to

per

seve

re a

nd

pra

ctis

e se

lf-c

on

tro

l, a

nd

51. H

anna

ford

, 199

5.

Page 32: Learning HappenDoes How

30

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

dev

elo

p a

sen

se o

f p

hys

ical

, em

oti

on

al, an

d i

nte

llec

tual

mas

tery

and

co

mp

eten

ce.52

Sel

f-ca

re.

Hig

h-q

ual

ity

earl

y ch

ild

ho

od

pro

gra

ms

pla

y an

imp

ort

ant

role

in

su

pp

ort

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

dev

elo

pin

g s

ense

of

self

, au

ton

om

y, a

nd

co

mp

eten

ce. A

saf

e en

viro

nm

ent

that

off

ers

con

sist

ency

an

d c

on

tin

uit

y as

wel

l as

gra

du

ated

su

pp

ort

fo

r

chil

dre

n’s

gro

win

g i

nd

epen

den

ce a

nd

cap

acit

y fo

r se

lf-c

are

enab

les

chil

dre

n t

o t

ack

le c

hal

len

ges

, le

arn

to

per

seve

re, an

d

exp

lore

way

s to

co

pe

wit

h m

anag

eab

le l

evel

s o

f p

osi

tive

str

ess.

53

Sel

f-re

gu

lati

on

. T

he

abil

ity

to s

elf-

reg

ula

te i

s an

im

po

rtan

t

com

po

nen

t o

f ch

ild

ren’s

dev

elo

pm

ent.

A g

row

ing

nu

mb

er o

f

stu

die

s h

ave

iden

tifi

ed t

his

ab

ilit

y as

cen

tral

to

ch

ild

ren’s

lo

ng

-

term

ph

ysic

al, p

sych

olo

gic

al, b

ehav

iou

ral,

an

d e

du

cati

on

al w

ell-

bei

ng.

54 S

elf-

reg

ula

tio

n i

s d

iffe

ren

t fr

om

sel

f-co

ntr

ol

(res

isti

ng

an i

mp

uls

e) o

r co

mp

lian

ce (

sup

pre

ssin

g b

ehav

iou

r to

avo

id

pu

nis

hm

ent

or

atta

in a

rew

ard

). S

elf-

reg

ula

tio

n i

s ab

ou

t h

ow

a

chil

d i

s ab

le t

o d

eal

effe

ctiv

ely

wit

h s

tres

sors

an

d t

hen

rec

ove

r.55

Wh

en c

hil

dre

n a

re c

alm

ly f

ocu

sed

an

d a

lert

, th

ey a

re b

est

able

to m

od

ula

te t

hei

r em

oti

on

s, p

ay a

tten

tio

n, ig

no

re d

istr

acti

on

s,

inh

ibit

im

pu

lses

, as

sess

th

e co

nse

qu

ence

s o

f th

eir

acti

on

s, a

nd

un

der

stan

d w

hat

oth

ers

are

thin

kin

g a

nd

fee

lin

g. E

du

cato

rs

can

pla

y an

im

po

rtan

t ro

le i

n s

up

po

rtin

g s

elf-

reg

ula

tio

n b

y

pro

vid

ing

en

viro

nm

ents

th

at r

edu

ce s

tres

sors

wh

ile

reco

gn

izin

g

52. G

ill, 2

007.

53. D

iam

ond,

201

0; G

alin

sky,

2010

.

54. S

hank

er, 2

013.

55. I

bid.

and

su

pp

ort

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

eff

ort

s an

d i

ncr

easi

ng

ab

ilit

y to

sel

f-

reg

ula

te. E

du

cato

rs c

an a

lso

su

pp

ort

ch

ild

ren’s

dev

elo

pin

g a

bil

ity

to s

elf-

reg

ula

te b

y b

ein

g r

esp

on

sive

an

d a

ttu

ned

to

ch

ild

ren’s

ind

ivid

ual

cu

es, ar

ou

sal

stat

es, an

d r

esp

on

ses

to v

ario

us

stre

sso

rs.

An

d t

hey

can

hel

p c

hil

dre

n l

earn

str

ateg

ies

for

bec

om

ing

or

stay

ing

cal

m a

nd

fo

cuse

d b

y en

abli

ng

th

em t

o r

eco

gn

ize

and

mo

du

late

th

eir

emo

tio

nal

sta

tes

and

im

pu

lses

an

d b

eco

me

mo

re

awar

e o

f th

e ef

fect

s o

f th

eir

acti

on

s o

n o

ther

s.56

Men

tal

heal

th a

nd

wel

lness

. O

ntar

io’s

Pol

icy

Fra

mew

ork

for

Chi

ld

and

You

th M

enta

l H

ealt

h re

po

rts

that

15

to

21

per

cen

t o

f ch

ild

ren

and

yo

uth

in

On

tari

o h

ave

at l

east

on

e m

enta

l h

ealt

h d

iso

rder

.57

Th

e m

ost

ser

iou

s o

f th

ese

illn

esse

s ca

n c

on

tin

ue

into

ad

ult

ho

od

,

affe

ctin

g f

un

ctio

nin

g a

nd

pro

du

ctiv

ity

in t

he

com

mu

nit

y an

d

the

hea

lth

y d

evel

op

men

t o

f th

e n

ext

gen

erat

ion

. L

eft

un

trea

ted

,

thes

e ca

n h

ave

sig

nifi

can

t im

pac

ts o

n t

he

qu

alit

y o

f ch

ild

ren’s

exp

erie

nce

s in

ear

ly y

ears

set

tin

gs

as w

ell

as l

ater

co

nse

qu

ence

s

such

as

po

or

acad

emic

ach

ieve

men

t, f

ailu

re t

o c

om

ple

te h

igh

sch

oo

l, s

ub

stan

ce a

bu

se, an

in

abil

ity

to l

ive

ind

epen

den

tly,

hea

lth

pro

ble

ms,

an

d s

uic

ide.

58

Ch

ild

ren’s

men

tal

hea

lth

an

d w

ell-

bei

ng

mu

st b

e co

nsi

der

ed

wit

hin

th

e co

nte

xt o

f th

eir

full

en

viro

nm

ent

of

rela

tio

nsh

ips.

Ch

ild

ren

are

at

the

gre

ates

t ri

sk w

hen

th

e p

eop

le c

arin

g f

or

them

are

exp

erie

nci

ng

per

sist

ent

and

sev

ere

adve

rsit

ies.

Ch

ild

ren

wh

o e

xper

ien

ce c

hal

len

gin

g f

amil

y ci

rcu

mst

ance

s an

d l

ive

in

com

mu

nit

ies

wh

ere

ther

e ar

e li

mit

ed r

eso

urc

es a

re a

lso

mo

re

56. I

bid.

57. M

inist

ry o

f Chi

ldre

n an

d Yo

uth

Serv

ices,

Onta

rio, 2

006.

58. I

bid.

Page 33: Learning HappenDoes How

31

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

vuln

erab

le t

o t

he

imp

act

of

qu

alit

y le

vels

in

ch

ild

car

e p

rog

ram

s.

Wh

en v

uln

erab

le c

hil

dre

n s

pen

d p

rolo

ng

ed p

erio

ds

of

tim

e

in v

ery

po

or

chil

d c

are

envi

ron

men

ts w

ith

ou

t th

e p

rese

nce

of

sup

po

rtiv

e ad

ult

rel

atio

nsh

ips

they

hav

e an

in

crea

sed

lik

elih

oo

d

of

exp

erie

nci

ng

ser

iou

s p

hys

ical

an

d m

enta

l h

ealt

h p

rob

lem

s in

the

earl

y ye

ars

that

can

co

nti

nu

e in

to a

du

lth

oo

d.59

Hig

h-q

ual

ity

earl

y ch

ild

ho

od

pro

gra

ms

can

ser

ve a

s a

bu

ffer

fo

r ch

ild

ren

exp

erie

nci

ng

tem

po

rary

or

lon

g-t

erm

, p

ersi

sten

t st

ress

by

esta

bli

shin

g r

esp

on

sive

, n

urt

uri

ng,

an

d s

tab

le r

elat

ion

ship

s w

ith

chil

dre

n a

s w

ell

as w

ith

th

eir

fam

ilie

s.6

0

Evi

den

ce f

rom

rec

ent

stu

die

s sh

ow

s th

at p

reve

nti

on

an

d

inte

rven

tio

n i

s m

ost

eff

ecti

ve w

hen

str

ateg

ies

are

in p

lace

no

t o

nly

to

bu

ild

sk

ills

in

ch

ild

ren

, b

ut

also

to

str

eng

then

the

cap

acit

y o

f al

l w

ho

hav

e re

lati

on

ship

s w

ith

ch

ild

ren

. B

y

stre

ng

then

ing

th

e ca

pac

itie

s o

f th

e ad

ult

s w

ho

car

e fo

r ch

ild

ren

,

bu

ild

ing

sk

ills

su

ch a

s co

pin

g w

ith

str

esso

rs, se

lf-r

egu

lati

on

, an

d

the

abil

ity

to s

olv

e p

rob

lem

s, f

ocu

s at

ten

tio

n, an

d m

ake

dec

isio

ns,

fam

ilie

s an

d e

du

cato

rs i

n e

arly

yea

rs s

etti

ng

s ca

n r

edu

ce

vuln

erab

ilit

y fo

r ch

ild

ren

an

d f

or

them

selv

es.61

Ear

ly y

ears

pro

gra

ms

can

als

o s

up

po

rt f

amil

ies

by

tak

ing

a

stre

ng

th-b

ased

ap

pro

ach

. W

hen

ed

uca

tors

est

abli

sh p

osi

tive

,

auth

enti

c, a

nd

car

ing

rel

atio

nsh

ips

wit

h f

amil

ies

and

pro

vid

e a

safe

, n

on

-ju

dg

emen

tal

envi

ron

men

t fo

r sh

ared

lea

rnin

g, e

very

on

e

ben

efits

.

59. N

atio

nal S

cient

ific C

ounc

il on

the

Deve

lopi

ng C

hild,

201

2.

60. I

bid.

61. N

atio

nal S

cient

ific C

ounc

il on

the

Deve

lopi

ng C

hild,

201

3.

Ed

uca

tors

can

pla

y an

im

po

rtan

t ro

le i

n s

up

po

rtin

g o

pti

mal

men

tal

hea

lth

an

d w

ell-

bei

ng

fo

r fa

mil

ies

and

fo

r ch

ild

ren

, fo

r

exam

ple

, b

y:

bec

om

ing

aw

are

of

and

co

nn

ecti

ng

wit

h c

om

mu

nit

y

org

aniz

atio

ns

that

pro

vid

e in

form

atio

n a

nd

su

pp

ort

;

inte

gra

tin

g p

ract

ices

th

at s

up

po

rt r

esil

ien

ce;

ensu

rin

g t

hat

ch

ild

ren

an

d f

amil

ies

wit

h m

enta

l h

ealt

h

dis

ord

ers

are

incl

ud

ed a

nd

acc

epte

d;

tak

ing

a s

tren

gth

-bas

ed a

pp

roac

h, re

cog

niz

ing

an

d v

alu

ing

the

cap

acit

ies

that

fam

ilie

s h

ave,

wh

ile

sup

po

rtin

g t

hem

in

acce

ssin

g s

up

po

rts

they

nee

d.

Page 34: Learning HappenDoes How

32

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Goa

ls an

d Ex

pect

atio

ns

Well-B

ein

g:

Nurt

uri

ng

Hea

lthy D

evelo

pm

ent

and

Well-B

ein

g

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

dem

onst

rate

hea

lth a

nd

well-b

ein

g

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n f

ost

er

hea

lth a

nd

well-b

ein

g

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

Goa

l fo

r ch

ild

ren:

Ever

y ch

ild is

dev

elopin

g a

sen

se o

f se

lf, h

ealth

, and

w

ell-b

eing

.

Chi

ldre

n ha

ve a

sen

se o

f se

lf and

hea

lth

and

wel

l-bei

ng w

hen

they

:

are

phy

sica

lly a

ctiv

e and

confi

den

t in

the

ir g

row

ing a

bili

ties;

are

inc

reasi

ngly

aw

are

of and

able

to

make

hea

lthy

choic

es to m

eet th

eir

basi

c ne

eds

(e.g

., for

food,

slee

p,

phy

sica

l act

ivity,

sel

f-ca

re);

exper

ienc

e a s

ense

of co

mpet

ence

, aut

ono

my,

and

agen

cy a

s th

ey

part

icip

ate

at th

eir

ow

n pace

th

roug

hout

daily

exp

erie

nces

and

in

tera

ctio

ns;

are

inc

reasi

ngly

able

to iden

tify,

m

oni

tor, a

nd m

ana

ge

stre

ss lev

els

and

eng

age

in s

trate

gie

s fo

r se

lf-re

gul

atio

n (e

.g., o

f em

otio

ns,

atte

ntio

n, a

nd b

ehavi

our

);•

are

inc

reasi

ngly

able

to take

in

itiativ

e, tack

le c

halle

nges

with

en

thus

iasm

and

per

sist

ence

, and

co

pe

with

and

adapt to

cha

nges

, fr

ustratio

ns,

and

the

une

xpec

ted in

ever

yday

livin

g;

Pro

gra

m e

xp

ect

ati

on:

Early

chi

ldho

od

pro

gra

ms

nurtur

e ch

ildre

n’s

health

y dev

elopm

ent and

sup

port the

ir g

row

ing s

ense

of se

lf.

Educ

ato

rs c

an

crea

te c

ont

exts

to s

upport

child

ren’

s he

alth

and

wel

l-bei

ng b

y:

pro

vidin

g h

ealth

y m

eals

and

sna

cks

and

es

tablis

hing

posi

tive

eatin

g e

nvironm

ents

th

at are

res

pons

ive

to c

hild

ren’

s cu

es o

f hu

nger

and

ful

lnes

s;

inco

rpora

ting o

pport

uniti

es a

nd tim

e to

pra

ctis

e se

lf-he

lp a

nd s

elf-ca

re s

kills

base

d

on

each

chi

ld’s

capabili

ties

thro

ugho

ut

daily

rout

ines

and

act

iviti

es;

pro

vidin

g r

egul

ar

daily

opport

uniti

es

(res

pons

ive

to ind

ivid

ual ca

pabili

ties)

for

child

ren

to b

e phy

sica

lly a

ctiv

e and

exp

lore

th

e w

orld a

roun

d the

m w

ith the

ir b

odie

s,

min

ds,

and

sen

ses;

limiti

ng a

ctiv

ities

whe

re c

hild

ren

are

se

den

tary

for

an

exte

nded

per

iod o

f tim

e;

crea

ting s

afe

and

stim

ulatin

g o

utdoor

space

s fo

r in

tent

iona

l act

ive

pla

y th

at is

in

div

idua

lized

and

adapte

d a

s ne

eded

to

support

chi

ldre

n’s

varied

abili

ties,

offer

ing

challe

nges

tha

t are

with

in e

ach

chi

ld’s

abili

ty to m

ast

er;

Many

early

years

pro

gra

ms

are

beg

inni

ng

to v

iew

the

ir o

utdoor

pla

ygro

unds

as

pla

ces

for

dis

cove

ry a

nd lea

rnin

g w

ith b

odie

s,

min

ds,

and

sen

ses

rath

er tha

n ju

st p

lace

s to

blo

w o

ff s

team

. Fo

r ex

am

ple

, so

me

pro

gra

ms

are

rem

ovi

ng larg

e pla

y st

ruct

ures

tha

t dom

inate

the

space

in

favo

ur o

f m

ore

natu

ral

out

door

pla

ygro

unds.

The

se m

ay

incl

ude

a v

ariet

y of na

tura

l su

rface

s su

ch a

s gra

ss,

sand

, and

peb

ble

s; p

ath

ways

to follo

w a

nd

hills

to c

limb;

gard

en a

reas;

low

pla

tform

s;

and

an

ass

ort

men

t of la

rge,

open

-end

ed

mate

rials

to e

ncour

age

bui

ldin

g a

nd c

reativ

e pro

ble

m-s

olv

ing a

nd fost

er im

agin

atio

n and

a s

ense

of m

ast

ery.

Adaptin

g the

out

door

envi

ronm

ent to

sup

port

the

varied

capabili

ties

of ch

ildre

n he

lps

to e

nsur

e all

have

equi

table

opport

uniti

es for

act

ive

out

door

pla

y.

(cont

inue

d)

Page 35: Learning HappenDoes How

33

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

dem

onst

rate

hea

lth a

nd

well-b

ein

g

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n f

ost

er

hea

lth a

nd

well-b

ein

g

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

are

dev

elopin

g a

strong

sen

se o

f se

lf and

the

abili

ty to v

alu

e th

eir

ow

n un

ique

iden

tity;

are

inc

reasi

ngly

able

to r

ecogni

ze,

valu

e, a

nd r

espec

t th

e un

ique

id

entit

y and

per

spec

tives

of oth

ers.

faci

litatin

g c

hild

ren’

s ef

fort

s to

take

re

aso

nable

ris

ks,

test

the

ir li

mits

, and

gain

in

crea

sing

com

pet

ence

and

a s

ense

of

mast

ery

thro

ugh

act

ive

pla

y and

soci

al

inte

ract

ions

; •

reco

gni

zing

and

sup

port

ing c

hild

ren’

s dev

elopin

g a

nd v

aried

sel

f-reg

ulatio

n abili

ties

in a

ll dom

ain

s (b

iolo

gic

al,

emotio

nal,

com

mun

icativ

e, c

ogni

tive,

so

cial);

des

igni

ng e

nvironm

ents

tha

t are

attu

ned to

child

ren’

s va

ried

sen

sitiv

ities

, aro

usal st

ate

s,

and

nee

d for

main

tain

ing a

calm

, fo

cuse

d,

and

ale

rt s

tate

; •

reach

ing o

ut to a

ll fa

mili

es,

incl

udin

g tho

se

who

may

be

exper

ienc

ing s

tres

sful

and

ch

alle

ngin

g c

ircu

mst

anc

es,

and

hel

pin

g

them

to m

ake

conn

ectio

ns to form

al

support

s (e

.g., c

om

mun

ity

agen

cies

) and

in

form

al su

pport

s (e

.g., c

onn

ectio

ns w

ith

oth

er fam

ilies

and

/or

thei

r ow

n su

pport

netw

ork

s);

part

icip

atin

g in

pro

fess

iona

l le

arn

ing

and

conn

ectin

g w

ith c

om

mun

ity

part

ners

to

ens

ure

the

pro

gra

m fost

ers

soci

al and

em

otio

nal w

ell-b

eing

and

res

ilien

ce for

child

ren

and

fam

ilies

.

Daily

rout

ines

suc

h as

mea

ltim

es o

r get

ting

ready

to g

o o

utsi

de

can

pro

vide

an

idea

l opport

unity

for

child

ren

to p

ract

ise

thei

r gro

win

g s

elf-ca

re a

bili

ties

as

wel

l as

pro

motin

g s

elf-r

egul

atio

n, p

ersi

sten

ce,

and

a

sens

e of co

mpet

ence

. Fo

r ex

am

ple

: ha

ving

a

snack

table

open

thr

oug

hout

the

day

may

he

lp c

hild

ren

bec

om

e m

ore

aw

are

of th

eir

inte

rnal cu

es for

hung

er;

allo

win

g a

mple

tim

e dur

ing m

ealti

mes

and

daily

rout

ines

cre

ate

s a p

osi

tive

envi

ronm

ent fo

r ch

ildre

n to

pra

ctis

e se

lf-he

lp s

kills

suc

h as

serv

ing the

mse

lves

and

/or

get

ting d

ress

ed;

know

ing w

hen

to

stand

back

and

let

chi

ldre

n te

st the

ir a

bili

ties

help

s ch

ildre

n re

cogni

ze a

nd v

alu

e th

eir

ow

n ef

fort

s and

pro

gre

ss.

Educ

ato

rs c

an

support

dev

elopin

g s

elf-

regul

atio

n sk

ills

by,

for

exam

ple

, re

spond

ing

in a

calm

ing m

ann

er to a

n in

fant

’s d

istres

s and

su

pport

ing s

elf-s

ooth

ing b

ehavi

our

s; h

elpin

g

toddle

rs u

se lang

uage

to e

xpre

ss the

ir w

ant

s and

nee

ds;

and

hel

pin

g o

lder

chi

ldre

n to

re

cogni

ze s

tres

sors

and

dev

elop the

abili

ty to

mana

ge

thei

r ow

n aro

usal st

ate

s.

Well-B

ein

g:

Nurt

uri

ng

Hea

lthy D

evelo

pm

ent

and

Well-B

ein

g (

cont

inue

d)

Page 36: Learning HappenDoes How

34

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Que

stio

ns fo

r Re

flect

ion

Well-B

ein

g:

Nurt

uri

ng

Hea

lthy D

evelo

pm

ent

and

Well-B

ein

g

How

can

your

pro

gra

m p

ut m

ore

empha

sis

on o

utdoo

r ex

plo

ratio

n and

pla

y th

at e

ngage

the

bod

y, m

ind,

and

sen

ses?

How

can

the

envi

ronm

ent b

e arr

ang

ed to

enc

oura

ge

child

ren

to e

ngage

in a

ctiv

ities

that i

nvol

ve a

n el

emen

t of

mana

gea

ble

ris

k

(appro

pri

ate

for

chi

ldre

n’s

vari

ed c

apabili

ties)

?

Wha

t im

pro

vem

ents

are

nee

ded

to e

nsur

e th

at t

he ty

pe

of m

eals

/sna

cks

and

the

eatin

g e

nvir

onm

ent r

eflec

t the

goa

ls f

or c

hild

ren?

Chi

ldre

n’s

pre

sent

and

fut

ure

wel

l-bei

ng i

s in

fluen

ced b

y th

eir

abili

ty to

sel

f-re

gul

ate

. H

ow c

an

your

pro

gra

m m

ove

from

a f

ocus

on

the

adul

t mana

gin

g c

hild

ren’

s beh

avi

our

tow

ard

s a s

tron

ger

foc

us o

n su

ppor

ting c

hild

ren’

s dev

elop

ing s

elf-

regul

atio

n ca

paci

ties?

Wha

t env

iron

men

tal f

act

ors

may

be

caus

ing s

tres

s fo

r ch

ildre

n? W

hat c

hang

es c

an

be

made

to r

educ

e st

ress

for

all

who

use

the

space

?

How

can

you

conn

ect w

ith c

omm

unity

part

ners

to b

ette

r su

ppor

t the

men

tal h

ealth

and

wel

l-bei

ng o

f fa

mili

es a

nd c

hild

ren?

Page 37: Learning HappenDoes How

35

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Enga

gem

ent:

Crea

ting

Cont

exts

for L

earn

ing

thro

ugh

Expl

orat

ion,

Pla

y, a

nd In

quiry

Go

al f

or

chil

dre

n:

Eve

ry c

hil

d i

s an

act

ive

and

en

gag

ed

lear

ner

wh

o e

xplo

res

the

wor

ld w

ith

bo

dy,

min

d, a

nd

sen

ses.

Pro

gra

m e

xpec

tati

on

: E

arly

ch

ild

ho

od

pro

gra

ms

pro

vide

envi

ron

men

ts a

nd

exp

erie

nce

s to

en

gag

e ch

ild

ren

in

act

ive,

crea

tive

, an

d m

ean

ing

ful ex

plo

rati

on

, pla

y, a

nd

in

qu

iry.

Ove

rvie

w“E

ng

agem

ent”

ref

ers

to a

sta

te o

f b

ein

g g

enu

inel

y in

volv

ed a

nd

inte

rest

ed i

n w

hat

on

e is

do

ing.

Op

tim

al c

on

dit

ion

s fo

r le

arn

ing

occ

ur

wh

en w

e ar

e fu

lly

eng

aged

. F

or

chil

dre

n, th

is h

app

ens

in

pla

y th

at e

volv

es f

rom

th

e ch

ild

’s n

atu

ral

curi

osi

ty –

act

ive

pla

y

that

all

ow

s ch

ild

ren

to

exp

lore

wit

h t

hei

r b

od

ies,

min

ds,

an

d

sen

ses,

sti

mu

lati

ng

th

em t

o a

sk q

ues

tio

ns,

tes

t th

eori

es, so

lve

pro

ble

ms,

en

gag

e in

cre

ativ

e th

ink

ing,

an

d m

ake

mea

nin

g o

f

the

wo

rld

aro

un

d t

hem

. T

hes

e in

vest

igat

ion

s th

rou

gh

pla

y fu

se

inte

llec

t an

d f

eeli

ng

to

hel

p c

hil

dre

n m

ake

con

nec

tio

ns

and

dev

elo

p t

he

cap

acit

y fo

r h

igh

er-o

rder

th

ink

ing.

62 R

esea

rch

in

to

lear

nin

g a

nd

dev

elo

pm

ent

– fr

om

th

e ea

rly

theo

ries

of

Dew

ey,

Pia

get

, an

d V

ygo

tsk

y to

th

e la

test

fin

din

gs

of

neu

rosc

ien

ce

– m

akes

it

clea

r th

at c

hil

dre

n l

earn

bes

t w

hen

th

ey a

re f

ull

y

eng

aged

in

act

ive

exp

lora

tio

n, p

lay,

an

d i

nq

uir

y.

62. G

opni

k, 2

009.

Wh

en c

hil

dre

n i

nit

iate

exp

erie

nce

s, g

ener

ate

idea

s, p

lan

,

pro

ble

m-s

olv

e, m

ake

mea

nin

gfu

l ch

oic

es, an

d a

ct s

po

nta

neo

usl

y

thro

ugh

pla

y, t

hey

are

mo

re l

ikel

y to

be

hap

py

and

get

alo

ng

wel

l

wit

h o

ther

s,63

to

hav

e lo

wer

lev

els

of

stre

ss, an

d t

o b

e at

ten

tive

and

mo

tiva

ted

to

lea

rn.6

4 W

hen

ch

ild

ren

are

fu

lly

eng

aged

,

they

dev

elo

p d

isp

osi

tio

ns

and

sk

ills

fo

r li

felo

ng

lea

rnin

g t

hat

are

imp

ort

ant

for

succ

ess

in s

cho

ol

and

bey

on

d.

Th

e r

ole

of

the e

du

cato

r. C

hil

dre

n a

re m

ost

lik

ely

to e

ng

age

in l

on

g, c

om

ple

x ep

iso

des

of

pla

y an

d d

emo

nst

rate

in

tere

st i

n

lear

nin

g w

hen

ed

uca

tors

val

ue

thei

r id

eas

and

co

ntr

ibu

tio

ns

to t

he

curr

icu

lum

.65 C

hil

dre

n’s

en

gag

emen

t an

d l

earn

ing

are

enh

ance

d w

hen

ed

uca

tors

are

co

-lea

rner

s. T

his

ap

pro

ach

mea

ns

that

rat

her

th

an a

ctin

g a

s “k

eep

ers

of

kn

ow

led

ge”

or

the

sole

pla

nn

ers

of

pro

gra

ms,

ed

uca

tors

en

gag

e w

ith

ch

ild

ren

,

pla

nn

ing,

par

tici

pat

ing,

an

d l

earn

ing

wit

h t

he

chil

d a

nd

ab

ou

t

his

or

her

qu

esti

on

s, t

heo

ries

, an

d c

uri

osi

ties

. E

du

cato

rs c

an

gai

n a

dee

per

un

der

stan

din

g o

f ch

ild

ren’s

dev

elo

pin

g s

kil

ls a

nd

evo

lvin

g l

earn

ing

ap

pro

ach

es a

nd

can

su

pp

ort

new

lea

rnin

g b

y

coll

abo

rati

ng

wit

h c

hil

dre

n i

n d

isco

very

an

d s

ust

ain

ed, sh

ared

thin

kin

g. W

hen

ed

uca

tors

tak

e a

pu

rpo

sefu

lly

curi

ou

s ap

pro

ach

to n

ew e

xper

ien

ces

and

id

eas

rath

er t

han

act

ing

as

the

exp

ert,

chil

dre

n a

re m

ore

lik

ely

to e

ng

age

in c

reat

ive

pro

ble

m s

olv

ing

and

mo

re c

om

ple

x p

lay

and

in

qu

iry.

66

63. I

shim

ine

et a

l., 2

010;

Sira

j-Bla

tchfo

rd e

t al.,

200

4.

64. S

hank

er, 2

013.

65. H

anni

kain

en &

Ras

ku-P

utto

nen,

201

0.

66. G

opni

k, 2

011.

Page 38: Learning HappenDoes How

36

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Reg

ard

less

of

chil

dre

n’s

ab

ilit

ies,

ed

uca

tor

atti

tud

es a

re c

riti

cal

in

fost

erin

g c

hil

dre

n’s

en

gag

emen

t. W

hen

ed

uca

tors

bel

ieve

th

at a

ll

chil

dre

n h

ave

the

righ

t to

par

tici

pat

e an

d w

hen

th

ey u

se i

ncl

usi

ve

app

roac

hes

, th

ey a

re m

ore

lik

ely

to fi

nd

way

s to

red

uce

bar

rier

s,

un

der

stan

d h

ow

eac

h c

hil

d l

earn

s, a

nd

cre

ate

envi

ron

men

ts

and

exp

erie

nce

s th

at a

re m

ean

ing

ful

and

en

gag

ing.

67 T

ho

se i

n

lead

ersh

ip r

ole

s in

ear

ly y

ears

pro

gra

ms

pla

y a

crit

ical

ro

le i

n

sup

po

rtin

g s

taff

, ac

cess

ing

su

pp

ort

s, a

nd

cre

atin

g a

cu

ltu

re t

hat

ensu

res

incl

usi

ve p

ract

ices

.68

Th

e e

nvir

on

men

t as

ed

uca

tor.

Th

e en

viro

nm

ent

pla

ys a

key

role

in

th

e q

ual

ity

of

chil

dre

n’s

exp

lora

tio

n a

nd

pla

y. I

nd

oo

r an

d

ou

tdo

or

spac

es, m

ater

ials

, an

d f

urn

ish

ing

s (i

ncl

ud

ing

ho

w t

hey

are

po

siti

on

ed),

acc

om

mo

dat

ion

s to

en

sure

eq

uit

able

lea

rnin

g

op

po

rtu

nit

ies

and

par

tici

pat

ion

fo

r ch

ild

ren

wit

h s

pec

ial

nee

ds,

as w

ell

as t

he

gen

eral

des

ign

of

the

spac

e, a

nd

th

e o

rgan

izat

ion

of

tim

e, a

ll h

ave

a si

gn

ifica

nt

infl

uen

ce o

n c

hil

dre

n’s

lev

el o

f

eng

agem

ent

and

th

e p

oss

ibil

itie

s fo

r in

-dep

th e

xplo

rati

on

an

d

lear

nin

g.

“A l

ack

of c

lutt

er [

as w

ell as

] th

ough

tfu

lly

orga

niz

ed, ri

ch o

pen

-en

ded

mat

eria

ls i

nvi

te t

he c

hild

ren

to

mak

e re

lati

onsh

ips,

an

d to

com

mu

nic

ate

thei

r id

eas

in m

any

way

s ...

It

is n

ot m

erel

y a

mat

ter

of d

ecor

atin

g.

The

arr

ange

men

ts o

f m

ater

ials

sho

uld

in

vite

eng

agem

ent,

mea

nin

g-

mak

ing,

an

d ex

plor

atio

n. T

hink

ing

of ‘a

esth

etic

’ as

bei

ng t

he o

ppos

ite

of ‘a

nae

sthe

tic’

, a

shutt

ing

dow

n o

f th

e se

nse

s, m

ay h

elp

wit

h ap

prai

sing

the

envi

ron

men

t in

a r

iche

r w

ay.”

69

67. U

NESC

O, 2

009.

68. I

rwin

et a

l., 2

004.

69. C

alla

ghan

, 201

3, p

. 12.

Ch

ild

ren

ben

efit

sig

nifi

can

tly

fro

m h

avin

g l

on

g p

erio

ds

of

tim

e to

exp

lore

in

en

viro

nm

ents

eq

uip

ped

wit

h i

nte

rest

ing,

op

en-e

nd

ed m

ater

ials

th

at c

an b

e u

sed

in

man

y w

ays,

in

viti

ng

inve

stig

atio

n a

nd

co

mp

lex

pla

y. A

ctiv

itie

s in

ou

tdo

or

spac

es t

hat

are

des

ign

ed t

o i

nsp

ire

inve

stig

atio

n w

ith

bo

die

s, s

ense

s, a

nd

min

ds

imp

rove

ch

ild

ren’s

ph

ysic

al h

ealt

h a

nd

em

oti

on

al w

ell-

bei

ng

an

d e

nh

ance

th

eir

cap

abil

itie

s fo

r se

lf-r

egu

lati

on

, cr

eati

ve

pro

ble

m s

olv

ing,

an

d c

om

mu

nic

atio

n. C

hil

dre

n’s

sel

f-d

isci

pli

ne,

self

-aw

aren

ess,

an

d a

bil

ity

to f

ocu

s al

so i

mp

rove

, as

do

es t

hei

r

dev

elo

pm

ent

of

soci

al s

kil

ls s

uch

as

coo

per

atio

n a

nd

flex

ibil

ity.

70

70. L

ouv,

2008

.

Page 39: Learning HappenDoes How

37

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Goa

ls an

d Ex

pect

atio

ns

En

ga

gem

ent:

Cre

ati

ng

Co

nte

xts

fo

r Le

arn

ing

thro

ug

h E

xp

lora

tio

n,

Pla

y,

and

Inq

uir

y

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

dem

onst

rate

eng

ag

em

ent

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n f

ost

er

en

ga

gem

ent

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

Goa

l fo

r ch

ild

ren:

Ever

y ch

ild is

an

act

ive

and

eng

aged

lea

rner

who

ex

plo

res

the

world w

ith b

ody,

min

d,

and

sen

ses.

Chi

ldre

n are

eng

aged

lea

rner

s w

hen

they

:

expre

ss joy

and

wond

er in

thei

r en

coun

ters

with

the

env

ironm

ent,

the

natu

ral w

orld,

and

oth

er p

eople

;•

focu

s atte

ntio

n, m

ani

pul

ate

, in

vest

igate

, obse

rve,

que

stio

n, tes

t th

eories

, so

lve

pro

ble

ms,

cre

ate

, and

rep

rese

nt idea

s and

the

ir

under

stand

ing o

f th

e w

orld a

roun

d

them

thr

oug

h pla

y in

div

ergen

t and

in

crea

sing

ly c

om

ple

x w

ays

; •

engage

with

oth

ers

to n

egotia

te,

colla

bora

te,

crea

te,

and

co

mm

unic

ate

fee

lings,

idea

s,

exper

ienc

es,

and

kno

wle

dge;

thro

ugh

thei

r pla

y, e

xplo

re

mate

rials

tha

t su

pport

an

incr

easi

ng

aw

are

ness

and

und

erst

and

ing o

f co

ncep

ts a

ssoci

ate

d w

ith li

tera

cy

and

num

eracy

;

Pro

gra

m e

xp

ect

ati

on:

Early

chi

ldho

od

pro

gra

ms

pro

vide

envi

ronm

ents

and

ex

per

ienc

es to e

ngage

child

ren

in a

ctiv

e,

crea

tive,

and

mea

ning

ful ex

plo

ratio

n, p

lay,

and

inq

uiry

.

Educ

ato

rs c

an

crea

te c

ont

exts

tha

t en

gage

child

ren

by:

des

igni

ng ind

oor

and

out

door

envi

ronm

ents

and

exp

erie

nces

tha

t sp

ark

cur

iosi

ty,

invi

te

inve

stig

atio

n, a

nd p

rovi

de

challe

nges

tha

t are

res

pons

ive

to ind

ivid

ual ca

pabili

ties

to h

elp c

hild

ren

exte

nd the

boun

daries

of

thei

r le

arn

ing;

conn

ectin

g w

ith fam

ilies

and

com

mun

ities

and

inv

iting

the

ir p

artic

ipatio

n to

ens

ure

that

envi

ronm

ents

and

exp

erie

nces

refl

ect and

are

rel

evant

to c

hild

ren’

s ev

eryd

ay

lives

;•

pro

vidin

g a

wid

e va

riet

y of in

tere

stin

g

obje

cts

and

open

-end

ed m

ate

rials

for

child

ren

to e

xplo

re w

ith the

ir s

ense

s,

mani

pul

ate

, and

inv

estig

ate

;•

pla

nnin

g d

aily

rout

ines

(th

e flo

w o

f th

e day)

w

ith li

mite

d int

erru

ptio

ns a

nd tra

nsiti

ons

to

main

tain

a s

ense

of ca

lm a

nd s

implic

ity

for

infa

nts

and

toddle

rs,

and

pro

vidin

g a

mple

opport

uniti

es thr

oug

h la

rge

blo

cks

of tim

e fo

r old

er c

hild

ren

to e

ngage

in s

usta

ined

, co

mple

x pla

y and

inq

uiry

;

Ass

ess

the

type

of to

ys a

nd m

ate

rials

ava

ilable

in

your

pro

gra

m a

nd c

ons

ider

rep

laci

ng tho

se

that lim

it ex

plo

ratio

n (e

.g., s

ingle

-pur

pose

to

ys) w

ith “

open

-end

ed”

mate

rials

tha

t ca

n be

used

in

many

ways

(e.

g., for

infa

nts:

obje

cts

that en

cour

age

explo

ratio

n of que

stio

ns

such

as,

“H

ow

does

thi

s fe

el,

soun

d,

tast

e,

move

?”;

for

toddle

rs:

mate

rials

to h

elp the

m

explo

re q

uest

ions

suc

h as,

“W

hat part

s does

thi

s ha

ve?

Wha

t ca

n I m

ake

it do?”

; fo

r pre

scho

ole

rs:

mate

rials

tha

t en

cour

age

cons

truc

tion

and

exp

lora

tory

que

stio

ns s

uch

as,

“H

ow

does

thi

s go toget

her?

” “W

hat ca

n I m

ake

?”;

for

old

er c

hild

ren:

opport

uniti

es to

enco

urage

repre

sent

atio

n of th

eir

thin

king

and

id

eas

thro

ugh

various

med

ium

s).

(cont

inue

d)

Page 40: Learning HappenDoes How

38

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

dem

onst

rate

eng

ag

em

ent

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n f

ost

er

en

ga

gem

ent

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

part

icip

ate

to the

bes

t of th

eir

abili

ties

in a

n in

clus

ive

learn

ing

envi

ronm

ent.

part

icip

atin

g w

ith c

hild

ren

as

a c

o-

inve

stig

ato

r, c

o-le

arn

er,

and

co-p

lann

er

rath

er tha

n as

direc

tor

or

“kee

per

of

know

ledge”

and

“ke

eper

of th

e pla

ns”

in

a w

ay

that is

sep

ara

te a

nd a

part

fro

m the

ch

ildre

n;

cont

inuo

usly

que

stio

ning

and

tes

ting

thei

r ow

n th

eories

and

strate

gie

s and

se

ekin

g n

ew idea

s to

faci

litate

chi

ldre

n’s

explo

ratio

n and

und

erst

and

ing o

f th

e w

orld

aro

und the

m in

mea

ning

ful w

ays

;•

work

ing w

ith fam

ilies

and

com

mun

ity

part

ners

to e

nsur

e th

at en

viro

nmen

ts

and

exp

erie

nces

pro

vide

equa

l le

arn

ing

exper

ienc

es for

all

child

ren

by

maki

ng

flexi

ble

pro

gra

m a

dapta

tions

and

pro

vidin

g

spec

ial eq

uipm

ent and

/or

adaptiv

e dev

ices

(a

s re

com

men

ded

by

a r

egul

ate

d h

ealth

pro

fess

iona

l);•

ensu

ring

tha

t th

e sp

ace

s and

exp

erie

nces

pro

vided

pro

mote

pla

y and

inq

uiry

tha

t w

ill h

elp c

hild

ren

dis

cove

r and

dev

elop a

n in

crea

sing

aw

are

ness

and

und

erst

and

ing

of ke

y co

ncep

ts,

incl

udin

g tho

se a

ssoci

ate

d

with

lite

racy

and

num

eracy

dev

elopm

ent;

docu

men

ting a

nd m

aki

ng c

hild

ren’

s th

inki

ng,

learn

ing,

and

com

pet

ence

vis

ible

to

chi

ldre

n, fam

ilies

, and

oth

ers.

Cre

ate

env

ironm

ents

and

exp

erie

nces

tha

t su

pport

act

ive

engagem

ent and

mea

ning

ful

explo

ratio

n by

focu

sing

on

the

que

stio

ns a

nd

theo

ries

chi

ldre

n in

vest

igate

thr

oug

h th

eir

pla

y. T

his

may

invo

lve

movi

ng a

way

from

traditi

ona

l, adul

t-cho

sen

them

es tow

ard

s w

hat ch

ildre

n are

eng

aged

and

int

eres

ted

in a

s a s

tart

ing p

oin

t fo

r pla

nnin

g.

Educ

ato

rs

als

o n

eed to m

ake

dec

isio

ns a

bout

the

typ

es

of in

tere

sts

that ha

ve p

ote

ntia

l fo

r rich

and

co

mple

x pla

y. T

his

coul

d m

ean

focu

sing

les

s on

the

obje

cts

that in

tere

st c

hild

ren

and

more

on

wha

t ch

ildre

n are

doin

g w

ith the

obje

cts:

W

hat que

stio

ns a

re the

y ask

ing thr

oug

h th

eir

pla

y? W

hat th

eories

are

the

y te

stin

g?

Wha

t are

the

y no

ticin

g a

nd a

ttend

ing to?

Wha

t pro

ble

ms

are

the

y so

lvin

g?

For

exam

ple

, obse

rvin

g a

gro

up o

f ch

ildre

n in

tere

sted

in

cars

, ed

ucato

rs n

otic

ed tha

t it

wasn

’t so

m

uch

the

cars

chi

ldre

n w

ere

focu

sed o

n as

more

com

ple

x que

stio

ns s

uch

as,

“H

ow

can

I m

ake

it m

ove

?”;

“Wha

t ha

ppen

s on

diffe

rent

su

rface

s?”;

“H

ow

can

I m

ake

it go fast

er?”

; “H

ow

can

I bui

ld a

ram

p?”

; “W

hat oth

er

thin

gs

roll?

”; “

Wha

t m

ight

happen

if I tr

y th

ese

idea

s out

side?

” Exp

loring

que

stio

ns a

nd

theo

ries

about

“m

ove

men

t” thr

oug

h th

eir

pla

y dee

pen

s ch

ildre

n’s

learn

ing a

nd e

ngages

the

m

in thi

nkin

g a

bout

phy

sics

and

math

ematic

al

conc

epts

.

En

ga

gem

ent:

Cre

ati

ng

Co

nte

xts

fo

r Le

arn

ing

thro

ug

h E

xp

lora

tio

n,

Pla

y,

and

Inq

uir

y (

cont

inue

d)

Page 41: Learning HappenDoes How

39

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Que

stio

ns fo

r Re

flect

ion

En

ga

gem

ent:

Cre

ati

ng

Co

nte

xts

fo

r Le

arn

ing

thro

ug

h E

xp

lora

tio

n,

Pla

y,

and

Inq

uir

y

If w

e se

e all

child

ren

as

curi

ous,

com

pet

ent,

and

capable

of

com

ple

x th

inki

ng,

how

will

this

be

refle

cted

in

the

envi

ronm

ent?

How

cou

ld

gre

ate

r co

mple

xity

and

cha

lleng

e be

inte

gra

ted i

nto

the

envi

ronm

ent?

How

do

you

know

whe

n ch

ildre

n and

fam

ilies

are

ful

ly e

ngaged

? Ba

sed o

n yo

ur o

bse

rvatio

ns o

f in

div

idua

l chi

ldre

n, w

hen

are

they

mos

t

engaged

? H

ow c

an

you

giv

e vi

sibili

ty to

this

?

Con

sider

how

the

envi

ronm

ent a

nd e

xper

ienc

es th

at y

ou p

rovi

de

for

child

ren

engage

them

. W

hat d

raw

s th

em i

n?

Wha

t are

as

of th

e en

viro

nmen

t do

not a

ttract

chi

ldre

n? W

hy m

ight

this

be?

Wha

t cha

nges

mig

ht b

e ne

eded

?

How

can

fam

ilies

be

engaged

and

dra

wn

in to

the

space

? H

ow c

an

child

ren

and

fam

ilies

be

engaged

in

shapin

g th

e en

viro

nmen

t?

Wha

t barr

iers

exi

st th

at m

ay

limit

som

e ch

ildre

n’s

abili

ty to

eng

age

in a

ctiv

e ex

plo

ratio

n, p

lay,

and

inq

uiry

? W

hat a

dapta

tions

and

chang

es m

ight

be

made

to e

nsur

e th

e in

clus

ion

and

part

icip

atio

n of

eve

ry c

hild

?

How

doe

s th

e flo

w o

f th

e day

(e.g

., d

aily

sch

edul

e, r

outin

es,

trans

ition

s) a

llow

chi

ldre

n to

make

cho

ices

(e.

g.,

to e

ngage

in i

n-dep

th

explo

ratio

n ov

er s

ever

al d

ays

; to

rel

ax

and

do

noth

ing;

to r

eflec

t on

thei

r ex

per

ienc

es)?

(cont

inue

d)

Page 42: Learning HappenDoes How

40

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Wha

t que

stio

ns a

nd th

eori

es d

o th

e ch

ildre

n se

em to

be

explo

ring

thro

ugh

thei

r pla

y? W

hat a

re th

ey w

onder

ing a

bou

t in

the

ways

they

use

mate

rials

(e.

g.,

wha

t doe

s th

eir

non-

verb

al c

omm

unic

atio

n te

ll yo

u)?

How

can

you

make

thes

e vi

sible

? W

hat a

re f

am

ilies

not

icin

g a

t

hom

e?

Wha

t nex

t ste

ps

mig

ht y

ou ta

ke,

base

d o

n th

ese

obse

rvatio

ns,

to s

uppor

t mor

e co

mple

x pla

y and

inq

uiry

? Fo

r ex

am

ple

, ho

w c

an

the

child

ren’

s que

stio

ns a

nd th

eori

es b

e te

sted

, re

vise

d,

and

com

mun

icate

d?

Wha

t que

stio

ns d

o yo

u ha

ve?

Wha

t spark

s yo

ur c

urio

sity

?

Sinc

e ed

ucato

rs a

re r

esea

rche

rs w

ithin

thei

r pro

gra

ms

or c

omm

uniti

es,

wha

t wou

ld y

ou li

ke to

inv

estig

ate

fur

ther

in

your

pro

gra

m?

How

wou

ld y

ou f

urth

er c

omple

te th

is i

nves

tigatio

n w

ith y

our

colle

ague

s or

with

the

child

ren

in th

e pro

gra

m?

En

ga

gem

ent:

Cre

ati

ng

Co

nte

xts

fo

r Le

arn

ing

thro

ug

h E

xp

lora

tio

n,

Pla

y,

and

Inq

uir

y (

cont

inue

d)

Page 43: Learning HappenDoes How

41

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Expr

essio

n: F

oste

ring

Com

mun

icatio

n an

d Ex

pres

sion

in A

ll Fo

rms

Go

al f

or

chil

dre

n:

Eve

ry c

hil

d i

s a

cap

able

co

mm

un

icat

or

wh

o e

xpre

sses

him

self

or

her

self

in

man

y w

ays.

Pro

gra

m e

xpect

atio

n:

Ear

ly c

hil

dh

oo

d p

rog

ram

s fo

ster

com

mu

nic

atio

n a

nd

exp

ress

ion

in

all

fo

rms.

Ove

rvie

wS

eein

g c

hil

dre

n a

s ca

pab

le a

nd

po

wer

ful

com

mu

nic

ato

rs

fro

m b

irth

on

war

ds

mea

ns

reco

gn

izin

g t

hem

as

acti

ve s

oci

al

par

tner

s w

ho

are

ab

le t

o i

nit

iate

an

d r

esp

on

d t

o c

om

mu

nic

atio

n

exch

ang

es. C

on

vers

atio

n c

an o

ccu

r w

ith

eve

n t

he

you

ng

est

infa

nts

wh

en a

du

lts

are

attu

ned

to

th

e ch

ild

’s s

ub

tle

verb

al

and

no

n-v

erb

al c

ues

an

d g

estu

res

and

wh

en t

hey

res

po

nd

by

inte

ract

ing

in

“se

rve

and

ret

urn

” ex

chan

ges

. R

esp

on

sive

nes

s

to t

he

infa

nt’

s co

mm

un

icat

ion

“w

ires

” th

e ch

ild

’s b

rain

fo

r

lear

nin

g.71

Wh

en e

du

cato

rs a

re a

war

e o

f an

d a

ble

to

un

der

stan

d a

nd

res

po

nd

to t

he

man

y “l

ang

uag

es”

chil

dre

n u

se t

o c

om

mu

nic

ate,

th

ey g

ive

ever

y ch

ild

a “

voic

e”. R

egar

dle

ss o

f th

e ch

ild

’s a

ge

or

abil

ity,

71. C

ampo

s, Fr

anke

l, &

Cam

ras,

2004

; Nat

iona

l Scie

ntifi

c Cou

ncil

on th

e De

velo

ping

Chi

ld, 2

007.

reci

pro

cal

com

mu

nic

atio

n e

xch

ang

es (

esp

ecia

lly

tho

se t

hat

allo

w c

hil

dre

n t

o i

nit

iate

co

nve

rsat

ion

wit

h o

ther

s) b

uil

d a

sen

se o

f co

nn

ecti

on

an

d e

nh

ance

ch

ild

ren’s

lan

gu

age

skil

ls,

soci

al c

on

vers

atio

nal

sk

ills

, an

d c

og

nit

ive

acti

vity

. In

au

then

tic

con

vers

atio

ns,

ad

ult

s sh

ow

res

pec

t fo

r w

hat

th

e ch

ild

is

inte

rest

ed i

n a

nd

wh

at t

he

chil

d i

s tr

yin

g t

o c

om

mu

nic

ate

and

are

also

wil

lin

g t

o s

har

e th

eir

ow

n p

ersp

ecti

ve i

n a

po

siti

ve

and

mea

nin

gfu

l w

ay t

o c

on

tin

ue

the

exch

ang

e. T

hes

e sa

me

pra

ctic

es a

re t

rue

for

com

mu

nic

atio

n w

ith

fam

ilie

s, c

areg

iver

s,

and

co

-wo

rker

s. T

rad

itio

nal

ly, ed

uca

tors

hav

e fo

un

d t

hat

mu

ch

of

thei

r co

mm

un

icat

ion

wit

h c

hil

dre

n i

nvo

lves

dir

ecti

ng

th

em –

giv

ing

in

stru

ctio

ns,

tel

lin

g c

hil

dre

n w

hat

to

do

, an

d c

orr

ecti

ng

thei

r b

ehav

iou

r –

rath

er t

han

rea

lly

con

nec

tin

g w

ith

th

em i

n

a m

ean

ing

ful

way

.72 H

ow

ever

, an

ap

pro

ach

th

at e

mp

has

izes

list

enin

g, r

esp

on

din

g t

o, an

d b

uil

din

g o

n c

hil

d-i

nit

iate

d

com

mu

nic

atio

n a

nd

co

nve

rsat

ion

can

be

a m

ore

eff

ecti

ve w

ay t

o

pro

mo

te c

hil

dre

n’s

lan

gu

age

acq

uis

itio

n73 a

nd

th

eir

dev

elo

pm

ent

of

soci

al s

kil

ls, em

pat

het

ic u

nd

erst

and

ing,

an

d a

bil

ity

to p

ay

atte

nti

on

.74 A

skin

g f

or

and

co

nsi

der

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

id

eas

in jo

int

dia

log

ue

can

hel

p t

o s

tren

gth

en t

hei

r se

nse

of

auto

no

my,

th

eir

com

pet

ence

, an

d t

hei

r cr

itic

al t

hin

kin

g s

kil

ls.75

Fo

r ch

ild

ren

wh

o

may

be

exp

erie

nci

ng

lan

gu

age

del

ays

or

chal

len

ges

, it

is

key

for

edu

cato

rs t

o w

ork

wit

h c

om

mu

nit

y ag

enci

es t

o p

rovi

de

sup

po

rt

du

rin

g t

he

earl

y ye

ars

to e

nsu

re s

ucc

essf

ul

par

tici

pat

ion

in

all

asp

ects

of

the

pro

gra

m.

72. C

linto

n, 2

013,

pp.

5–1

0.

73. R

udd

et a

l., 2

008;

Sira

j-Bla

tchfo

rd &

Syl

va, 2

004.

74. D

alli

et a

l., 2

011.

75. I

bid.

Page 44: Learning HappenDoes How

42

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Op

po

rtu

nit

ies

for

chil

dre

n t

o e

xplo

re l

ang

uag

e an

d l

iter

acy

thro

ugh

pla

y co

ntr

ibu

te t

o t

hei

r d

evel

op

men

t o

f st

ron

g l

ang

uag

e

and

co

gn

itiv

e ab

ilit

ies

in b

oth

th

e sh

ort

an

d t

he

lon

g t

erm

.76

Pro

gra

ms

can

bes

t su

pp

ort

em

erg

ing

lit

erac

y sk

ills

by

pro

vid

ing

op

en-e

nd

ed m

ater

ials

th

at f

ost

er i

mag

inat

ion

an

d s

ym

bo

lic

pla

y,

incl

ud

ing

sig

ns,

sy

mb

ols

, an

d p

rop

s th

at s

up

po

rt p

rin

t aw

aren

ess

in a

uth

enti

c co

nte

xts;

by

enco

ura

gin

g c

hil

dre

n t

o e

ng

age

in

pla

y w

ith

wo

rds

and

so

un

ds

in s

on

g a

nd

rh

ym

e; a

nd

by

off

erin

g

nu

mer

ou

s o

pp

ort

un

itie

s fo

r ch

ild

ren

to

sh

are

bo

ok

s an

d s

tori

es.

Co

mm

un

icat

ion

als

o h

app

ens

thro

ugh

cre

ativ

e ex

pre

ssio

n.

Wh

en c

hil

dre

n m

anip

ula

te m

ater

ials

, ex

plo

re m

usi

c an

d

mo

vem

ent,

cre

ate

sym

bo

ls (

e.g.

, m

ark-

mak

ing),

an

d e

ng

age

in

imag

inat

ive

exp

ress

ion

(e.

g., vi

sual

art

) an

d d

ram

atic

pla

y, t

hey

are

com

mu

nic

atin

g. C

reat

ing

an

d d

esig

nin

g f

use

to

get

her

th

e

cog

nit

ive,

em

oti

on

al, an

d p

hys

ical

do

mai

ns

– th

ink

ing,

fee

lin

g,

and

do

ing.

En

cou

rag

ing

th

e cr

eati

ve e

xpre

ssio

n o

f id

eas,

fee

lin

gs,

and

in

terp

reta

tio

ns

usi

ng

a v

arie

ty o

f m

ater

ials

als

o h

elp

s so

lid

ify

chil

dre

n’s

lea

rnin

g, e

nh

ance

s th

eir

crea

tive

pro

ble

m-s

olv

ing

an

d

crit

ical

th

ink

ing

sk

ills

,77 a

nd

str

eng

then

s th

eir

mem

ory

an

d s

ense

of

iden

tity

.78

Val

uin

g a

nd

pro

tect

ing c

hil

dre

n’s

firs

t la

ng

uag

e a

nd

/or

trad

itio

nal

lan

gu

age a

nd

cu

ltu

re, an

d f

ost

erin

g s

eco

nd-

lan

gu

age a

cqu

isit

ion

. V

alu

ing

ch

ild

ren’s

firs

t la

ng

uag

e is

an

imp

ort

ant

way

of

affi

rmin

g t

hei

r cu

ltu

ral

iden

tity

, se

nse

of

self

,

76. B

urch

inal

et a

l., 2

008;

Cun

ning

ham

, 201

0; W

ayne

et a

l., 2

007.

77. M

inist

ry o

f Edu

catio

n, O

ntar

io, 2

010.

78. C

alla

ghan

& W

ien,

201

2.

and

pla

ce i

n t

he

bro

ader

co

mm

un

ity.

It

also

fac

ilit

ates

sec

on

d-

lan

gu

age

acq

uis

itio

n. P

rog

ram

s w

her

e ch

ild

ren’s

ho

me

lan

gu

age

and

cu

ltu

re a

re v

alu

ed a

nd

su

pp

ort

ed t

hro

ugh

var

iou

s m

ean

s

(e.g

., b

oo

ks,

sig

ns,

in

viti

ng

fam

ily

or

com

mu

nit

y m

emb

ers

to

shar

e th

eir

lan

gu

age

and

cu

ltu

ral

trad

itio

ns)

can

str

eng

then

chil

dre

n’s

ove

rall

lan

gu

age

skil

ls79

an

d b

uil

d a

sen

se o

f se

lf.

Affi

rmat

ion

of

chil

dre

n’s

lin

gu

isti

c an

d c

ult

ura

l h

erit

age

is

par

ticu

larl

y im

po

rtan

t fo

r F

ran

co-O

nta

rian

fam

ilie

s an

d

On

tari

o’s

Fir

st N

atio

n, M

étis

, an

d I

nu

it p

eop

les.

Fo

r A

bo

rig

inal

chil

dre

n, k

no

wle

dg

e o

f th

eir

ind

igen

ou

s la

ng

uag

es a

nd

cu

ltu

ral

teac

hin

gs

stre

ng

then

s th

eir

sen

se o

f id

enti

ty a

nd

co

ntr

ibu

tes

to t

he

wel

l-b

ein

g o

f cu

rren

t an

d f

utu

re g

ener

atio

ns.

80 E

arly

chil

dh

oo

d s

etti

ng

s in

fra

nco

ph

on

e co

mm

un

itie

s co

ntr

ibu

te t

o

the

pro

tect

ion

, en

han

cem

ent,

an

d t

ran

smis

sio

n o

f th

e F

ren

ch

lan

gu

age

and

cu

ltu

re i

n O

nta

rio

by

hel

pin

g c

hil

dre

n a

nd

fam

ilie

s

par

tici

pat

e in

day

-to

-day

act

ivit

ies

in F

ren

ch.

79. A

ukru

st, 2

007.

80. C

hief

s of O

ntar

io, 2

012.

Page 45: Learning HappenDoes How

43

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Goa

ls an

d Ex

pect

atio

ns

Ex

pre

ssio

n:

Fost

eri

ng

Co

mm

unic

ati

on a

nd

Ex

pre

ssio

n i

n A

ll F

orm

s

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

com

munic

ate

and

dem

onst

rate

th

at

they c

an e

xp

ress

th

em

selv

es

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n f

ost

er

com

munic

ati

on a

nd

ex

pre

ssio

n

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

Goa

l fo

r ch

ild

ren:

Ever

y ch

ild is

a

capable

com

mun

icato

r w

ho e

xpre

sses

hi

mse

lf or

hers

elf in

many

ways

.

Chi

ldre

n are

able

to c

om

mun

icate

whe

n th

ey:

initi

ate

, re

spond

to,

and

eng

age

in r

ecip

roca

l co

mm

unic

atio

n w

ith

oth

ers;

learn

, un

der

stand

, and

use

lang

uage

for

a v

ariet

y of pur

pose

s;•

use

varied

form

s of cr

eativ

e ex

pre

ssio

n to

com

mun

icate

fe

elin

gs,

exp

erie

nces

, id

eas,

and

un

der

stand

ing o

f th

e w

orld a

roun

d

them

; •

expre

ss the

mse

lves

in

thei

r fir

st

lang

uage

in a

dditi

on

to g

ain

ing

com

pet

ence

in

lang

uage

acq

uisi

tion;

part

icip

ate

in

mea

ning

ful in

tera

ctio

n and

com

mun

icatio

n w

ith p

eers

and

adul

ts,

regard

less

of th

eir

abili

ties;

Pro

gra

m e

xp

ect

ati

on:

Early

chi

ldho

od

pro

gra

ms

fost

er c

om

mun

icatio

n and

ex

pre

ssio

n in

all

form

s.

Educ

ato

rs c

an

crea

te c

ont

exts

tha

t fo

ster

co

mm

unic

atio

n by:

bei

ng a

ttune

d a

nd r

espond

ing to c

hild

ren’

s va

ried

cue

s and

com

mun

icatio

ns;

engagin

g in

aut

hent

ic,

reci

pro

cal

com

mun

icatio

n w

ith c

hild

ren,

whe

re

child

ren

part

icip

ate

as

both

ini

tiato

rs a

nd

equa

l part

ners

; •

faci

litatin

g s

ucce

ssfu

l co

mm

unic

atio

n bet

wee

n ch

ildre

n by

help

ing c

hild

ren

liste

n to

and

exp

ress

the

mse

lves

to o

ne a

noth

er;

docu

men

ting c

hild

ren’

s co

mm

unic

atio

n to

hel

p the

m r

evis

it th

oug

hts

and

idea

s ex

pre

ssed

in

ord

er to e

xten

d the

ir

under

stand

ing;

pro

vidin

g tim

e, s

pace

, and

mate

rials

to

enco

urage

expre

ssio

n th

roug

h cr

eativ

e m

ate

rials

tha

t re

flect

chi

ldre

n’s

capabili

ties

as

wel

l as

thei

r so

cial and

cul

tura

l back

gro

und;

Conv

ersa

tions

can

happen

with

chi

ldre

n of

all

ages

and

abili

ties

(e.g

., w

ith inf

ant

s or

non-v

erbal ch

ildre

n: b

y re

pea

ting s

oun

ds

and

ges

ture

s in

itiate

d b

y th

e ch

ild,

follo

win

g the

ch

ild’s

gaze

, and

ver

baliz

ing w

hat yo

u bel

ieve

th

e ch

ild is

com

mun

icatin

g;

by

bui

ldin

g o

n ch

ild-in

itiate

d c

onv

ersa

tion

as

a p

art

ner

rath

er

than

the

“direc

tor”

of th

e co

nver

satio

n).

Enco

urage

conv

ersa

tion

am

ong

chi

ldre

n (e

.g.,

rath

er tha

n sp

eaki

ng for

the

child

, act

as

a

coach

to h

elp the

chi

ld fi

nd the

rig

ht w

ord

s and

appro

ach

; m

odel

list

enin

g s

trate

gie

s and

su

pport

the

chi

ld’s

list

enin

g s

kills

).

(cont

inue

d)

Page 46: Learning HappenDoes How

44

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h c

hild

ren m

ight

com

munic

ate

and

dem

onst

rate

th

at

they c

an e

xp

ress

th

em

selv

es

Wa

ys

in w

hic

h p

rog

ram

s ca

n f

ost

er

com

munic

ati

on a

nd

ex

pre

ssio

n

Ad

dit

ion

al co

nsi

dera

tio

ns

for

ed

uca

tors

dev

elop inc

reasi

ng c

apaci

ty in

the

foun

datio

ns o

f la

ngua

ge

that w

ill

support

late

r re

adin

g a

nd w

ritin

g.

engagin

g a

nd c

ultiv

atin

g c

hild

ren’

s co

nnec

tions

with

sto

ries

and

books

in

a v

ariet

y of co

ntex

ts (e.

g., b

y sh

aring

books

and

tel

ling s

tories

with

ind

ivid

uals

, sm

all

gro

ups,

and

larg

e gro

ups)

, and

fo

r a v

ariet

y of pur

pose

s (e

.g., to fost

er

close

rel

atio

nshi

ps,

exp

lore

and

pla

y w

ith

lang

uage

stru

ctur

es,

reco

unt past

eve

nts,

re

searc

h id

eas,

spark

conv

ersa

tions

, and

co

nnec

t w

ith c

ultu

ral traditi

ons

);•

wea

ving

lang

uage- a

nd li

tera

cy-rel

ate

d

act

iviti

es a

nd m

ate

rials

int

o a

ll daily

ex

per

ienc

es,

rout

ines

, and

phy

sica

l sp

ace

s;•

work

ing w

ith fam

ilies

and

com

mun

ity

mem

ber

s to

find

ways

to s

upport

and

en

rich

the

tra

nsm

issi

on

of la

ngua

ge

and

cu

lture

; •

bec

om

ing a

ware

of th

e m

any

“la

ngua

ges

” ch

ildre

n us

e to

com

mun

icate

and

pro

vidin

g

indiv

idua

lized

sup

port

so c

hild

ren

of all

abili

ties

can

expre

ss the

mse

lves

and

be

heard

; •

refle

ctin

g c

ont

inuo

usly

on

and

see

king

to

im

pro

ve the

ir o

wn

com

mun

icatio

n st

rate

gie

s and

tec

hniq

ues

for

faci

litatin

g

resp

ons

ive,

aut

hent

ic c

onv

ersa

tions

with

ch

ildre

n and

fam

ilies

.

Sup

port

chi

ldre

n’s

expre

ssio

n in

all

form

s. F

or

exam

ple

, so

me

pro

gra

ms

are

ret

hink

ing a

rt

act

iviti

es –

movi

ng a

way

from

usi

ng p

re-c

ut

mate

rials

or

expec

ting c

hild

ren

to c

om

ple

te

spec

ific

adul

t-det

erm

ined

pro

duc

ts a

nd

inst

ead c

ons

ider

ing c

hild

ren’

s art

as

a form

of

expre

ssio

n. W

hen

educ

ato

rs p

rovi

de

good

-qua

lity

mate

rials

and

am

ple

tim

e th

roug

hout

th

e day,

chi

ldre

n are

enc

our

aged

to e

xpre

ss

them

selv

es thr

oug

h dra

win

g,

pain

ting,

scul

ptu

re,

move

men

t, m

usic

, and

sto

ryte

lling

to

com

mun

icate

the

ir e

xplo

ratio

n of th

e m

ate

rials

or

to r

epre

sent

the

ir idea

s, e

xper

ienc

es,

and

un

der

stand

ing o

f th

e w

orld.

Sup

port

chi

ldre

n’s

lang

uage

and

lite

racy

dev

elopm

ent th

roug

hout

the

env

ironm

ent

(e.g

., r

ecall

and

ret

ell past

eve

nts;

rev

isit

docu

men

tatio

n w

ith c

hild

ren;

pla

ce fam

iliar

print

mate

rials

and

books

in

diffe

rent

are

as

to s

park

idea

s fo

r pla

y and

exp

lora

tion

– fo

r ex

am

ple

, co

okb

ooks

in

the

kitc

hen

are

a,

arc

hite

ctur

al pho

tos

as

a r

esour

ce for

cons

truc

tion

pro

ject

s; e

ncour

age

child

ren

and

fa

mili

es to c

reate

the

ir o

wn

books

and

sto

ries

to

sha

re w

ith e

ach

oth

er).

Ex

pre

ssio

n:

Fost

eri

ng

Co

mm

unic

ati

on a

nd

Ex

pre

ssio

n i

n A

ll F

orm

s (c

ont

inue

d)

Page 47: Learning HappenDoes How

45

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Que

stio

ns fo

r Re

flect

ion

Ex

pre

ssio

n:

Fost

eri

ng

Co

mm

unic

ati

on a

nd

Ex

pre

ssio

n i

n A

ll F

orm

s

At t

he e

nd o

f ea

ch d

ay,

ask

you

rsel

f, “

How

muc

h tim

e did

I sp

end c

onne

ctin

g (

dir

ect a

nd m

eani

ngfu

l int

eract

ions

)? D

irec

ting (

telli

ng

child

ren

wha

t to

do)

? C

orre

ctin

g (

telli

ng c

hild

ren

wha

t not

to d

o)?”

Wha

t is

your

C:D

:C r

atio

?

Wor

king

with

col

league

s (a

nd o

utsi

de

agen

cies

that m

ay

suppor

t spee

ch a

nd/o

r la

ngua

ge

dev

elop

men

t), i

den

tify

stra

tegie

s to

sup

por

t

each

oth

er i

n en

gagin

g c

hild

ren

in a

uthe

ntic

, re

cipro

cal c

omm

unic

atio

n ex

chang

es a

nd c

onve

rsatio

ns (

e.g.,

“W

hat c

an

we

do

so th

at

we’

re h

eari

ng m

ore

of th

e ch

ildre

n’s

voic

es a

nd le

ss o

f th

e adul

t voi

ces?

”).

Con

sider

ing th

at c

hild

ren

have

“1

00

lang

uages

”, h

ow m

any

ways

are

ther

e fo

r ch

ildre

n to

exp

ress

them

selv

es i

n yo

ur p

rogra

m?

How

can

you

make

sur

e th

at e

very

chi

ld,

regard

less

of

his

or h

er c

omm

unic

atio

n abili

ties,

is

heard

?

How

can

fam

ilies

have

a s

tron

ger

“vo

ice”

in

the

pro

gra

m?

Wha

t pol

icie

s and

pro

cedur

es c

an

adm

inis

trato

rs p

ut i

n pla

ce to

ens

ure

ever

y ed

ucato

r fe

els

that h

is o

r he

r vo

ice

is h

eard

and

valu

ed?

Page 48: Learning HappenDoes How

46

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Refe

renc

es

Ain

swo

rth

, M

., &

Bo

wlb

y, J

. (1

965

). C

hild

car

e an

d th

e gr

owth

of

love

. L

on

do

n: P

eng

uin

Bo

ok

s.

Au

kru

st, V

. (2

007

). Y

ou

ng

ch

ild

ren

acq

uir

ing

sec

on

d l

ang

uag

e

voca

bu

lary

in

pre

sch

oo

l g

rou

p t

ime:

Do

es a

mo

un

t, d

iver

sity

, an

d

dis

cou

rse

com

ple

xity

of

teac

her

tal

k m

atte

r? J

ourn

al o

f R

esea

rch

in

Chi

ldho

od E

duca

tion

, 22

, 17

–37.

Bo

wlb

y, J

. (1

98

8).

A s

ecu

re b

ase:

Par

ent-

chil

d at

tach

men

t an

d he

alth

y

hum

an d

evel

opm

ent.

New

Yo

rk: B

asic

Bo

ok

s.

Bu

rch

inal

, M

., H

ow

es, C

., P

ian

ta, R

., B

ryan

t, D

., E

arly

, D

.,

Cli

ffo

rd, R

., &

Bar

bar

in, O

. (2

00

8). P

red

icti

ng

ch

ild

ou

tco

mes

at t

he

end

of

kin

der

gar

ten

fro

m t

he

qu

alit

y o

f p

re-k

ind

erg

arte

n

teac

her

-ch

ild

in

tera

ctio

ns

and

in

stru

ctio

n.

App

lied

Dev

elop

men

tal

Sci

ence

, 12

, 14

0–5

3.

Cal

lagh

an, K

. (2

011)

. P

rin

cipl

e 6:

Wha

t th

e ex

pert

s sa

y. (

Vid

eo

reco

rdin

g).

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n. R

etri

eved

fro

m:

ww

w.e

du

.go

v.o

n.c

a/o

elf/

pri

nci

ple

s.

Cal

lagh

an, K

. (2

013)

. T

he

envi

ron

men

t is

a t

each

er. In

On

tari

o.

Min

istr

y o

f E

du

cati

on

. T

hink

, fe

el, ac

t: L

esso

ns

from

res

earc

h

abou

t yo

ung

chi

ldre

n,

pp

. 11

–15.

To

ron

to: M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n,

On

tari

o.

Cal

lagh

an, K

., &

Wie

n, C

.A. (2

012)

. A

vie

w o

f ch

ildr

en a

s st

rong

and

capa

ble.

Pre

sen

tati

on

to

On

tari

o M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n o

n

Mo

der

niz

ing

Ch

ild

Car

e, S

epte

mb

er 2

4, 2

012.

Cam

po

s, J

.J.,

Fra

nke

l, B

.B.,

& C

amra

s, L

. (2

00

4). O

n t

he

nat

ure

of

emo

tio

n r

egu

lati

on

. C

hild

Dev

elop

men

t, 7

5, 3

77–9

4.

Ch

apu

t, J

., &

Tre

mb

lay,

A. (2

012)

. O

bes

ity

at a

n e

arly

ag

e an

d

its

imp

act

on

ch

ild

dev

elo

pm

ent.

En

cycl

oped

ia o

n e

arly

chi

ldho

od

deve

lopm

ent

(on

lin

e). M

on

trea

l: C

entr

e o

f E

xcel

len

ce f

or

Ear

ly

Ch

ild

ho

od

Dev

elo

pm

ent

and

Str

ateg

ic K

no

wle

dg

e C

lust

er o

n

Ear

ly C

hil

d D

evel

op

men

t. R

etri

eved

fro

m: h

ttp

://w

ww

.ch

ild

-

ency

clo

ped

ia.c

om

/do

cum

ents

/Ch

apu

t-T

rem

bla

yAN

Gxp

2.p

df.

Ch

iefs

of

On

tari

o. (2

012)

. O

ur

chil

dren

, ou

r fu

ture

, ou

r vi

sion

: F

irst

Nat

ion

ju

risd

icti

on o

ver

Fir

st N

atio

n e

duca

tion

in

Ont

ario

. R

etri

eved

fro

m: h

ttp

://w

ww

.ch

iefs

-of-

on

tari

o.o

rg/s

ites

/def

ault

/file

s/fi

les/

OC

OF

OV

%20

Ed

uca

tio

n%20

Rep

ort

%20

2012

.pd

f.

Cli

nto

n, J.

(20

12).

Bra

in d

evel

opm

ent

and

its

impa

ct o

n e

arly

chil

dhoo

d. P

rese

nta

tio

n, O

nta

rio

Min

istr

y o

f E

du

cati

on

, O

cto

ber

2012

.

Cli

nto

n, J.

(20

13).

Th

e p

ow

er o

f p

osi

tive

ad

ult

ch

ild

rel

atio

nsh

ips:

Co

nn

ecti

on

is

the

key.

In

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n.

Thi

nk, fe

el, ac

t: L

esso

ns

from

res

earc

h ab

out

you

ng c

hild

ren

, p

p. 5

–10

.

To

ron

to: M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n, O

nta

rio

.

Co

lleg

e o

f E

arly

Ch

ild

ho

od

Ed

uca

tors

(C

EC

E).

(20

11).

Cod

e of

ethi

cs a

nd

stan

dard

s of

pra

ctic

e. T

oro

nto

: A

uth

or.

Page 49: Learning HappenDoes How

47

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

Co

un

cil

of

Min

iste

rs o

f E

du

cati

on

Can

ada

(CM

EC

). (

2012

).

CM

EC

sta

tem

ent

on p

lay-

base

d le

arnin

g. (

July

19)

. R

etri

eved

fro

m:

ww

w.c

mec

.ca/

9/P

ub

lica

tio

ns/

ind

ex.h

tml?

sear

chC

at+1

4.

Cu

nn

ingh

am, D

.D. (2

010)

. R

elat

ing

pre

sch

oo

l q

ual

ity

to

chil

dre

n’s

lit

erac

y d

evel

op

men

t. E

arly

Chi

ldho

od E

duca

tion

Jou

rnal

,

37, 50

1–07

.

Cu

rtis

, D

. (2

00

9). S

eein

g c

hil

dre

n’s

eag

ern

ess

for

rela

tio

nsh

ips.

Exc

hang

e (J

uly

/Au

gu

st 2

00

9).

Ret

riev

ed f

rom

: w

ww

.

chil

dca

reex

chan

ge.

com

.

Dah

lber

g, G

., M

oss

, P

., &

Pen

ce, A

. (2

007

). B

eyon

d qu

alit

y in

ear

ly

chil

dhoo

d ed

uca

tion

: L

angu

ages

of

eval

uat

ion

. L

on

do

n: R

ou

tled

ge.

Dal

li, C

., W

hit

e, E

.J.,

Ro

ckel

, J.

, &

Du

hn

, I.

(20

11).

Qu

alit

y ea

rly

chil

dhoo

d ed

uca

tion

for

un

der-

two-

year

-old

s: W

hat

shou

ld i

t lo

ok

like

? A

lit

erat

ure

rev

iew

. R

epo

rt t

o t

he

[New

Zea

lan

d]

Min

istr

y

of

Ed

uca

tio

n. W

elli

ng

ton

: Je

ssie

Het

her

ing

ton

Cen

tre

for

Ed

uca

tio

nal

Res

earc

h, In

stit

ute

fo

r E

arly

Ch

ild

ho

od

Stu

die

s,

Vic

tori

a U

niv

ersi

ty o

f W

elli

ng

ton

. R

etri

eved

fro

m: h

ttp

://w

ww

.

edu

cati

on

cou

nts

.go

vt.n

z/_d

ata/

asse

ts/p

df_

file

/00

09/

895

32/9

65_

Qu

alit

yEC

E_W

eb-2

2032

011.

pd

f.

Dew

ey, J.

(19

33).

How

we

thin

k: A

res

tate

men

t of

the

rel

atio

n o

f

refl

ecti

ve t

hink

ing

in t

he e

duca

tion

pro

cess

. C

hic

ago

: H

enry

Reg

ner

y.

Rep

rin

ted

in

: P

oll

ard

, A

. (2

002

). R

eadi

ngs

for

refl

ecti

ve t

each

ing,

pp

. 4

–7. L

on

do

n: C

on

tin

uu

m B

oo

ks.

Dia

mo

nd

, A

. (2

010)

. C

urr

ent

appr

oach

es t

o op

tim

izin

g al

l as

pect

s

of a

chi

ld’s

dev

elop

men

t. P

rese

nta

tio

n a

t R

ob

bie

Cas

e M

emo

rial

Lec

ture

. O

nta

rio

In

stit

ute

of

Stu

die

s in

Ed

uca

tio

n, U

niv

ersi

ty o

f

To

ron

to, O

nta

rio

. F

ebru

ary

11.

Fra

ser,

S. (2

012)

. A

uth

enti

c ch

ildh

ood:

Exp

erie

nci

ng R

eggi

o E

mil

ia i

n

the

clas

sroo

m. T

oro

nto

: N

elso

n E

du

cati

on

.

FR

P C

anad

a. (

2011

). F

amil

y is

the

fou

nda

tion

: W

hy f

amil

y

supp

ort

and

earl

y ch

ildh

ood

edu

cati

on m

ust

be

a co

llab

orat

ive

effo

rt.

Ret

riev

ed f

rom

: h

ttp

://w

ww

.frp

.ca/

do

cum

ent/

do

cWin

do

w.

cfm

?fu

seac

tio

n+

do

cum

ent.

view

Do

cum

ent&

do

cou

men

tid

=549&

d

ocu

men

tFo

rmat

Id=1

054.

Fu

llan

, M

. (2

013)

. G

reat

to

exce

llen

t: L

aun

chin

g th

e nex

t st

age

of

Ont

ario

’s e

duca

tion

age

nda

. T

oro

nto

: M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n,

On

tari

o.

Gal

insk

y, E

. (20

10).

Min

d in

the

mak

ing.

New

York

: Har

per

Col

lin

s.

Gan

din

i, L

., &

Kam

insk

y, A

. (n

.d.).

Refl

ecti

on

s o

n t

he

rela

tio

nsh

ip b

etw

een

do

cum

enta

tio

n a

nd

ass

essm

ent

in t

he

Am

eric

an c

on

text

: A

n i

nte

rvie

w w

ith

Bre

nd

a F

yfe

. In

nov

atio

ns

in

Ear

ly E

duca

tion

. R

etri

eved

fro

m: h

ttp

://w

ww

.reg

gio

alli

ance

.org

/

do

wn

load

s/re

flec

tio

nsf

yfe

:gan

din

ikam

insk

y.p

df.

Gil

l, T

. (2

007

). N

o fe

ar: G

row

ing

up

in a

ris

k av

erse

soc

iety

. L

on

do

n:

Cal

ou

ste

Gu

lben

kia

n F

ou

nd

atio

n.

Go

pn

ik, A

. (2

00

9). T

he p

hilo

soph

ical

bab

y: W

hat

chil

dren

’s m

inds

tel

l

us

abou

t tr

uth

, lo

ve, an

d th

e m

eanin

g of

lif

e. N

ew Y

ork

: P

icad

or.

Go

pn

ik, A

. (2

011)

. W

hy

pre

sch

oo

l sh

ou

ldn’t

be

like

sch

oo

l.

Sla

te M

agaz

ine

(Mar

ch 1

6),

1–2

. R

etri

eved

fro

m: h

ttp

://w

ww

.

slat

e.co

m/a

rtic

les/

do

ub

le_

x/d

ou

ble

x/20

11/0

3/w

hy_

pre

sch

oo

l_

sho

uld

nt_

be_

like

_sc

ho

ol.

htm

l.

Go

rdo

n, M

. (2

005

). R

oots

of

empa

thy:

Cha

ngin

g th

e w

orld

, ch

ild

by

chil

d. T

oro

nto

: D

un

du

rn.

Page 50: Learning HappenDoes How

48

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

Han

naf

ord

, C

. (1

995

). S

mar

t m

oves

: W

hy l

earn

ing

is n

ot a

ll i

n y

our

head

. A

rlin

gto

n, V

A: G

reat

Oce

an P

ub

lish

ers.

Han

nik

ain

en, M

., &

Ras

ku

-Pu

tto

nen

, H

. (2

010)

. P

rom

oti

ng

chil

dre

n’s

par

tici

pat

ion

: T

he

role

of

teac

her

s in

pre

sch

oo

l an

d

pri

mar

y sc

ho

ol

lear

nin

g s

essi

on

s. E

arly

Yea

rs: A

n I

nter

nat

ion

al

Jou

rnal

of

Res

earc

h an

d D

evel

opm

ent,

30

, 14

7–6

0.

Ho

lah

an, A

., &

Co

sten

bad

er, V

. (2

00

0). A

co

mp

aris

on

of

dev

elo

pm

enta

l g

ain

s fo

r p

resc

ho

ol

chil

dre

n w

ith

dis

abil

itie

s in

incl

usi

ve a

nd

sel

f-co

nta

ined

cla

ssro

om

s. T

opic

s in

Ear

ly C

hild

hood

Spe

cial

Edu

cati

on,

20

, 22

4–3

5.

Irw

in, S

., L

ero

, D

., &

Bro

ph

y, K

. (2

00

4). In

clu

sion

: T

he n

ext

gener

atio

n i

n c

hild

car

e in

Can

ada.

Wre

ck C

ove

, N

S: B

reto

n B

oo

ks.

Ish

imin

e, K

., W

ilso

n, R

., &

Eva

ns,

D. (2

010)

. Q

ual

ity

of

Au

stra

lian

ch

ild

care

an

d c

hil

dre

n’s

so

cial

sk

ills

. In

tern

atio

nal

Jou

rnal

of

Ear

ly Y

ears

Edu

cati

on, 18

, 15

9–7

5.

Lo

uv,

R. (2

00

8).

Las

t ch

ild

in t

he w

oods

: S

avin

g ou

r ch

ildr

en f

rom

nat

ure

defi

cit

diso

rder

. C

hap

el H

ill,

NC

: A

lgo

nq

uin

Bo

ok

s.

Mac

Nau

gh

ton

, G

. (2

003

). R

eflec

tin

g o

n e

arly

ch

ild

ho

od

curr

icu

lum

. In

G. M

acN

augh

ton

, S

hapi

ng e

arly

chi

ldho

od:

Lea

rner

s, c

urr

icu

lum

an

d co

ntex

ts, p

p. 11

3–2

0. M

aid

enh

ead

, B

erk

s:

Op

en U

niv

ersi

ty P

ress

.

Mal

agu

zzi,

L. (1

993

). F

or

an e

du

cati

on

bas

ed o

n r

elat

ion

ship

s.

You

ng C

hild

ren

, 49

(1)

, 9

–12.

Mo

ss, P

. (2

010)

. W

hat

is

you

r im

age

of

the

chil

d?

UN

ES

CO

Pol

icy

Bri

ef o

n E

arly

Chi

ldho

od. N

o. 4

7 (

Jan

uar

y–M

arch

).

Nat

ion

al S

cien

tifi

c C

ou

nci

l o

n t

he

Dev

elo

pin

g C

hil

d. (n

.d.).

In

brie

f: T

he s

cien

ce o

f ea

rly

chil

dhoo

d de

velo

pmen

t. R

etri

eved

fro

m:

ww

w.d

evel

op

ing

chil

d.h

arva

rd.e

du

.

Nat

ion

al S

cien

tifi

c C

ou

nci

l o

n t

he

Dev

elo

pin

g C

hil

d. (2

00

4).

You

ng c

hild

ren

dev

elop

in

an

en

viro

nm

ent

of r

elat

ion

ship

s. W

orki

ng

Pap

er N

o. 1

. R

etri

eved

fro

m: w

ww

.dev

elo

pin

gch

ild

.har

vard

.ed

u.

Nat

ion

al S

cien

tifi

c C

ou

nci

l o

n t

he

Dev

elo

pin

g C

hil

d. (2

007

). T

he

scie

nce

of

earl

y ch

ildh

ood

deve

lopm

ent:

Clo

sing

the

gap

on

wha

t w

e kn

ow

and

wha

t w

e do

. R

etri

eved

fro

m:

htt

p:/

/ww

w.d

evel

op

ing

chil

d.n

et.

Nat

ion

al S

cien

tifi

c C

ou

nci

l o

n t

he

Dev

elo

pin

g C

hil

d. (2

012)

.

Est

abli

shin

g a

leve

l fo

un

dati

on f

or lif

e: M

enta

l he

alth

beg

ins

in e

arly

chil

dhoo

d. W

orki

ng P

aper

No.

6. (D

ecem

ber

). R

etri

eved

fro

m:

ww

w.d

evel

op

ing

chil

d.h

arva

rd.e

du

.

Nat

ion

al S

cien

tifi

c C

ou

nci

l o

n t

he

Dev

elo

pin

g C

hil

d. (2

013)

.

Buil

ding

adu

lt c

apab

ilit

ies

to i

mpr

ove

chil

d ou

tcom

es: A

the

ory

of

chan

ge. (V

ideo

rec

ord

ing).

Ret

riev

ed f

rom

: h

ttp

://d

evel

op

ing

chil

d.

har

vard

.ed

u/r

eso

urc

es/m

ult

imed

ia/v

ideo

s/th

eory

_o

f_ch

ang

e/.

Od

om

, S

.L. (E

d.).

(20

02).

Wid

enin

g th

e ci

rcle

: In

clu

ding

chi

ldre

n

wit

h di

sabi

liti

es i

n p

resc

hool

pro

gram

s. N

ew Y

ork

: T

each

ers

Co

lleg

e

Pre

ss.

On

tari

o H

ealt

hy

Kid

s P

anel

. (2

013)

. N

o ti

me

to w

ait:

The

hea

lthy

kids

str

ateg

y. T

oro

nto

: A

uth

or.

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Ch

ild

ren

an

d Y

ou

th S

ervi

ces.

(20

06

). A

shar

ed r

espo

nsi

bili

ty: O

ntar

io’s

pol

icy

fram

ewor

k fo

r ch

ild

and

youth

men

tal he

alth

. T

oro

nto

: A

uth

or.

Page 51: Learning HappenDoes How

49

How

Doe

s Le

arni

ng H

appe

n? O

ntar

io’s

Ped

agog

y fo

r th

e Ea

rly Y

ears

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n. (2

007

). E

arly

lea

rnin

g fo

r

ever

y ch

ild

toda

y: A

fra

mew

ork

for

Ont

ario

ear

ly c

hild

hood

set

ting

s

(EL

EC

T).

Bes

t S

tart

Exp

ert

Pan

el o

n E

arly

Lea

rnin

g. T

oro

nto

:

Au

tho

r.

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n. (2

011)

. C

olla

bora

tive

tea

cher

inqu

iry:

New

dir

ecti

ons

in p

rofe

ssio

nal

pra

ctic

e. C

apac

ity

buil

ding

seri

es. S

peci

al E

diti

on 1

6.

To

ron

to: A

uth

or.

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n. (2

013)

. O

ntar

io’s

ear

ly y

ears

pol

icy

fram

ewor

k. T

oro

nto

: A

uth

or.

Ret

riev

ed f

rom

: h

ttp

://w

ww

.ed

u.

go

v.o

n.c

a/ch

ild

care

/On

tari

oE

arly

Yea

r.p

df.

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Tra

inin

g, C

oll

eges

an

d U

niv

ersi

ties

. (2

012)

.

Ear

ly c

hild

hood

edu

cati

on p

rogr

am s

tan

dard

s. (

Dec

emb

er).

To

ron

to:

Au

tho

r.

Org

anis

atio

n f

or

Eco

no

mic

Co

-op

erat

ion

an

d D

evel

op

men

t

(OE

CD

). (

2012

). E

duca

tion

tod

ay 2

013:

The

OE

CD

per

spec

tive

.

Par

is: O

EC

D P

ub

lish

ing.

Org

anis

atio

n f

or

Eco

no

mic

Co

-op

erat

ion

an

d D

evel

op

men

t

(OE

CD

). (

2013

). S

tart

ing

stro

ng 3

: A

qu

alit

y to

olbo

x fo

r ea

rly

chil

dhoo

d ed

uca

tion

an

d ca

re.

Par

is: O

EC

D P

ub

lish

ing.

Pai

ge-

Sm

ith

, A

., &

Cra

ft, A

. (2

011)

. D

evel

opin

g re

flec

tive

pra

ctic

e in

the

earl

y ye

ars.

Mai

den

hea

d, B

erk

s: M

cGra

w H

ill

Inte

rnat

ion

al.

Pic

ken

s, J

. (20

09)

. So

cio

-em

oti

on

al p

rog

ram

me

pro

mo

tes

po

siti

ve

beh

avio

ur

in p

resc

ho

ole

rs. C

hild

Car

e in

Pra

ctic

e, 1

5, 2

61–7

8.

Rab

an, B

., N

ola

n, A

., W

anig

anay

ake,

M.,

Ure

, C

., B

row

n, R

., &

Dea

ns,

J. (2

007

). B

uil

ding

cap

acit

y: S

trat

egic

pro

fess

ion

al d

evel

opm

ent

for

earl

y ch

ildh

ood

prac

titi

oner

s. M

elb

ou

rne:

Th

om

son

So

cial

Sci

ence

Pre

ss.

Rin

ald

i, C

. (2

00

4). In

dia

logu

e w

ith

Reg

gio

Em

ilia

: L

iste

nin

g,

rese

arch

ing

and

lear

nin

g. L

on

do

n: R

ou

tled

ge.

Ru

dd

, L

.C.,

Cai

n, D

.W.,

& S

axo

n, T

.F. (2

00

8). D

oes

im

pro

vin

g

join

t at

ten

tio

n i

n l

ow

qu

alit

y ch

ild

-car

e en

han

ce l

ang

uag

e

dev

elo

pm

ent?

Ear

ly C

hild

Dev

elop

men

t an

d C

are,

178

, 31

5–3

8.

Sch

ult

z, B

.L.,

Ric

har

dso

n, R

.C.,

Bar

ber

, C

.R.,

& W

ilco

x,

D. (2

011)

. A

pre

sch

oo

l p

ilo

t st

ud

y o

f co

nn

ecti

ng

wit

h o

ther

s:

Les

son

s fo

r te

ach

ing

so

cial

an

d e

mo

tio

nal

co

mp

eten

ce.

Ear

ly

Chi

ldho

od E

duca

tion

Jou

rnal

, 39

, 14

3–

48.

Sh

anke

r, S

. (2

013)

. C

alm

, al

ert

and

lear

nin

g: C

lass

room

str

ateg

ies

for

self

-reg

ula

tion

. T

oro

nto

: P

ears

on

Ed

uca

tio

n C

anad

a.

Sir

aj-B

latc

hfo

rd, I.

, S

amm

on

s, P

., T

agg

art,

B.,

Syl

va, K

., M

elu

shi,

E.,

Man

ni,

L.,

et a

l. (

200

4). E

ffec

tive

pro

visi

on o

f pr

esch

ool ed

uca

tion

.

Lo

nd

on

: D

epar

tmen

t fo

r E

du

cati

on

an

d S

kil

ls.

Sir

aj-B

latc

hfo

rd, I.

, &

Syl

va, K

. (2

00

4). R

esea

rch

ing

ped

ago

gy

in E

ngl

ish

pre

-sch

oo

ls. B

riti

sh E

duca

tion

al R

esea

rch

Jou

rnal

, 30

,

713

–30.

Syl

va, K

., M

elh

uis

h, E

., S

amm

on

s, P

., S

iraj

-Bla

tch

ford

, I.

, &

Tag

gar

t, B

. (2

011)

. P

re-s

cho

ol

qu

alit

y an

d e

du

cati

on

al o

utc

om

es

at a

ge

11: L

ow

qu

alit

y h

as l

ittl

e b

enefi

t. J

ourn

al o

f E

arly

Chi

ldho

od

Res

earc

h, 9

, 10

9–2

4.

Page 52: Learning HappenDoes How

50

Ho

w D

oes

Lear

ning

Hap

pen?

Ont

ario

’s P

edag

ogy

for

the

Early

Yea

rs

UN

ES

CO

. (2

00

9).

Pol

icy

guid

elin

es o

n i

ncl

usi

on e

duca

tion

.

Par

is: U

nit

ed N

atio

ns

Ed

uca

tio

nal

, S

cien

tifi

c an

d C

ult

ura

l

Org

aniz

atio

n.

Vyg

ots

ky,

L.S

. (1

978

). M

ind

in s

ocie

ty: D

evel

opm

ent

of h

ighe

r

psyc

holo

gica

l pr

oces

ses.

Cam

bri

dg

e, M

A: H

arva

rd U

niv

ersi

ty P

ress

.

Way

ne,

A.,

DiC

arlo

, C

.F.,

Bu

rts,

D.C

., &

Ben

edic

t, J

. (2

007

).

Incr

easi

ng

th

e li

tera

cy b

ehav

iors

of

pre

sch

oo

l ch

ild

ren

th

rou

gh

envi

ron

men

tal

mo

difi

cati

on

an

d t

each

er m

edia

tio

n.

Jou

rnal

of

Res

earc

h in

Chi

ldho

od E

duca

tion

, 22

, 5

–16

.

Wie

n, C

.A. (2

00

4). F

rom

po

lici

ng

to

par

tici

pat

ion

: O

vert

urn

ing

the

rule

s an

d c

reat

ing

am

iab

le c

lass

roo

ms.

You

ng C

hild

ren

(Jan

uar

y), 34

–4

0.

Wie

n, C

.A. (2

005

). S

ix s

ho

rt r

easo

ns

wh

y p

edag

og

y m

atte

rs i

n

sch

oo

ls.

Can

adia

n C

hild

ren

, 30

, 21

–6

.

Wie

n, C

.A. (2

013)

. M

akin

g l

earn

ing

vis

ible

th

rou

gh

ped

ago

gic

al

do

cum

enta

tio

n. In

On

tari

o. M

inis

try

of

Ed

uca

tio

n.

Thi

nk, fe

el,

act:

Les

son

s fr

om r

esea

rch

abou

t yo

ung

chi

ldre

n, p

p. 27

–30. T

oro

nto

:

Min

istr

y o

f E

du

cati

on

, O

nta

rio

.

Wo

rld

Hea

lth

Org

aniz

atio

n &

UN

ICE

F. (2

012)

. E

arly

chi

ldho

od

deve

lopm

ent

and

disa

bili

ty: D

iscu

ssio

n p

aper

. W

orl

d H

ealt

h

Org

aniz

atio

n &

Un

ited

Nat

ion

s C

hil

dre

n’s

Fu

nd

. R

etri

eved

fro

m: h

ttp

://w

ww

.wh

o.i

nt/

dis

abil

itie

s/m

edia

/new

s/20

12/1

3_0

9/

en/i

nd

ex.h

tml.

Wyl

ie, C

., H

od

gen

, E

., H

ipk

ins,

R.,

& V

augh

an, K

. (2

00

9).

Com

pete

nt l

earn

ers

on t

he e

dge

of a

dult

hood

: A

su

mm

ary

of k

ey

fin

ding

s fr

om t

he C

ompe

tent

Lea

rner

s @

16

Pro

ject

. W

elli

ng

ton

:

New

Zea

lan

d C

ou

nci

l fo

r E

du

cati

on

al R

esea

rch

. R

etri

eved

fro

m:

htt

p:/

/ww

w.e

du

cati

on

cou

nts

.go

vt.n

z/p

ub

lica

tio

ns/

ece/

.