Early childhood is a significant period in human development. Independence, initiative, decision making, creativity, the ability to learn, the ability to relate to others and feelings of self-worth all have their beginnings in early childhood. What young children learn at this stage will have a major impact on successful learning experiences in school, on personal development and on future participation in society.
-Kindergarten Program Statement, Alberta Education
If we want to see students developing 21st century competencies, we need not look further than our early childhood programs. Early learners are naturally curious, inquisitive and motivated. Best practices in early childhood education, supported by years of research in early childhood development, guide us to provide optimal learning experiences for our youngest students. We know that they learn best when they are able to playfully explore their environment, pursue their interests, and participate in authentic learning opportunities that that link their activities to their own real-world experiences.
Teaching and learning in our pre-kindergarten programs is child-centred. This year, our Early Learning educators are examining how this approach nurtures children’s development while maximizing learning. Our essential question is helping us gain insight:
How can understanding every child as a unique learner allow me to engage every student and drive learning forward?
By reflecting on this driving question, educators can distinguish between what children are doing and what children are learning. This reflective process can help us make connections between the competencies outlined in the Framework for Student Learning and the continuous provision that is in place in our classrooms.
Embedding competencies in curriculum will enable educators to develop engaging and relevant learning experiences.
-Framework for Student Learning, Alberta Education
Spend some time in pre-kindergarten and you will see young learners brimming with entrepreneurial spirit; they are full of passion about what they are pursuing and are driven to discover. Rarely, if ever, do we see pre-kindergarten students doing the same things at the same time. They are demonstrating their learning and understanding in unique ways. These are the ingredients for creative thinkers and highly motivated learners. Through my own experiences as a teacher and educational leader, I have witnessed firsthand how competent our youngest students are. Understanding how competencies begin in early learning can help all of us recognize the importance of maintaining this momentum through kindergarten and beyond. Recognizing the value of the foundation stage will help us identify where students are at and where they need to go next as they continue to build on their skills through the years.
In an early learning context, we may see students developing competencies in a number of ways.
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
Every day, children are provided with opportunities to think critically and create solutions to problems through exploring, questioning, and applying strategies. Children have opportunities to work independently, in pairs, or in small groups. Sometimes problems are presented during whole group instruction and everyone puts effort into coming up with solutions together. Educators challenge children to try new activities and to extend their learning by sharing knowledge with peers. They support risk-taking and innovative attempts to investigate and discover in unconventional ways.
Children are provided with a wide range of open-ended materials and resources. These may be used in a number of ways and enable children to find unique solutions to problems they encounter during play-based learning. Children learn to make positive choices and begin to identify where their natural strengths lie, what interests them most, and what tools or learning contexts help them to do their best learning. They become more independent with these skills over time.
Creativity and Innovation
Children have daily opportunities to engage in creative exploration. A child’s creative expression is a fundamental part of their development; it is the way in which they respond to the many wonders they experience through their senses. Children have invitations for learning that they may choose to engage in; these often incorporate open-ended materials which allow children to use them in a number of ways, and incorporate their own interpretations and ideas into their creations. Opportunities for music and movement are infused into programming. Art and design is explored through multiple methods including traditional mediums such as painting, drawing or sculpting dough, and experimental methods such as process art, manipulating objects to create three-dimensional designs or temporary constructions. Children’s natural curiosity is not only supported, it is nurtured through the provision of rich experiences that appeal to their passions and interests. Opportunities for creative expression allow children to wonder, communicate and celebrate experiences that are meaningful. Children are encouraged to inquire about the world around them, including why things happen and how things work.
Social, Cultural, Global and Environmental Responsibility
Children recognize that they are a part of the school community. They interact with staff and older students, and enjoy using school facilities such as the gymnasium, library and playground. In the classroom, children understand that they are part of a special group and have learned that everyone is a valued, contributing member. Children are learning to look after their classroom environment and understand why it’s important to do so. Children have a sense of ownership and pride in their classroom, and they enjoy taking turns to be the helper or leader. Children are beginning to recognize that people come from many different families and places. They discuss geography and try to link their learning to real-world information whenever possible. Children have ample opportunities to play and explore in outdoor environments and are encouraged to see the beauty of the natural world. Appreciating and learning about nature is an important part of how young children learn about looking after our world.
Communication
As we converse with children while they’re playing and listen to their ideas and opinions, we can clearly see why the earliest years are the foundation stage of learning. Children are beginning to articulate their thoughts about the world around them- about families, friendship, nature, compassion and love. Sincerely listening to one another and modelling a sense of value on what children have to say is an integral part of teaching communication and literacies. During play, educators encourage and facilitate discussion as children question and make comments about aspects of what interests them.
While being first and foremost a play-based program, pre-kindergarten is also a language-based program. Children have a unique set of abilities and needs within the domain of communication development. Many of the children begin pre-kindergarten as a means of early intervention as they struggle with developmental delays in their speech and/or language skills. Some children have more complex needs, such as a medical diagnosis or trauma, in combination with speech and language delays. This can have a profound impact on how children function in a classroom context. There are many children in pre-kindergarten who demonstrate advanced or typical skills and naturally become peer models. It is essential to ensure that the needs of these children are met and that they are being appropriately supported to achieve deeper levels of understanding. In a high quality early learning environment, opportunities for learning, as well as supports for learning, are intentionally designed to help all children reach their full potential on a daily basis.
Digital and Technological Fluency
In pre-kindergarten, learning about technology goes beyond knowing what an iPad is. Even from a very young age, children are competent and capable of developing technological awareness and skill. Technology includes tools (both simple and sophisticated), and also encompasses critical thinking skills in the context of technological literacy such as exploring tools and learning what they can do, and developing skills in handling and utilizing tools appropriately. Children build on these pre-requisite skills, eventually recognizing when it is or isn’t appropriate to use a particular tool, and knowing how certain tools can enhance learning and efficiency. Children begin to think about connectivity as they participate in learning opportunities with sophisticated technologies that connect them to the wider world.
In early learning, developmentally appropriate use of technology relies on educators integrating technology into the classroom context as a tool to support teaching and learning. Use of technology should be purposeful and meaningful, and should enhance the learning opportunity. Throughout the activity, children are guided by the open dialogue that educators use to scaffold what is happening. Together, children and educators predict what might happen next. When examining digital and technological fluency, we should consider what the child is learning rather than what the child is doing. How is technology benefiting the learning process? If it isn’t, then it is unsuitable in its current application.
Lifelong Learning, Personal Management and Well-being
An environment where children feel safe and cared for not only allows them to be secure and confident, it provides them with a sense of well-being and belonging so that they’re able to manage their emotional and social needs. This, in turn, enables children to learn and to recognize how they learn best. Simply put, children cannot learn efficiently when their physical and emotional needs are not being met. In pre-kindergarten, every child knows that they are included and that they belong. The importance of their home and family is recognized, and parents are welcomed and involved. Children and educators openly discuss emotions and strategies for coping with unpleasant feelings such as upset, sadness, anger, frustration or anxiety. Children start pre-kindergarten with a range of emotional needs and varying levels of social interaction skills. Through modelling, scaffolding and seizing teachable moments, children are taught how to stay safe, self-regulate and interact appropriately with their peers.
Collaboration and Leadership
Children have regular opportunities to closely interact and collaborate. Not only is collaboration encouraged, it is facilitated and modelled to maximize children’s success, helping to ensure that positive experiences with working together will lead to the development of foundational social skills. In a sense, the classroom context provides children with a miniature version of the world where they learn to interact, listen to, cooperate and respect others. They also learn strategies and skills to cope when they are not being heard or do not get their way such as flexibility, tolerance, compromise, persuasion, and leadership. Even at 3 and 4 years of age, there is a strong sense of accomplishment and pride when a team works together to create or achieve an end result that is much greater than what one could accomplish alone. These feelings of excitement and awe help to create a lasting imprint in the hearts and minds of young children, supporting the development of future leadership skills.
GPCSD Leadership Academy Blog 