“Learning
starts in infancy, long before formal education begins, and continues
throughout life. Early learning begets
later learning and early success breeds later success, just as early failure
breeds later failure.” (Heckman, James, 2014) The late Dr. Fraser Mustard gave voice to “three enduring messages
that have permeated the popular culture: The years
before 5 last a lifetime; It takes a
village to raise a child and Pay now or
pay later”(2011, Early Years Study 3). Drs. Mustard, Heckman and many others in
recent years, have given voice to the importance of the early learning years
and providing the very best learning opportunities we can to children in the,
birth to age eight years, in order to fully capitalize on their optimal
learning years.
While the awareness of the importance of
early learning is increasing, parents still have questions. These are two of
the questions we get asked most often and of course we have answers!
“My child attends a daycare/day home, what is the difference?”
The Ontario
Childcare Resource & Research Unit (Feb.2002) states, ‘the quality of ECEC
services is absolutely critical in determining whether they are educational and
enhance child development or are merely ‘care’ that supports parental
employment. Indeed, ‘the positive relation between child care quality and
virtually every facet of children’s development that has been studied is one of
the most consistent findings in developmental science.(Shonkoff & Phillips
2001:313) There is a growing awareness
in our society of the importance of early childhood education, vs. child care, both
of which are important in our society. There
is a difference, between caring for a child’s basic needs for food, clothing,
shelter, and safety; and providing educational learning opportunities which are
planned purposefully, and implemented by staff who have educational
background/experience in the early learning years, which support/extend the
intellectual, linguistic, emotional, physical, and social learning of young
children. The recommendations, and best possible scenario, would be for early
child care and early childhood education, practitioners to collaborate and
cooperate to strengthen all programs in a complimentary manner.
“What will he/she learn in preschool that
I can’t teach them at home?”
This is
a valid question, as many parents, who choose to, are very capable of providing
learning opportunities in relation to the learning outcomes which are the
foundation of the early learning opportunities planned and implemented in
Preschool. At BELA, we have carefully
and purposefully aligned our Program of Studies learning outcomes, with Alberta
Education’s Kindergarten Program of Studies, in order to provide learning
opportunities designed to support and enhance the learning success of children
entering Kindergarten.
During our research period, prior to
opening BELA, we gathered information from a Parent Focus group, to learn more
about priorities of families in our community, in relation to their child’s
early learning. Of 10 criteria, which included early literacy and numeracy
skills, 100% of parents participating indicated that one of their highest priorities
was pre-kindergarten skill development of self- help skills, and independent
‘student like’ behaviors. It is this
‘unwritten curriculum’ which is introduced in preschool, supporting later
success in Kindergarten, and later grades, which is of equal, if not more,
importance than the written curriculum/program. This ‘unwritten curriculum’ introduces
routines and expectations, and supports the children as they develop the
self-regulation (emotional control) skills referred to by Mrs. Parenas in her recent blog . These social/emotional skills
are difficult, if not impossible, to learn without the context of a group
setting with ones peers. As with the
intellectual, linguistic, and physical skills, the children begin learning in
Preschool, the earlier we begin to purposefully plan to enhance and extend the
social & emotional skills of young children, the earlier we ‘beget later
learning and later success’ as Dr. Heckman recommends. The ‘unwritten curriculum’ provides the tools
children need to support their learning success.
The ‘Unwritten Curriculum’ learned in Preschool, or Tools to support
learning success in Kindergarten include,
but are not limited to:
- separates easily from parent(s)
- willingly listen, and follows directions from, an adult other than his/her parent
- is kind to everyone, lets other children play
- doesn’t hit anyone
- listens to teachers when they are talking
- waits for turn to talk
- takes turns when playing with other children
- shares toys, space, and adult attention
- accepts responsibility and willingly helps clean up
- when the teacher tells another child to stop talking, does not start talking
- when someone greets child, or says good-bye, child responds
- responds to frustration, disappointment, anger in an appropriate manner
- is able to ask for help in an acceptable way
- lines-up and waits in line quietly
- treats toys and materials respectfully, doesn’t wreck, or throw, anything
- treats adults with respect and answers if asked a question
- if the teacher is talking to another child, doesn’t interrupt
- when going to the washroom, flushes toilet and washes hands
- hangs up back pack, jacket and other belongings in designated space
- puts on/take off own coat, shoes/boots, mitts, hat, and attempts to do them up
