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The
Kindergarten
Program
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CONTENTS
PREFACE
1.
1.1
1.2
Background
Supporting Childrens Well-Being and Ability to Learn
4
5
INTRODUCTION
8
8
9
11
12
13
15
16
18
18
20
21
28
1.3
1.4
29
29
30
31
32
33
34
36
36
37
40
42
43
44
2.
46
2.1
47
2.3
2.4
54
54
56
57
58
59
60
62
64
64
65
66
71
73
75
76
76
83
85
87
87
89
91
92
3.
94
3.1
95
3.2
95
96
97
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
106
108
Children
Parents and Families
Educators
Principals
The Local Community
108
109
112
113
114
4.
115
4.1
116
116
116
117
118
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
121
121
4.6
125
Overall Expectations
Expectation Charts
125
126
154
Overall Expectations
Expectation Charts
154
155
181
Overall Expectations
Expectation Charts
181
182
255
Overall Expectations
Expectation Charts
255
256
320
CONTENTS
PREFACE
This document supersedes The Full-Day Early LearningKindergarten Program
(Draft Version, 201011). Beginning in September 2016, all Kindergarten
programs will be based on the expectations and pedagogical approaches
outlined in this document.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Ontario elementary schools strive to support high-quality learning while giving every
child the opportunity to learn in the way that is best suited to the childs individual
strengths and needs. The Kindergarten program is designed to help every child reach
his or her full potential through a program of learning that is coherent, relevant,
and age appropriate. It recognizes that, today and in the future, children need to
be critically literate in order to synthesize information, make informed decisions,
communicate effectively, and thrive in an ever-changing global community. It is
important for children to be connected to the curriculum, and to see themselves
in what is taught, how it is taught, and how it applies to the world at large. The
curriculum recognizes that the needs of learners are diverse and helps all learners
develop the knowledge, skills, and perspectives they need to become informed,
productive, caring, responsible, and active citizens in their own communities and
in the world.
* * *
BACKGROUND
The Ontario government introduced full-day Kindergarten a two-year
program for four- and five-year-olds as part of its initiative to create a
cohesive, coordinated system for early years programs and services across the
province. Milestones in the creation of that system include the following:
s In 2007, the government published Early Learning for Every Child Today:
A Framework for Ontario Early Childhood Settings, commonly referred to as
ELECT, which set out six principles to guide practice in early years settings:
1. Positive experiences in early childhood set the foundation for lifelong
learning, behaviour, health, and well-being.
2. Partnerships with families and communities are essential.
3. Respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion is vital.
4. An intentional, planned program supports learning.
5. Play and inquiry are learning approaches that capitalize on childrens
natural curiosity and exuberance.
6. Knowledgeable, responsive, and reflective educators are essential.
ELECT is recognized as a foundational document in the early years sector. It
provided a shared language and common understanding of childrens learning
and development for early years professionals as they work together in various
early childhood settings. The principles of ELECT informed provincial
child care policy as well as pan-Canadian early learning initiatives such as
the Statement on Play of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada.
ELECT principles were embedded in the innovative Kindergarten program
outlined in The Full-Day Early LearningKindergarten Program (Draft
Version, 201011).
s The Ontario Early Years Policy Framework, released in 2013 and also based on
ELECT, set the stage for the creation of the new early years system, providing
a vision to ensure that children, from birth to age six, would have the best
possible start in life. The policy framework guides Ontarios approach to the
development and delivery of early years programs and services for children
and families.
s How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years,
released in 2014, built on this policy framework. It sets out a fundamental
understanding of children, families, and educators that is shared by educators
across child care and education settings, and a pedagogical framework
that supports childrens transition from child care to Kindergarten and
the elementary grades.
PREFACE
s Student Engagement
s Social and Physical Environments
s Home, School, and Community Partnerships
Collectively, the strategies, policies, and initiatives that schools undertake
within these areas contribute to a positive school climate, in which all members
of the school community feel safe, included, and accepted and which promotes
positive, respectful interactions and healthy relationships.
The principles and pedagogical approaches that define the Kindergarten
program promote healthy-school principles and practices in all five of the areas
noted above. Childrens learning in the frames Belonging and Contributing
and Self-Regulation and Well-Being is focused on knowledge and skills related
to health and well-being. More detailed information about the ways in which
the Kindergarten program promotes childrens health and well-being in all five
areas may be found in the following sections and chapters:
1.1 INTRODUCTION
VISION, PURPOSE, AND GOALS
The Kindergarten program is a child-centred, developmentally appropriate,
integrated program of learning for four- and five-year-old children. The purpose
of the program is to establish a strong foundation for learning in the early years,
and to do so in a safe and caring, play-based environment that promotes the
physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of all children.
The primary goals of the Kindergarten program are:
s provides every child with the kind of support he or she needs in order
to develop:
s self-regulation;
s health, well-being, and a sense of security;
s emotional and social competence;
s curiosity, creativity, and confidence in learning;
s respect for diversity;
s supports engagement and ongoing dialogue with families about their
childrens learning and development.
The vision and goals of the Kindergarten program align with and support
the goals for education set out in Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision for
Education in Ontario (2014) achieving excellence, ensuring equity, promoting
well-being, and enhancing public confidence.
Figure 1. Learning and development happen within the context of relationships among
children, families, educators, and their environments.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
10
All children are competent, capable of complex thinking, curious, and rich in
potential and experience. They grow up in families with diverse social, cultural, and
linguistic perspectives. Every child should feel that he or she belongs, is a valuable
contributor to his or her surroundings, and deserves the opportunity to succeed.
When we recognize children as competent, capable, and curious, we are more
likely to deliver programs that value and build on their strengths and abilities.
Families are composed of individuals who are competent and capable, curious,
and rich in experience. Families love their children and want the best for them.
Families are experts on their children. They are the first and most powerful influence
on childrens learning, development, health, and well-being. Families bring diverse
social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. Families should feel that they belong,
are valuable contributors to their childrens learning, and deserve to be engaged
in a meaningful way.
Educators are competent and capable, curious, and rich in experience. They
are knowledgeable, caring, reflective, and resourceful professionals. They bring
diverse social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. They collaborate with others to
create engaging environments and experiences to foster childrens learning and
development. Educators are lifelong learners. They take responsibility for their
own learning and make decisions about ways to integrate knowledge from theory,
research, their own experience, and their understanding of the individual children
and families they work with. Every educator should feel he or she belongs, is a
valuable contributor, and deserves the opportunity to engage in meaningful work.
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES
The pedagogical approaches that work best for young children are similar to
strategies that work for learners of all ages, from infancy to adulthood. Evidence
from research and practice shows that these approaches are the most effective
ways to nurture and support learning and development among both children
and adult learners.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
11
12
s %DUCATORS RECOGNIZE THE BENElTS OF PLAY FOR LEARNING AND ENGAGE IN
childrens play with respect for the childrens ideas and thoughtful
attention to their choices.
2. All children are viewed as competent, curious, capable of complex
thinking, and rich in potential and experience.
s )N PLAY
BASED LEARNING EDUCATORS HONOUR EVERY CHILDS VIEWS IDEAS AND
theories; imagination and creativity; and interests and experiences, including
THE EXPERIENCE OF ASSUMING NEW IDENTITIES IN THE COURSE OF LEARNING EG h)
AM A WRITERv h) AM A DANCERv
s 4HE CHILD IS SEEN AS AN ACTIVE COLLABORATOR AND CONTRIBUTOR IN THE PROCESS OF
learning. Together, educators and learners plan, negotiate, reflect on, and
construct the learning experience.
s %DUCATORS HONOUR THE DIVERSITY OF SOCIAL CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC BACKGROUNDS
represented among the children in the classroom, and take each childs
background and experiences into account when interpreting and responding
to the childs ideas and choices in play.
3. A natural curiosity and a desire to explore, play, and inquire are the
primary drivers of learning among young children.
s 0LAY AND INQUIRY ENGAGE CHALLENGE AND ENERGIZE CHILDREN PROMOTING AN
active, alert, and focused state of mind that is conducive to learning.
s #HILDRENS CHOICES IN PLAY ARE THE BEST STARTING POINTS FOR THE CO
CONSTRUCTION
of learning with the child.
3. United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, Article 31,
Convention on the Rights of the Child (Entry into force 2 September 1990).
4. J.P. Isenberg and N. Quisenberry, A Position Paper of the Association for Childhood
Education International Play: Essential for All Children. Childhood Education (2002),
79(1), p. 33.
s
s
s
s
s
QUESTIONING
PROVOKING5
PROVIDING DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK
ENGAGING IN RECIPROCAL COMMUNICATION AND SUSTAINED CONVERSATIONS
PROVIDING EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION AT THE MOMENTS AND IN THE CONTEXTS
when it is most likely to move a child or group of children forward
in their learning.
s 4HE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IS CONSTRUCTED COLLABORATIVELY AND THROUGH
negotiation by children and educators, with contributions from family
and community members. It evolves over time in response to childrens
developing strengths, interests, and abilities.
s ! LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT INSPIRES JOY AWE AND WONDER PROMOTES
learning.
5. In play-based learning programs, assessment supports the childs
learning and autonomy as a learner.
s )N PLAY
BASED LEARNING EDUCATORS CHILDREN AND FAMILY MEMBERS COLLABORATE
in ongoing assessment for and as learning to support childrens learning and
their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development.
s !SSESSMENT IN PLAY
BASED LEARNING INVOLVES hMAKING THINKING AND LEARNING
visible by documenting and reflecting on what the child says, does, and
represents in play and inquiry.
In the Kindergarten program, four frames, or broad areas of learning, are used
to structure thinking about learning and assessment.7 The frames Belonging
and Contributing, Self-Regulation and Well-Being, Demonstrating Literacy
and Mathematics Behaviours, and Problem Solving and Innovating are
designed to support an approach that aligns with the way childrens learning
naturally occurs and that focuses on aspects of learning that are critical to young
childrens development. The frames reflect the integrated way in which learning
occurs during childrens play and inquiry in Kindergarten.
7. Childrens learning is also evaluated and communicated in terms of these four frames, as
outlined in Growing Success The Kindergarten Addendum (2016).
1.1 INTRODUCTION
13
14
The four frames align with the four foundational conditions needed for children
to grow and flourish Belonging, Well-Being, Expression, and Engagement.
These foundations, or ways of being, are central to the pedagogy outlined in the
early learning resource How Does Learning Happen? They are conditions that
children naturally seek for themselves, and they apply regardless of age, ability,
culture, language, geography, or setting.
Be
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Educators
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The four Kindergarten frames grow out of the four foundations for learning and
development. The Kindergarten frames are defined more specifically to reflect
the developmental and learning needs of children in Kindergarten and beyond.
8. Note that the inclusion of an expectation in a frame or frames does not mean that the learning
outlined in the expectation relates exclusively to that frame or frames.
s their own thinking and feelings, and their recognition of and respect for
differences in the thinking and feelings of others;
s literacy behaviours, evident in the various ways they use language, images,
and materials to express and think critically about ideas and emotions, as
they listen and speak, view and represent, and begin to read and write;
What children learn in connection with this frame develops their capacity to
think critically, to understand and respect many different perspectives, and
to process various kinds of information.
Problem Solving and Innovating. This frame encompasses childrens learning
and development with respect to:
s exploring the world through natural curiosity, in ways that engage the mind,
the senses, and the body;
s the innovative ways of thinking about and doing things that arise naturally
with an active curiosity, and applying those ideas in relationships with others,
with materials, and with the environment.
The learning encompassed by this frame supports collaborative problem solving
and bringing innovative ideas to relationships with others.
In connection with this frame, it is important for educators to consider the
importance of problem solving in all contexts not only in the context of
mathematics so that children will develop the habit of applying creative,
analytical, and critical thinking skills in all aspects of their lives.
What children learn in connection with all four frames lays the foundation for
developing traits and attitudes they will need to become active, contributing,
responsible citizens and healthy, engaged individuals who take responsibility
for their own and others well-being.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
15
16
s Part 4 sets out the learning expectations for the Kindergarten program and
Figure 3. Pedagogical approaches that support learning are shared across settings to
create a continuum of learning for children from infancy to age six, and beyond.
s The appendix is a chart that lists all of the overall expectations, with their
related specific expectations, and indicates the frame(s) with which each
expectation is associated.
The document is designed to guide educators as they adopt the pedagogical
approaches that will help the children in their classrooms learn and grow.
It recognizes the transformational nature of these approaches, as well as the
benefits of collaborative reflection and inquiry in making the transition from
more traditional pedagogies and program planning approaches. To support and
inspire educators as they reflect on and rethink traditional beliefs and practices
and apply new ideas from research and proven practice, this document offers a
variety of special features:
Educator Team Reflections and Inside the Classroom: Reflections on
Practice Reflections and scenarios provided by educators from across
about childrens learning through play and inquiry and that are
addressed throughout the chapters of this document.
Links to Resources Active links to electronic resources, including
videos and web postings, that illustrate pedagogical approaches
discussed in the text.
Internal Links Active links to related sections or items within
The Kindergarten Program.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
17
Play is a vehicle for learning and rests at the core of innovation and
creativity. It provides opportunities for learning in a context in which children
are at their most receptive. Play and academic work are not distinct categories
for young children, and learning and doing are also inextricably linked for
them. It has long been acknowledged that there is a strong link between play
and learning for young children, especially in the areas of problem solving,
language acquisition, literacy, and mathematics, as well as the development
of social, physical, and emotional skills (NAEYC, 2009; Fullan, 2013;
Ontario Ministry of Education, 2014c).
Young children actively explore their environment and the world around them
through play. When children are exploring ideas and language, manipulating
objects, acting out roles, or experimenting with various materials, they are
engaged in learning through play. Play, therefore, has an important role in
learning and can be used to further childrens learning in all areas of the
Kindergarten program.
7E HAD TO RETHINK WHAT WAS MEANT BY hPLAYv 7E BELIEVED THE ACTIVITIES WE USED TO PLAN
were PLAY %VERY CHILD HAD TO COMPLETE A hCOOKIE
CUTTERv CRAFT n BUT THE ACTIVITY NEVER
really met the childrens needs. They would either rush through it, or we would end up
COAXING THEM TO COMPLETE THE CRAFT n OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO THEIR PARENTS
why they hadnt completed it! At first, we worried about removing these activities, but
when we began to offer the children materials so they could choose how to represent their
thinking, we realized that they were much more capable as artists than we had thought.
We are amazed every day at the complex pieces they are creating.
READ: h5NITED .ATIONS $ECLARATION OF THE 2IGHTS OF THE #HILDv
h#-%# 3TATEMENT ON 0LAY
"ASED ,EARNINGv
0,!9 "!3%$ ,%!2.).'