Full-Day Kindergartenin Avon Maitland

Status in Avon Maitland

• 22 Current Schools – Clinton, Downie, Howick, Romeo, Milverton, Bluewater Coast, Goderich, Avon, Hamlet, Seaforth, Little Falls, Maitland River, Brookside, Central

Perth, Elma, Exeter, Hullett, Huron CentennialNorth Woods, Shakespeare, Sprucedale, Stephen Central

• 9 Upcoming Schools in 2014 - Anne Hathaway, Bedford, Listowel Central, Listowel Eastdale, Mornington, North Easthope, South Perth, Upper Thames, Wallace

"Children who attend full day learningprograms have improved academicperformance and social success whenthey enter grade one". With Our Best Future in Mind, 2009

•Young children are competent and capable.

•Educator teams are responsive co-learners with children.

• Educators have a comprehensive understanding of play-based learning.

The mind-sets that are foundational to our work:

The Physical Environment

• Home like environment to ease transitions from school to home

• Natural objects & products• Removing commercial products, replacing with student work and documentation

Classroom Environment

Kindergarten classrooms are thoughtfully organized, and have rich, open-ended materials. This supports the ability of children to communicate their ideas in many ways.

Classroom materials invite engagement,

meaning-making, and exploration.

Play is a means to early learning that capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity and exuberance.

Role of the Educator

• Intentionally set the environment• Engage in play• Ask high order questions• Connect the investigations to the inquiry

process• Co-construct the learning of literacy and

numeracy skills and behaviours• Document and communicate the learning

Play-Based and Inquiry Learning

It provides opportunities for learning in a context in which children are at their most receptive.

Supporting Curiosity and Investigation

Self-Regulation

Emotional self-regulation

Children Demonstrate:• when they are able to

control aggression and when they are aware of and are able to show empathy for others.

• use their words instead of their hands to send a

Social self-regulation

Children Demonstrate:• when they are able to

regulate their behaviour• focus their attention• follow instructions• cooperate with the

educators • cooperate with their peers• remember things they need

to do or know

Role of Educators: Supporting student self-regulation

• educator teams provide many opportunities for the children to engage in self-regulation practice

• students have easy access to and self-select, materials, peers and time spent in classroom areas

• educators empower the students to make their own decisions• materials thoughtfully selected and presented

• educators scaffold children as they problem solve and reflect on their emotions and actions

Communication of Learning

Parent Engagement and Partnership

“Parents play a vital role in education. When parents are engaged and involved, everyone- students, parents, and families, teachers, schools, and communities –benefits, and our schools become increasingly rich and positive places to teach, learn, and grow”.

Possible Ways for you to Become Involved

• Volunteer in the classroom • Participate in a classroom experience, such as cooking

or planting a garden• Sign-up to be part of School Council• Provide “found” items from home to help support the

classroom’s dramatic area (food containers, boxes, newspapers, tape)

• Volunteer during classroom outings• Talk with your child about the documentation that is

coming home

Powerful Play

Play nourishes every aspect of children’s development- it forms the foundation of intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills necessary for success in school and in life. Play “paves the way for learning”. Canadian Council on Learning, (2006,pl2)