Enhancing Early Learning through Play-Based Strategies in British Columbia's Education System

1. Play to Projects Jane Bertrand Summer Institute, Port Moody July 6, 2010

2. Early Learning in British Columbia • Strong Start • Full Day Kindergarten • Early learning for 3s and 4s • Links to child care and preschool programs

3. Early Learning in British Columbia • Early Learning Framework • Guide to Full Day Kindergarten • Primary Program

4. Early Learning in British Columbia • A seamless continuum from 0 to 8 years • Responsive pedagogy

5. Full Day Kindergarten Purposes: • Engage children and families • Enhance children’s overall development • More time for play-based exploration and inquiry • Connect to community early childhood settings

6. Self-Regulation • Arousal & recovery • Emotional regulation • Behaviour regulation • Attention regulation

7. Every Child Every Opportunity http://www.ontario.ca/en/initiatives/early_learning/ONT06_023399 …….. create an environment of child-directed activity that mobilizes the child’s interest and imagination…………..

8. Play supports early learning: • Sense of narrative • Problem-solving • Sustained activity • Quantitative relationships • Using tools and planning • Spatial relationships • Representation

9. Inquiry - Projects • An in depth study of a particular topic, often undertaken by the whole class, working on subtopics in small groups • Children ask questions and investigate • Often begin with an exploration of topics that arise in play • Teachers help to formulate questions, provide resources and ideas and observe and document learning. • Children represent what they learn through drawing, painting, writing, constructions, photos, videos etc.

10. Opportunities for children to represent their thinking in multiple ways to gather assessment information

11. Documentation Inquiry

12. Documentation

13. What About Literacy & Numeracy? • Organized oral-language and print & number rich environment • Opportunities for complex socio-dramatic play that demands metacognition, social negotiations and shared narratives • Intentional instruction of specific emergent literacy & numeracy skills embedded in the context of the children’s daily experiences

14. Kindergarten/Grade 1 Combined • Youngest grade 1 students are only a few weeks older than the oldest K students. • Plan for a continuum of development that spans two years • Plan environment for scope that accommodates children who are ready to focus on reading and number strategies in small groups • Extend projects to provide expanded opportunities for children’s representations

15. Kindergarten/Grade 1 Combined • Youngest grade 1 students are only a few weeks older than the oldest K students. • Plan for a continuum of development that spans two years • Plan environment for scope that accommodates children who are ready to focus on reading and number strategies in small groups • Extend projects to provide expanded opportunities for children’s representations

16. A continuum of early learning pedagogy Class rich in Playful class child-initiated with focused play learning Exploring through play with active presence of teachers Teacher-guided learning with rich, experiential activities. Didactic Laissez-faire Adapted from Miller, E. & Almon, J. (2009) Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School. College Park, MD: Alliance for Children.

17. Early Learning Prescribed Learning Outcomes Learning Environment Individual Child Family Context Learning Happens