Purpose and Goals
- To establish a strong foundation for learning in the early years.
- To help children make a smooth transition from home, child care, or preschool settings to school settings.
- To allow children to reap the many proven benefits of learning through socialization, and through play and inquiry.
- To set children on a path of lifelong learning and to nurture competencies that they will need to thrive in the world of today and tomorrow.
Program Description
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.
We believe that 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.
The Four Frames of the Kindergarten Program
In the Kindergarten program, four “frames”, or broad areas of learning, are used to structure thinking about learning and assessment. 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 children’s learning naturally occurs and that focuses on aspects of learning that are critical to young children’s development. The frames reflect the integrated way in which learning occurs during children’s play and inquiry in Kindergarten.
(The Kindergarten Program, 2016).
