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How Does
Learning Happen?
Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
A resource about learning through relationships for those who
work with young children and their families
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Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
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ELECT Principles
Building from ELECT to How Does Learning Happen?
Research, Theory, and Practice
Whats Most Important?
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Acknowledgements
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
is the product of hundreds of conversations.
The Ministry of Education would like to sincerely thank the
many voices that have contributed to this document. Your
experience, knowledge, wisdom, and passion have informed our
collective thinking to shape this transformational document.
Over the past two years, we have engaged with various partners,
system leaders, experts, professionals, and practitioners from all
segments of the early years sector. Through individual dialogue,
local focus groups, and various provincial forums, there were
many rich discussions and there will be many more to come.
We look forward to continuing our conversations across the
province as we explore together how learning happens.
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
Introduction
How does learning happen?
What relationships and environments support it? What
actions support childrens learning? What does theory
and research tell us? These are questions with constantly
evolving and shifting answers. While there are general
principles and knowledge we can refer to, we must always
think, feel, and act in ways that reflect the environment,
the circumstances, and most importantly the children,
families, and colleagues we have before us in every unique
situation. As we question, research, reflect, respond, and
co-construct our understanding of the world around us
with children and families, we gain new perspectives and
new and more complex questions arise. This document is
not so much about providing all the answers, but rather is
intended to provoke questions for it is in exploring our
questions that learning happens.
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
is a professional learning resource guide about learning through
relationships for those working with young children and families.
It is intended to support pedagogy and curriculum/program
development in early years programs.
3. Early Learning for Every Child Today: A Framework for Ontario Early Childhood Settings (Ministry of Education,
Ontario, 2007), p. 90; hereafter cited as ELECT.
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
Figure 1. Learning and development happens within the context of relationships among children,
families, educators, and their environments.
4. Moss, 2010.
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
Figure 2. The four foundations ensure optimal learning and development. These foundations inform the
goals for children and expectations for programs.
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
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How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
ELECT Principles5
Principle 1: Positive experiences in early childhood
set the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour,
health, and well-being.
Principle 2: Partnerships with families and
communities are essential.
Principle 3: Respect for diversity, equity, and
inclusion is vital.
Principle 4: An intentional, planned program
supports learning.
Figure 3. Building from a foundational knowledge about children and moving towards new
understandings about pedagogy are supported by an ongoing practice of critical reflection and learning.
6. References and additional resources are available on the Ministry of Education website, at www.ontario.ca/edu.
7. Shanker, 2013.
How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
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interactions. Grounded
in a view of the child as
competent and capable and
organized around the foundations of
belonging, well-being, engagement,
and expression, the goals will help educators
and administrators remain focused on children first
and foremost throughout all elements of the program. The goals
are not intended to be used as a checklist of tasks to be completed
or benchmarks to be achieved. They are intended to be used by
educators in planning and creating environments, experiences,
and contexts for childrens learning and development across
all domains. They are also intended to guide the process of
observing, documenting, studying, and discussing childrens
experiences with families.
Every child has a sense of belonging when he or she is
connected to others and contributes to their world.
Every child is developing a sense of self, health, and
well-being.
Every child is an active and engaged learner who
explores the world with body, mind, and senses.
Every child is a capable communicator who expresses
himself or herself in many ways.
8. Callaghan, 2011, Early Learning Framework website, Principle 6: What the experts say.
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11. Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ontario, December 2012, p. 8; College of Early Childhood
Educators, 2011, p. 19.
12. College of Early Childhood Educators, 2011.
13. Fullan, 2013.
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These same approaches that are effective for children are also key
elements of learning and engagement for families and those who
work with children; what is good pedagogy for children is also
good pedagogy for adults.
16. References and additional resources on pedagogical approaches are available on the Ministry of Education
website, at www.ontario.ca/edu.
The Child
Understanding Child Development
A solid understanding of child development is essential for
educators to apply the pedagogical approaches that are outlined
in this document. Child development provides a body of
knowledge that can help us to recognize and articulate childrens
observed behaviours and discuss their emerging skills with
families and others.
When educators have an understanding of child development of
what has come before and what may come next they are able to
provide experiences that challenge children to stretch just beyond
what they know and can do. As L.S. Vygotsky suggests, good
learning happens through interactions where the adult can
challenge children and provoke learning at a level that is slightly
in advance of the childs current capacities.17 Knowing what to
expect in typically developing children can also help educators to
recognize when a child is experiencing challenges or when his or
her needs are not being met.
ELECT provides a resource, the continuum of development,
that educators can use to understand the sequences of
development. It is not a lock-step, universal pattern that should
be achieved according to a specific timetable, nor is it intended
to be used as an assessment tool or checklist of tasks to be
completed.18
17. Vygotsky, 1978.
18. ELECT, p. 22.
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The Family
Gaining knowledge about children from multiple perspectives
helps educators ensure that programs also value the unique
and diverse characteristics of the childrens families and the
communities in which they live. Its not a one-size-fits-all
approach. In particular, programs should be reflective of the
cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the children and families
they serve, including those from First Nations, Mtis, Inuit, and
francophone communities. The web of family and community is
the childs anchor for early development.21
21. ELECT, p. 9.
The Community
The Educator
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Critical Reflection
A process of critical reflection, learning, and growth is the basis
of high-quality programs that continuously improve and create
contexts that are meaningful for the children and families/
caregivers they serve. Children learn through questioning and
testing theories in their play. In the same way, we encourage
educators to be researchers, to try new ideas and test theories.
When educators engage in continuous learning and questioning,
exploring new ideas and adjusting practices, they achieve the best
outcomes for children, families, and themselves.25
Through critical reflection, educators test long-standing views
and taken-for-granted practices and consider new approaches
and ways of thinking about their work. As described by John
Dewey, learning happens through reflective action (action given
careful consideration and justification) as opposed to routine
action (action driven by habit and routine).26 How Does Learning
Happen? supports educators in thinking, feeling, acting on their
ideas and questions, and learning about and with children and
families every day.
Collaborative Inquiry
When educators engage with others in critical reflection as
a means to question theory and practice, discuss ideas, test
theories, and share learning, they are engaging in collaborative
inquiry.
25. MacNaughton, 2003; Paige-Smith & Craft, 2011; Raban et al., 2007.
26. Dewey, 1933, pp. 47.
The Environment
The environment is the context in which learning takes place.
The environment was described by Loris Malaguzzi as the
third teacher and is valued for its power to organize, promote
relationships, and educate. It mirrors the ideas, values, attitudes,
and cultures of those who use the space.28 As suggested by Karyn
Callaghan, the environment is a teacher.29 From the aesthetics
of the space, to the type of furnishings and materials available,
to the organization of time, the environment communicates a
powerful message and contributes to shaping the actions that can
be taken within it.
Children thrive in indoor and outdoor spaces that invite them
to investigate, imagine, think, create, solve problems, and
make meaning from their experiences especially when the
spaces contain interesting and complex open-ended materials
that children can use in many ways. In addition, when the
schedule allows for long periods of uninterrupted play, with
27. Ministry of Education, Ontario, 2010, p. 2.
28. Malaguzzi, 1993.
29. Callaghan, 2013, p. 11.
Pedagogical Documentation
Pedagogical documentation is about more than recording events
it is a means to learning about how children think and learn.
It offers a process to explore all of our questions about children.
As suggested by Carlina Rinaldi, it is a way of listening to
children, helping us to learn about children during the course of
their experiences and to make this learning visible to others for
interpretation.32 And, it encourages educators to be co-learners
alongside both children and their families.
Pedagogical documentation supports educators in
both including child development in their view, but also
looking beyond development to capture broader aspects
of experience for reflection.33
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FOUNDATIONS
Belonging
Well-Being
Engagement
Expression
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Overview
Young children experience their world as an environment
of relationships, which affect virtually all aspects of their
development.35
Fostering good relationships with children and their families is
the single most important priority for educators in early years
programs. The ability to establish constructive relationships
with children and families is a requirement for Registered Early
Childhood Educators in Ontario, as set out in the College
of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of
Practice.36
35. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004, p. 1.
36. College of Early Childhood Educators, 2011.
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How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
(continued)
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Consider your program its philosophy, mission, policies, and daily practices. How do the programs values reflect and affect your
relationship with each child? With each family? Is everyones voice valued? How would an observer know?
Which policies and practices may be barriers to establishing relationships and ensuring the meaningful participation of all children? Of all
families?
What else can be done to strengthen relationships and ensure social inclusion, participation, and a sense of belonging for each child and
family?
If you make one change today to strengthen relationships in your program, what will it be? If you were to make another change tomorrow,
what would it be?
What Ive come to understand is that the most important work I do to see a child in positive ways is within me. I must continually
work to transform my own view of childrens behaviours, see their points of view, and strive to uncover how what I am seeing reveals
the childrens deep desire, eagerness, and capacity for relationships. There is no more important or rewarding work than this.48
Consider a child whose behaviour you find difficult. What possibilities might exist if you were to view the childs behaviour and intentions
from the childs point of view and from the childs desire for relationships?
Overview
There is clear evidence that early experiences have a significant
impact on the biology of the body and on brain development,
with implications for lifelong physical and mental health and
well-being.49
Physical well-being. Patterns of eating, physical activity, and
sleep that are established in early childhood continue into later
life. Inadequate nutrition and sleep, low levels of physical activity,
and persistent stress in early childhood can lead to later health
problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression,
and anxiety.50 There is a variety of ways in which early years
programs can have a positive influence on child health and wellbeing, such as by:
providing nutritious food and beverages that incorporate
family and cultural preferences;
creating positive eating environments with foods and portion
sizes that are responsive to childrens cues of hunger and
fullness;
increasing childrens physical activity and decreasing the
amount of time spent in sedentary activities;
respecting and finding ways to support each childs varied
physiological and biological rhythms and needs for active play,
rest, and quiet time.
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and supporting childrens efforts and increasing ability to selfregulate. Educators can also support childrens developing ability
to self-regulate by being responsive and attuned to childrens
individual cues, arousal states, and responses to various stressors.
And they can help children learn strategies for becoming or
staying calm and focused by enabling them to recognize and
modulate their emotional states and impulses and become more
aware of the effects of their actions on others.56
Mental health and wellness. Ontarios Policy Framework for Child
and Youth Mental Health reports that 15 to 21 percent of children
and youth in Ontario have at least one mental health disorder.57
The most serious of these illnesses can continue into adulthood,
affecting functioning and productivity in the community and
the healthy development of the next generation. Left untreated,
these can have significant impacts on the quality of childrens
experiences in early years settings as well as later consequences
such as poor academic achievement, failure to complete high
school, substance abuse, an inability to live independently, health
problems, and suicide.58
Childrens mental health and well-being must be considered
within the context of their full environment of relationships.
Children are at the greatest risk when the people caring for
them are experiencing persistent and severe adversities. Children
who experience challenging family circumstances and live in
communities where there are limited resources are also more
56. Ibid.
57. Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Ontario, 2006.
58. Ibid.
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How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
(continued)
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How can your program put more emphasis on outdoor exploration and play that engage the body, mind, and senses?
How can the environment be arranged to encourage children to engage in activities that involve an element of manageable risk
(appropriate for childrens varied capabilities)?
What improvements are needed to ensure that the type of meals/snacks and the eating environment reflect the goals for children?
Childrens present and future well-being is influenced by their ability to self-regulate. How can your program move from a focus on the
adult managing childrens behaviour towards a stronger focus on supporting childrens developing self-regulation capacities?
What environmental factors may be causing stress for children? What changes can be made to reduce stress for all who use the space?
How can you connect with community partners to better support the mental health and well-being of families and children?
Overview
Engagement refers to a state of being genuinely involved and
interested in what one is doing. Optimal conditions for learning
occur when we are fully engaged. For children, this happens in
play that evolves from the childs natural curiosity active play
that allows children to explore with their bodies, minds, and
senses, stimulating them to ask questions, test theories, solve
problems, engage in creative thinking, and make meaning of
the world around them. These investigations through play fuse
intellect and feeling to help children make connections and
develop the capacity for higher-order thinking.62 Research into
learning and development from the early theories of Dewey,
Piaget, and Vygotsky to the latest findings of neuroscience
makes it clear that children learn best when they are fully
engaged in active exploration, play, and inquiry.
62. Gopnik, 2009.
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How Does Learning Happen? Ontarios Pedagogy for the Early Years
(continued)
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Engagement: Creating Contexts for Learning through Exploration, Play, and Inquiry (continued)
Ways in which children might
demonstrate engagement
If we see all children as curious, competent, and capable of complex thinking, how will this be reflected in the environment? How could
greater complexity and challenge be integrated into the environment?
How do you know when children and families are fully engaged? Based on your observations of individual children, when are they most
engaged? How can you give visibility to this?
Consider how the environment and experiences that you provide for children engage them. What draws them in?
What areas of the environment do not attract children? Why might this be? What changes might be needed?
How can families be engaged and drawn in to the space? How can children and families be engaged in shaping the environment?
What barriers exist that may limit some childrens ability to engage in active exploration, play, and inquiry? What adaptations and
changes might be made to ensure the inclusion and participation of every child?
How does the flow of the day (e.g., daily schedule, routines, transitions) allow children to make choices (e.g., to engage in in-depth
exploration over several days; to relax and do nothing; to reflect on their experiences)?
(continued)
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Engagement: Creating Contexts for Learning through Exploration, Play, and Inquiry (continued)
What questions and theories do the children seem to be exploring through their play? What are they wondering about in the ways they
use materials (e.g., what does their non-verbal communication tell you)? How can you make these visible? What are families noticing at
home?
What next steps might you take, based on these observations, to support more complex play and inquiry? For example, how can the
childrens questions and theories be tested, revised, and communicated?
Since educators are researchers within their programs or communities, what would you like to investigate further in your program?
How would you further complete this investigation with your colleagues or with the children in the program?
Overview
Seeing children as capable and powerful communicators
from birth onwards means recognizing them as active social
partners who are able to initiate and respond to communication
exchanges. Conversation can occur with even the youngest
infants when adults are attuned to the childs subtle verbal
and non-verbal cues and gestures and when they respond by
interacting in serve and return exchanges. Responsiveness
to the infants communication wires the childs brain for
learning.71
When educators are aware of and able to understand and respond
to the many languages children use to communicate, they give
every child a voice. Regardless of the childs age or ability,
71. Campos, Frankel, & Camras, 2004; National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2007.
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and place in the broader community. It also facilitates secondlanguage acquisition. Programs where childrens home language
and culture are valued and supported through various means
(e.g., books, signs, inviting family or community members to
share their language and cultural traditions) can strengthen
childrens overall language skills79 and build a sense of self.
Affirmation of childrens linguistic and cultural heritage is
particularly important for Franco-Ontarian families and
Ontarios First Nation, Mtis, and Inuit peoples. For Aboriginal
children, knowledge of their indigenous languages and cultural
teachings strengthens their sense of identity and contributes
to the well-being of current and future generations.80 Early
childhood settings in francophone communities contribute to
the protection, enhancement, and transmission of the French
language and culture in Ontario by helping children and families
participate in day-to-day activities in French.
(continued)
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At the end of each day, ask yourself, How much time did I spend connecting (direct and meaningful interactions)? Directing (telling
children what to do)? Correcting (telling children what not to do)? What is your C:D:C ratio?
Working with colleagues (and outside agencies that may support speech and/or language development), identify strategies to support
each other in engaging children in authentic, reciprocal communication exchanges and conversations (e.g., What can we do so that
were hearing more of the childrens voices and less of the adult voices?).
Considering that children have 100 languages, how many ways are there for children to express themselves in your program?
How can you make sure that every child, regardless of his or her communication abilities, is heard?
What policies and procedures can administrators put in place to ensure every educator feels that his or her voice is heard and valued?
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Clinton, J. (2012). Brain development and its impact on early
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Clinton, J. (2013). The power of positive adult child relationships:
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College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). (2011). Code of
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