E.L.E.C.T.

Early Learning For Every Child Today

By:

Danielle Bouchard, M.C., M.D., G.R., A.R., E.F.

What is E.L.E.C.T?

It is a framework!

E.L.E.C.T. describes how young children learn and develop, and provides a guide for curriculum in Ontario’s early childhood settings.

What are some of Ontario’s early childhood settings?

the Ontario Day Nurseries Act, Ontario Early Years Center guidelines, and the Kindergarten Program!

E.L.E.C.T. is intended to COMPLEMENT, NOT REPLACE

Purpose of E.L.E.C.T.

Early Learning for Every Child Today is a guide to support curriculum and pedagogy in Ontario’s early childhood settings.

It is a living document! What does this mean?

Statement of Principles1. Early child development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour and health.

2. Partnerships with families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood settings to meet the needs of young children.

3. Respect for diversity, equity and inclusion are prerequisites for honouring children’s rights, optimal development and learning.

4. A planned curriculum supports early learning.

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

6. Knowledgeable, responsive early childhood professionals are essential.

More About E.L.E.C.T!

5 Domains:

① Social

② Emotional

③ Communication, language and literacy

④ Cognitive

⑤ Physical

4 Age Groups Within Each Domain:

① Infant (birth – 24 months)

② Toddler (14 months – 3 years)

③ Preschool Kindergarten (2.5 – 6 years)

④ School-age (5 – 8 years)

refers to a child's ability to build and

maintain relationships Social Development

Skills Within the Social Domain

Infants:

Imitation

Toddler:

Parallel play

Skills Within the Social Domain (con’t)

Preschool Kindergarten:

Making friends

School-age:

Conflict resolution and social problem

refers to children’s growing ability,

and emotional well-beingEmotional Development

Skills Within the Emotional

DomainInfants:

Expression of emotion, self regulation and

emotional regulation, sense of self, empathy,

agency

Toddlers:

Expression of feelings, self regulation,

behaviour regulation, attention regulation,

empathy, sense of self, autonomy, identity

formation

Skills Within the Emotional

Domain (con’t)Preschool Kindergarten:

Self-concept, identity formation, self-esteem,

recognizing and expressing emotions,

regulation of attention/emotions/beh

aviours, positive attitude towards

learning

School-age:

Self-concept, identity formation, self-esteem,

recognizing and expressing emotions,

regulating emotions/behaviours,

positive attitude towards learning

refers to the essential key for learning, for communicating

and building relationships with others, and for enabling

children to make sense of the world around them

Communication, Language

& Literacy Development

Skills Within the Communication

Domain

Infants:

Non-verbal communication skills

(referencing, joint attention, gestures)

Receptive language skills

Expressive language skills (signaling, one word,

vocabulary)

Toddlers:

Receptive language

Expressive language (words, sentences,

vocabulary, questions, conversation)

Skills Within the Communication

Domain (con’t)

Preschool Kindergarten:

Using verbal and non-verbal communication, using English and the

child’s home language, vocabulary, conversing with peers and adults,

listening to others, enjoying literacy

School-age:

Using verbal and non-verbal communication, vocabulary, conversing with peers and adults,

phonological awareness and phonics, knowledge

of print

refers to the construction of thought processes,

in which children build upon what they already

know and what they discover around them

(Kail & Barnfield, 2009)

Cognitive Development

Skills Within the Cognitive

DomainInfants:

Attention regulation, imitation, object

permanence

Toddlers:

Memory, symbolic thought representation

and root skills of literacy, spatial

exploration

Skills Within the Cognitive

Domain (con’t)Preschool Kindergarten:

Questioning, classifying, identifying patterns

School-age:

Completing number operations, games with rules, temporal relations

refers to how a child grows and develops

physically (fine motor & gross motor)Physical Development

Skills Within the Physical

DomainInfants:

Gross motor: reaching and holding, holding head up, cruising,

walking, coordination

Fine motor: coordinator, pincer grasp, holding

using tools

Toddlers:

Gross motor: balance, jumping, walking and running, riding toys

Fine motor: dressing, eating, pincer grasp

Skills Within the Physical

Domain (con’t)Preschool Kindergarten:

Gross motor: hopping and galloping, throwing,

movement and expression

Fine motor: dressing, tool use, drawing

School-age:

Gross motor: running, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking

Into Practice

ELECT is, and should be, incorporated into many different settings:

Home Child Care, Ontario Early Year Centres, Preschool Community Child Care Centres, Nursery School Programs, Workplace Child Care Centres, Full Day Kindergarten, Parenting Centres, Aboriginal Head Start.o Pages 69-74 give scenarios of how ELECT is put into practice at each of

these settings.

Guidelines of Practice Chart starting on page 75 that states each principle again and examples of how it is put into practice.

Principle and Understanding of Development

An example of Practice

1. Early child development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour and health.

Support self-regulation because these skills lead to physical, social, emotional, behavioural, and cognitive competence.

2. Partnerships with families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood settings to meet the needs of young children.

Amplify families’ involvement in their children’s early learning and development.

3. Respect for diversity, equity and inclusion are prerequisites for honouring children’s rights, optimal development and learning.

Set up a learning environment with books, print materials and other artifacts in French, English, Aboriginal and other home languages that respect and… reflect diversity in unbiased ways.

Principle and Understanding of Development

An example of Practice

4. A planned curriculum supports early learning.

Base curriculum planning and implementation on:-Knowledge of children and their development-children’s prior knowledge, individual needs, and interests

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

Create indoor and outdoor learning environments in distinctive areas for different types of play and participation.

6. Knowledgeable, responsive early childhood professionals are essential.

Integrate theoretical frameworks, scientific findings, and their own daily experiences to guide their interactions with young children and their families.

Interactive Component…

Put Your Thinking Caps On!Name That Domain!

How to Play…

You will be given a few examples of indications of various skills within the domains covered in E.L.E.C.T.

Your job is to name that domain!

BONUS – State what age group the specific example is from

Name That Domain!

You are babysitting a child

and during lunch they state,

“pizza is something you eat.”

Name That Domain!

You are working at a child care centre and you observe two children playing side by side,

both exploring the sensory bin.

Name That Domain!

You are at a restaurant and witness a mother place her child’s toy under a napkin.

The child proceeds to search for the hidden toy.

Name That Domain!

You are on duty during Daily Physical Activity, and you observe

a child throwing a small ball against the wall of the building.

The child often catches the ball as it bounces back to them.

BONUS QUESTION

How many pages are in the framework,

Early Learning

For

Every Child Today?