Early Learning Initiatives
Government’s vision for British Columbia’s children and youth is that they have the opportunity to be the best they can be physically, socially, intellectually, and emotionally. One of the commitments of Government’s strategic plan is to ensure that more children are ready for success when they enter Kindergarten. Offering our pre-schoolers a wide range of early learning experiences can help achieve government’s commitment to make BC the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. |
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The Ministry of Education shares responsibility for early learning with the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport and the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Many community programs for young children and their families have an early learning component.
Early learning is defined as the knowledge, skills and dispositions that preschool children acquire in the years before school entry in key developmental domains: cognitive, physical, language and communication, social and emotional.
Early learning takes place in multiple settings: homes, preschools, child care environments, early learning centres, and other community settings. Children’s early learning is supported by parents, family members, the broader community, early childhood educators, and multiple other service providers.
This site provides information on the Ministry of Education’s early learning initiatives. It also introduces links to web sites and print resources that can assist families, educators and caregivers to provide early learning activities for children that support their development.
Full Day Kindergarten - As Government announced in the 2009 Speech from the Throne, British Columbia is making full day kindergarten available to all five year olds in the province. Full day kindergarten will be available for up to half of B.C.’s eligible students in September 2010. By September 2011, full day kindergarten will be available across the province. It is still up to parents to decide whether to enrol their children in kindergarten, but by the 2011/12 school year it will be available to all who want it.
StrongStart BC - StrongStart BC early learning programs are offered in a number of school facilities across British Columbia. StrongStart BC programs offer preschool-aged children quality early learning experience. At no cost to the family, these programs offer play-based early learning opportunities and demonstrate for parents and caregivers how they can help their children develop.
Ready, Set, Learn - Ready, Set, Learn is a school readiness initiative that helps families get their children ready for school. Families attending Ready, Set, Learn events in schools receive an age appropriate book for their three year old and information to influence school readiness.
Early Learning Framework - The British Columbia Early Learning Framework describes the vision, pedagogical principles, and key areas of learning for children birth to five years (before school entry).
