Premier Alison Redford has followed through on her leadership campaign promise to return $107M in funding to education. Now she is working with Education Minister, Thomas Lukaszuk, to deliver on another campaign promise, full-day kindergarten for all.
Eryn Kelly, Co-President of the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils, along with Cheryl Smith, Vice-President of the Alberta School Boards Association, and Cynthia Prasow, Instructor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Education, participated in an Alberta Primetime panel discussion around the provision of full-day kindergarten to all children in our province.
Panel Highlights:
•Full-day kindergarten offered in British Columbia and Ontario to all children
•In Alberta, full-day kindergarten is available to some, not all children
•Benefits: equity and fairness across province; greater potential for early intervention; improve grade 1 readiness; research shows improvement in literacy, language, social and emotional development - especially for “at risk” children; recognition of the important connection between early learning and later success
•Drawbacks: wide range of readiness for full-day program; availability of space; cost is projected at $200M; staffing pressures; bus ride times
Showing posts with label full day kindergarten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label full day kindergarten. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Full Day Kindergarten
During the PC Leadership campaign, Premier Alison Redford pledged to introduce full day kindergarten within one year of forming government. With this support, Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk has said he will be discussing the issue with school boards and requesting funding from the Treasury Board to implement full day kindergarten in the 2013-2014 school year.
Currently, kindergarten is not mandatory but over 95% of Alberta's children participate.
Eight years ago, Alberta's Commission on Learning Report and Recommendations called for the establishment of full day kindergarten (see pages pages 46-47). A Calgary Board of Education Report summarizing research is cited in the report, and an excerpt follows:
• A developmentally appropriate full-day program benefits children academically and socially - especially children from low socio-economic or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds
• Teachers preferred full-day to half-day programs
• Parents reacted favourably to the full-day schedule
• Full-day kindergarten may reduce the long-term costs for special and remedial education.
'“... All studies indicated a positive relation between participation in full-day kindergarten and subsequent school performance. Higher achievement in academic development as well as greater growth in social and behavioural development is consistently reported ... All studies reviewed here suggest that a full-day developmentally appropriate kindergarten program is especially beneficial to children from low socioeconomic levels and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.”'
The Calgary Board of Education began providing full day kindergarten in 2005 to children who would benefit most.
What do teachers have to say about full day kindergarten? Check out this Alberta Teachers' Association article.
Currently, kindergarten is not mandatory but over 95% of Alberta's children participate.
Eight years ago, Alberta's Commission on Learning Report and Recommendations called for the establishment of full day kindergarten (see pages pages 46-47). A Calgary Board of Education Report summarizing research is cited in the report, and an excerpt follows:
• A developmentally appropriate full-day program benefits children academically and socially - especially children from low socio-economic or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds
• Teachers preferred full-day to half-day programs
• Parents reacted favourably to the full-day schedule
• Full-day kindergarten may reduce the long-term costs for special and remedial education.
'“... All studies indicated a positive relation between participation in full-day kindergarten and subsequent school performance. Higher achievement in academic development as well as greater growth in social and behavioural development is consistently reported ... All studies reviewed here suggest that a full-day developmentally appropriate kindergarten program is especially beneficial to children from low socioeconomic levels and/or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.”'
The Calgary Board of Education began providing full day kindergarten in 2005 to children who would benefit most.
What do teachers have to say about full day kindergarten? Check out this Alberta Teachers' Association article.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Kindergarten in the news
The Globe & Mail has been been following several students who are enrolled in a full day kindergarten program in a series of engaging articles, "The Kindergarten Diaries." Three provinces are now offering full day kindergarten with a focus on play based learning. There are lots of links to other articles, but one of particular interest deals with the age of entry - "Should late-birthday kids sit out a year?"
Update: A recent article in the Vancouver Sun, "Full-day kindergarten a success", discusses the positive feedback from parents, teachers, and principals.
The L.A. Times has an interesting read, "On the question of when to start Kindergarten, there's no easy A," that also concludes that there are no clear answers to be had on the subject.
Alberta Education provides a comprehensive guide for parents, "2011-2012 Kindergarten Curriculum Handbook for Parents," and the Calgary Board of Education provides kindergarten information on its website. Children who are 4 years old by March 1 of the current school year are eligible to attend. Kindergarten is optional.
Update: A recent article in the Vancouver Sun, "Full-day kindergarten a success", discusses the positive feedback from parents, teachers, and principals.
The L.A. Times has an interesting read, "On the question of when to start Kindergarten, there's no easy A," that also concludes that there are no clear answers to be had on the subject.
Alberta Education provides a comprehensive guide for parents, "2011-2012 Kindergarten Curriculum Handbook for Parents," and the Calgary Board of Education provides kindergarten information on its website. Children who are 4 years old by March 1 of the current school year are eligible to attend. Kindergarten is optional.
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