“The smartest thing we can do right now – to make a major contribution to Ontario’s future – is to ensure that all Ontario children have an even-handed opportunity to succeed in school, become lifelong learners, and pursue their dreams. Our best future depends on it!” – C. Pascal |
The Ontario Government launched a new Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program (FDK) for 4 and 5 years old children in 2010. The Ontario Ministry of Education and educational specialists believe that an integrated team of ECE professionals and teachers will support children to enhance their growth and development by providing them with play-based learning.
On the other hand, research shows that many families and teachers have some misconceptions regarding the roles and responsibilities of Early Childhood Educators in the FDK program. Gibson and Pelletier (2011) noted that elementary teachers believe that Early Childhood Educators do not have knowledge of how to implement kindergarten curriculum into their school program activities. Gibson and Pelletier (2011) also reported that many families and teachers think that kindergarten teachers are highly qualified and have more authority to make decisions for program-planning in classrooms as compared to Early Childhood Educators. The Ontario Ministry of Education, Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF/FEESO), University of Toronto, Charles E. Pascal, Matthew Pearson, and TVO Parents did research on this issue. In this website, we will discuss what this research says about the issue, its impact on stakeholders, such as teachers, families, and children and highlight the benefits of ECEs within the FDK setting. |