Most people understand that the early years are an important time in a child’s development, but recent research is painting a startling picture of how the experiences and interactions that occur from conception to age six drastically affect the trajectory of children’s lives1, their success in school2 and who they will become as adults.
The impact on children of [emotionally adept] parenting is extraordinarily sweeping …beyond [a better relationship with their parents], these children also are better at handling their own emotions, are more effectively at soothing themselves when upset, and get upset less often. The children are also more relaxed biologically with lower levels of stress hormones and other physiological indicators of emotional arousal. Other advantages are social: these children are more popular with and are better-liked by their peers, and are seen by their teachers as more socially skilled.
Our society has undergone radical shifts in everything from family structure to demographics to where and how families and children spend the majority of their time. Canadian schools, first developed in the context of the family farm and small town, have struggled to respond to the massive shifts that have taken place in how children are living their lives outside of the classroom walls.
There are two major contexts in which preschool learning occurs for many children: the first is the family, the second is early learning and child care programs.The objective of this review is to determine the current state of knowledge about the effects of these types of programs on early childhood learning and development, and then to recommend directions for future Canadian research to expand this base of knowledge.
NB: to view this report, look down the provided CCL webpage for the link to the Early Years Review
(Source: Canadian Council on Learning)
Play enhances every aspect of children’s development and learning, however, it is increasingly rare for children to have long, uninterrupted blocks of time to play indoors and outdoors, by themselves or with their friends. Although children learn to play naturally, we all have a role in ensuring that children have enough time and opportunity to play.
(Source: Canadian Council on Learning)
Growing numbers of Canadian women are successfully pursuing post-secondary studies, but there still exists a large gender gap in science-related occupations and a gender-based wage gap. This article explores factors that turn girls and women away from science and engineering, as well as a number of programs that have been developed to foster interest in science among girls.
(Source: Canadian Council on Learning)
Parents are vitally important throughout a child’s life—as sources of love and security, as teachers and as role models—but they are particularly important in the earliest years. This article discusses various parenting styles and examines programs directed at helping parents to achieve better outcomes for their children.
(Source: Canadian Council on Learning)
Schools can’t do it alone. In an average calendar year, kids only spend about 14% of their time in school. After you take away the 33% of time they spend sleeping, you are left with 53% that is spent with family, friends and community1.
Dr. Neufeld has dubbed this phenomenon peer orientation, which refers to the tendency of children and youth to look to their peers for direction: for a sense of right and wrong, for values, identity and codes of behaviour. But peer orientation undermines family cohesion, poisons the school atmosphere, and fosters an aggressively hostile and sexualized youth culture.
The reason kids are so attracted to these games, Prensky says, is that they are learning about important “future” things, from collaboration, to prudent risk taking, to strategy formulation and execution, to complex moral and ethical decisions. Prensky’s arguments are backed up by university PhD’s studying not just game violence, but games in their totality, as well as studies of gamers who have become successful corporate workers, entrepreneurs, leaders, doctors, lawyers, scientists and other professionals.
