Early Learning for Every Child Today

01/04/2019

Introduction

Every child has the right to the best childhood. ELECT is a guide to help support the curriculum and pedagogy in early childhood settings. ELECT complements specific curricular and pedagogical approaches and provides direction for programs that don’t have an explicit curriculum approach. There are different domains of development and they are all interconnected. ELECT helps clarify these developmental markers for each age group and shows the approximate skills they should be learning at each age group. The domains are Social, Emotional, Communication, language, and literacy, Cognitive, and Physical.

Statement of Principles

• Early child development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour and health
• Partnerships with families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood settings to meet the needs of young children
• Demonstration of respect for diversity, equity and inclusion are prerequisites for optimal development and learning
• A planned curriculum supports early learning
• Play us a means to early learning that capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity and exuberance
• Knowledgeable and responsive early childhood practitioners are essential to early childhood settings

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Infants Development
1.1 Social Interest
• Smiling to an adult; Examining objects with others; Observing peers
1.2 Imitation
• Imitating adult behaviour
Toddlers Development
1.1 Social Interest
• Observing and imitating peers; Observing and playing briefly with peers; Engaging in short group activities
1.3 Parallel Play
• Playing in proximity of peers with similar playthings without the exchange of ideas or things

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Infants Development
2.1 Expression of Emotion
• Expressing comfort and discomfort, pleasure or displeasure, anger, anxiety, fear, sadness, joy
2.2 Self-Regulation
• Becoming calm when comforted by familiar adults; Recovering from distress and over-stimulation in a secure relationship
Toddlers Development
2.2. Self-Regulation
• Attention regulation- Focusing attention, making choices and avoiding distractions

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE, LITERACY DEVELOPMENT

Infants Development
3.1 Non-Verbal Communication Skills
• Simple Turn Taking- taking turns in simple games
Toddlers Development
3.2. Expressive Languages
• Words- Combining words, using verbs and adjectives; Vocabulary- Increasing vocabulary; Questions- Asking simple “what” and “where” questions

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Infants Development
4.1 Attention Regulation
• Attending, disengaging and returning attention
4.3 Cause and Effect Exploration
• Repeat actions that produce outcomes
4.6 Object Permanence
• Searching for hidden objects and things moved out of sight
Toddlers Development
4.3 Cause and Effect Exploration
• Responding with joy to the predictable outcomes of exploration
4.5 Spatial Problem Solving
• Using tools to push obstacles out of the way

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Infants Development
5.1 Gross Motor
• Reaching and Holding- reaching towards objects; Releasing Objects- Dropping and throwing objects
5.2 Fine Motor
• Palmer Grasp- Holding objects with whole palm; Holding and Using tools
5.3 Senses
• Visual Exploration- Tracking moving object with eyes; Tactile exploration- Touching, rubbing, squeezing materials
Toddlers Development
5.2 Fine Motor
• Tool Use; Making a Mark- Scribbling expands to lines and shapes; Pincer Grasp- Adapting holding from palmer or pincer grasp
5.3 Senses
• Exploration- Using all senses in exploration; Motor Integration- Coordinating motor skills

For more information check out: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/oelf/continuum/continuum.pdf

Reference

Ministry of Education. (2007). Early learning for every child today. Copyright 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/childcare/oelf/continuum/continuum.pdf