Early childhood education is frequently characterized by two primary approaches: interest-led learning and development-led learning. Interest-led activities are guided by the immediate preferences and transient curiosities of the child, prompting adults to adapt the environment accordingly. In contrast, development-led activities are structured to target specific cognitive, physical, and emotional milestones essential for a child's growth. These activities are intentionally d

As parents, we often witness the magic that unfolds when our children's eyes light up with curiosity and enthusiasm. Nothing is as exciting for a teacher as fostering this sense of wonder in young learners through engaging educational play experiences and materials. Defining Wonder According to Webster's dictionary, "wonder" or "wonderful" signifies something that astonishes or excites admiration—an experience that is new, exceptional, and captivating. In early learning envir

The significance of explicitly teaching reading to young children cannot be overstated. Embracing the science of reading is crucial for developing fundamental reading skills in the formative years of a child's life. This article aims to explore the essential practices relating to the science of reading, highlight important strategies that differentiate it from a laissez-faire approach, and present academic and empirical evidence supporting its impact on student outcomes. Addi

As parents, we aim to raise well-rounded individuals with strong ethical values and good character. In today's fast-paced world, it's more important than ever to instill these qualities in our children from a young age. In this blog post, we'll explore practical ways to help you effectively encourage positive character and ethical development in your little ones. 1. Establishing a Balanced Reward/Consequence System A well-structured reward and consequence system can be essent

It started off as a research project into building the best launch point for a child’s academic success and evolved into the vision for a complete early childhood education program in Calgary. Founder Amoriza Gunnink’s My Kinderhouse preschool first launched in 2008, combining the thoughtfulness and creativity of art, the focus of academics and a child’s natural desire to play in a workshop-style learning environment. The program was a resounding success with both kids and pa

Why does early investment through preschool education make sense? The early years are foundational for the acquisition of key skill sets....

Establishing a solid foundation of experiences with musical play during early childhood supports phonemic awareness, which is vital to the development of language skills. Phonemic awareness refers to the child’s ability to distinguish and manipulate different sound units of language, or phonemes, and is an early predictor of reading success (Kirtley et. al, 1989). Research shows that preschool children’s awareness of phonemes accounted for 50% of the variance in reading profi

Process and structural features that impact young children’s development The search for high quality educational programs and environments begins in early childhood. Stakeholders in early education, namely parents, educators, administrators and the government, seek to provide the best possible start for children. Benchmarks of quality are difficult to standardize as quality measures reflect the varied and often contradictory values and priorities of these stakeholders. Priori

Leaders of early care programs are tasked to provide vision and direction for curriculum-making to support and facilitate the overall development of young learners. Today, program offerings in the field encompass a mosaic of various philosophical traditions holding in tension play and academics to actualize and effect children’s learning and formative experiences. Given the complex and varied landscape of curricular programming in early childhood education, the central questi