Early Child Development

1
Early Child Development LearningJane
Bertrand
Kindergarten Matters Conference Elementary
Teachers Federation of Ontario Ottawa - May 13,
2006
2
The long reach of early childhood

• Early child development
• is the first and
• most critical
• phase of human growth.

3
Sensitive periods in early brain development
Vision
Hearing
Habitual ways of responding
Language
High
Emotional control
Symbol
Peer social skills
Numbers
Sensitivity
Low
0
1
2
3
7
6
5
4
Years
Graph developed by Council for Early Child
Development (ref Nash, 1997 Early Years Study,
1999 Shonkoff, 2000.)
4
Literacy Early Vocabulary Growth
1200
High SES
Middle SES
Cumulative Vocabulary
600
Low SES
0
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
Age - Months
B. Hart T. Risley, Meaningful Differences in
Everyday Experiences of Young American Children,
1995
5
Estimated Cumulative Difference in Language -
Experiences by 4 Years of Age
Million
50
Professional
40
Working-class
30
addressed to child
Estimated cumulative words
20
10
Welfare
0
0
12
24
36
48
Age of child in months
6
Vulnerable Children Aged 4 to 6 NLSCY 1998
40
30
Ontario
Prevalence of Vulnerable Children
20
Rest of Canada
10

0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
Socioeconomic Status
7
Average Economic Family Income
Families with at least one child lt 15
lt 58, 000
58,000 68,000
68,000 82,000
82,000 100,000
100,000 290,000
Data from 2001 Census
8
Measuring Development At School Entry
Percentage of students who scored in the lowest
10th percentile in 2 or more domains
Over 25
Representation of data from Toronto Report Card
on Children, Vol 5, Update 2003
9
Grade 3 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)
Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4
Fewer than 40
Representation of data from Toronto Report Card
on Children, Vol 5, Update 2003
10
Grade 6 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)
Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4
Fewer than 40
Representation of data from Toronto Report Card
on Children, Vol 5, Update 2003
11
Measuring Readiness for School Learning
Percentage of students who scored in the lowest
10th percentile in 2 or more domains
Less than 10
Representation of data from Toronto Report Card
on Children, Vol 5, Update 2003
12
Grade 3 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)
Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4
Over 70
Representation of data from Toronto Report Card
on Children, Vol 5, Update 2003
13
Grade 6 EQAO Assessment of Reading (01-02)
Proportion of students who achieved level 3 or 4
Over 70
Representation of data from Toronto Report Card
on Children, Vol 5, Update 2003
14
Families Matter Most

• The parent-child relationship is paramount
  and parents know this.

15
Vulnerable Children Income
Early Years Study, 1999
16
Vulnerable Children Parenting
Early Years Study, 1999
17
Family Life

• Families come in all sizes and shapes.
• Mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles grandparents
  usually work part-time, full-time, irregular
  hours.
• Young children and their families live in
  neighbourhoods communities.

18
Making a Difference

• Parents need support from others to do the best
  job they can.
• ___________________
• They always have.

19
Abecedarian Study Reading
Effect Size
Primary Grades
Preschool
Preschool Primary Grades
1.2
0.8
0.4
0
Age 8
Age 12
Age 15
Age 21
Age at Testing
20
Early, Often, Effective

• What we envision will be a first "tier"
  program for early child development, as important
  as the elementary and secondary school system and
  the post-secondary education system. The system
  should consist of community-based centres
  operating at the local level within a provincial
  framework
• Early Years Study McCain Mustard,
  1999. p. 20

21
Component 1 Problem-based play

• Regular, consistent play provides
• rich stimulation
• that is absorbed into
• core brain development.

22
Component 2 Parenting

• The parent/child relationship
• is the most powerful influence
• on children's
• early brain development,
• particularly in the first two years.

23
Component 3 Resources

• Centres can be linked to
• home visiting and home care
• satellites, and
• early identification and intervention services.

24
Component 4 Prenatal postnatal supports

• Access to
• childbirth and child development
• information, group discussions,
• workshops, and neighbourhood and community
  resources.

25
Component 5 Nutrition

• Optimal
• early child development
• begins with
• adequate nutrition
• from conception
• onwards.

26
Component 6 Full-day, full-year options

• Families require
• a range
• of care arrangements
• including part-time, full-time,
• occasional, and respite options.

27
The integrated early childhood centre

28
Child Care

29
Family Resource Programs, Parenting Centre,
Family Place

30

Kindergarten, Preschool, Nursery School


31

Co-operative Preschool

32

Head Start

33
CAPC/CPNP

34
The integrated model

35
Creating quality environments
Neighbourhood schools
Local decision-making
Public policy framework
36
Benefits to Children

• Stabile environments
• Coping, competence, health, well-being
• Quality of daily life

37
Benefits to Parents

• Increased ability to participate directly in
  their childs early learning development
• Support to earn a living or pursue further studies

38
Benefits to Society

• Cost effective
• Increased belonging
• Increased human capital
• Increased ability to participate in a democracy

39
Chaos
Early intervention
Health
Education
Family support
Social services
Public health
Munici-palities
Local school authorities
Community services
Parks recreation
Parenting centres
Kindergartens
Preschools
Early Intervention
Child care
40
Local decision-making body funds Early Child
Development Parenting centres
Local decision- making
41
Coherence
Early intervention
Social services
Family support
Health
Policy framework
Education
Local decision- making
42
The Bottom Line

• What happens in the early years matters now.
• and later.

43
Sensitive periods in early brain development
Pre-school years
School years
High
Numbers
Peer social skills
Symbol
Sensitivity
Language
Habitual ways of responding
Emotional control
Vision
Hearing
Low
1
2
3
7
6
5
4
0
Years
Graph developed by Council for Early Child
Development (ref Nash, 1997 Early Years Study,
1999 Shonkoff, 2000.)
44
Proportion of Students vulnerable on one or more
subscales of the EDI
45
Rates of Return to Human Capital Investment
Brain Plasticity
Equal at all ages
Most plastic
in early years
Preschool Programs
Education
R
Job Training
Pre-
School
School
Post School
0
Age
R - Rate of return

Pedro Carneiro, James Heckman, Human Capital
Policy, 2003
46
Recent Developments

• Promising policies programs emerging across
  Canada

47
Provincial Government Initiatives

• Examples
• BC Cross-sectoral ECD Coalitions
• Saskatchewan Learning
• Healthy Child Manitoba
• Ontario Best Start
• Centre de la Petite Enfance, Quebec
• Nova Scotia Preprimary Pilot Project

48
Ontarios Best Start Plan

• Children in Ontario will be ready and eager to
  achieve success in school by the time they enter
  Grade 1.
• Launched a major re-design of programs services
  for children 0 6
• Best Start Hubs, Best Start Networks, Expert
  Panels, Demonstration Sites, College of ECEs
• Early Learning Framework
• Potential high - but needs infrasturcture

49
Toronto First Duty

• Early learning care for every child that
  supports optimal child development parenting
  capacity while enabling parents to work.
• - Informing Best Start
• www.toronto.ca/firstduty

50
TFD The Integration Continuum
Collaboration
Communication
Co-existence
Consolidation
Coordination
51
TFD The Elements

• Decision-making
• Seamless access
• Early learning environment
• Early childhood team
• Parent participation
• Public policy framework

52
Integration Network Project

• Bridging caring and learning for young children
• www.inproject.ca

53
Council for Early Child Development

• www.earlychilddevelopment.ca

54
To think talk about..

• How do we keep the developing child at the centre
  of early years programs?
• What does an early child development perspective
  mean for kindergarten teachers?
• Is good coordination the enemy of integration?
• What are the barriers and downsides to a 0 to 6
  years first tier of public education?