Backgrounder


Phase One: Full-Day Learning for Four- and Five-Year-Olds

January 12, 2010

In September, full-day learning for four- and five-year-olds will be available in nearly 600 schools across every school board in Ontario. This means up to 35,000 kindergarten students across Ontario will be enrolled in full-day learning in September, 2010.

The list of schools is available at Ontario.ca/EarlyLearning. School boards will soon begin registering for the 2010-11 school year–– including the integrated before- and after-school program.

The program will be phased in over time starting this September and will be expanded in stages with a goal of having it fully implemented by 2015-16.

Full-day learning is a key part of the government's plan to create a stronger school system and a well-educated work force. By giving our kids an early start in school, we're setting them on the road to success and building a stronger Ontario for us all.

Phase one recommendations

School boards worked with other local school boards and municipalities to make their recommendations. Together, they reviewed possible schools using ministry guidelines, including:

  • Available space – school boards looked at which schools had classroom space available and did not require new additions or renovations.
  • Impact on existing local child care – school boards and municipalities worked together to consider whether communities would be best served by selecting schools with existing child care programs, schools near existing licensed child care or schools in neighbourhoods where no child care is currently available for four- and five-year-olds.
  • Local need – school boards considered the various needs of all the communities that they serve and how early learning could meet those needs. A portion of the phase-one schools will serve low-income neighbourhoods.

An integrated day

Teachers and early childhood educators will work together to help children learn during the regular school day. Working side-by-side, these educators will create a welcoming environment where children can learn, play and grow.

Parents will also have the option to enrol their child in the school's integrated extended day fee-based option that provides before- and after-school programming, (for example, 7– 9 a.m. and 3:30 – 6 p.m.). The extended-day program will be led by registered Early Childhood Educators who share the school day portion of the program and are available before and after school. Subsidies will be available to some families based on need. Fees will be determined locally by boards.

Extended programming

  • Boards that have the capacity and the parent demand are called upon to provide extended services at other times of the year for children age six to twelve years old. This could include PD days, holidays and the summer.
  • Where there is sufficient parent demand and capacity, school boards are called upon to provide extended services at other times of the year for the four and five year olds under the guidance of the school year early childhood educators for a reasonable fee. This could include summertime, PD days, and statutory holidays.

Play-based learning

The new full-day early learning program for four- and five-year-olds is based on existing programs and Dr. Charles Pascal's advice. Through instruction and play-based learning, children will develop their capacity in language and mathematics, build a strong foundation for future learning, engage in healthy physical activities and the arts, and develop socially and emotionally through interaction with their peers and the adults who teach and guide them. This will provide our youngest students with opportunities to socialize with their peers and develop the academic and social skills necessary for school, including laying the foundation for each child's reading, writing and math skills.

Broader vision for Ontario's children and families

Dr. Pascal's June report, “With Our Best Future in Mind: Implementing Early Learning in Ontario” contained a number of recommendations including how to introduce full-day learning for Ontario's  four- and five-year olds, how to improve education for children up to 12 and how to increase and improve supports for young families, through more cost-effective and timely children's services.

The introduction of full-day learning for four- and five-year olds in September 2010 is the next step in Ontario's plan to improve education and build a stronger workforce.