Politicians debate best learning environments for kids under 5
Vancouver Sun
March 22, 2008
By: Janet Steffenhagen

Early learning has become the buzzword -- or phrase -- in education circles as the provincial government pushes its plan to make B.C. the most literate jurisdiction in North America by 2015.

Programs with catchy names for the under-five set have been cropping up everywhere….

First in the spotlight are the StrongStart centres that have been the education ministry's top priority during the past year and are destined to remain in that spot for the coming year. The last budget speech promised the opening of 316 centres during the next two years in addition to the 84 already established.

These free drop-in centres are open for a few hours each day and staffed by qualified early-childhood educators. They offer stories, music and art for what the ministry calls "home-based children," which means only children accompanied by a parent or caregiver may attend.

… In addition to StrongStart centres, there are Books for Babies, Ready-Set-Learn, LEAP (Literacy, Education, Activity and Play) BC, Success by Six, Welcome to Kindergarten, Parent-Child Mother Goose, PALS (Parents as Literacy Supporters), Books for Breakfast and others.

The focus on early learning began in 2005 when the Education Ministry's mandate was expanded to include learning and literacy for preschool children -- newborns to five-year-olds. …

While many applaud the government's new emphasis on early learning, some say the effort lacks an overall plan that would not only help parents decide which programs best fit their needs but would also knit together early learning and child care -- since a majority of parents are in the workforce and can't necessarily attend daytime drop-in centres….

"There seems to have been a deliberate effort by the provincial government to separate child care and early learning into two different silos, which is not helpful," said child-care advocate Sharon Gregson. "We've got a broad range of little programs and we've got a broad range of funding mechanisms without any cohesive plan."

Gregson, also a Vancouver school trustee, says it's difficult for families to work their way through the maze of programs, and parents who use childcare centres are left wondering if they should also be taking their children to StrongStart centres to ensure they get the "early learning" promoted by government.

Furthermore, she says there is no evidence yet that StrongStart centres are worth the investment. "They might be excellent, but there hasn't been fair evaluation of them yet."

… others are also worried about the disconnect between early learning and child care. Penny Tees, president of the B.C. School Trustees' Association, said it has been the subject of discussion province-wide. There is concern that government, while promoting early learning, has not yet developed a comprehensive approach to child care, she added.

"We are extremely pleased that there is provincial recognition that what is happening in those early childhood years is critical," she said, but added there is still much to be done.

One initiative that has been widely cheered is the government's recent interest in full-day kindergarten for all five-year-olds. Currently, all-day kindergarten is offered only to aboriginal, ESL and some special-needs children.

"Most people would agree that the time has come for full-day kindergarten," Gregson said. "Two hours and 15 minutes of morning or afternoon kindergarten doesn't serve anybody well."

But there is no consensus about a supplementary promise by government to consider extending kindergarten to four-year-olds by 2010 and three-year-olds by 2012. (A new Early Childhood Learning Agency will study all three proposals and report to government within the year.)

The B.C. Teachers' Federation is strongly opposed to kindergarten for children younger than five and worries about the government's push for early learning in StrongStart centres. The union says children need social supports and well-funded, accessible daycare rather than early learning centres that stress letters and numbers.

"If a child is well fed, has decent housing, has good social supports, has medical and dental support and has good, high-quality daycare ... they will be ready for kindergarten," president Irene Lanzinger said in an interview. "Readiness isn't knowing how to read or do your numbers because there's lots of time for that."

Children under five should concentrate on play, she added.

Meanwhile, there is growing pressure from special-needs advocates for government to introduce early screening and intervention for children with learning disabilities, as recommended in late 2006 by a legislative committee charged with helping government reach its 2015 literacy goal.

The committee, chaired by Liberal MLA John Nuraney, said children should be routinely screened for learning disabilities before starting school, just as they are checked for hearing and vision problems. Early detection would allow for prompt intervention, the all-party committee said.

While agreeing early identification is important, the ministry suggested the responsibility falls to boards of education, adding that a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn't benefit kids equitably. It said many boards already conduct early screening for children at risk of learning disabilities.