FDK Program Key Facts
Full-Day Kindergarten / Maternelle et jardin d'enfants à temps plein
KEY FACTS
September 2010: 35,000 four- and five-year olds enter the first year of full-day kindergarten
September 2011: 50,000 four- and five-year olds enrolled in nearly 800 schools - about 20 per cent of the total kindergarten population
September 2012: 1,700 schools will offer the program to 49 per cent of kindergarten students
Full-day kindergarten will be fully implemented by September 2014
Average class size: 26 students with a teacher and an early childhood educator, who work as a team
$200 million in support from Ministry of Education for the program in year 1; $300 million in year 2
To date, the province has allocated $500 million in capital funding to support the implementation of full-day kindergarten
Research says every $1 spent on early learning repays a seven-to-one return on investment
Play-based learning
The Full-Day Early Learning–Kindergarten Program document combines The Kindergarten Program (2006), Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) and Every Child EveryOpportunity (Charles Pascal).
The program is child-centred and play-based—promoting children’s physical, cognitive, language, emotional, social and creative development and well-being.
The program document remains in draft for the 2011-12 school year.
Before- and after-school programs
Where there is sufficient interest from parents, schools with full-day kindergarten will provide an integrated on-site program from about 7 a.m. to start of school and after school until about 6 p.m.
School boards may offer the program directly or through an agreement with a third-party provider licensed under the Day Nurseries Act.
Costs of the program are covered by parent fees. Subsidies are available based on need and eligibility. Municipal service managers administer the subsidies for the program.
The program is guided by the ministry’s Extended Day Program document. It remains in draft for the 2011-12 school year.
Role of teacher and ECE in full-day kindergarten classrooms
There is a team of two educators in the full-day kindergarten classroom—a registered ECE and a certified teacher, with a “duty to co-operate” on:
planning for and providing education to students
observing, monitoring and assessing the development of the students
communicating with families
maintaining a healthy physical, emotional and social learning environment
performing all duties assigned to them by the principal
Children with special needs and special education needs
The Ministries of Education, Children and Youth Services, and Health and Long-Term Care are working closely to support students with special needs or special education needs.
For 2011-12, school boards, parents and community service agencies continue to work in partnership to ensure that children with special needs or special education needs can participate in full-day kindergarten.
Evaluation
The ministry has begun an evaluation of full-day kindergarten, with a particular focus on student achievement and overall child development. The results of the evaluation will help improve the delivery of full-day kindergarten and refine the approach to implementation.
More information
Ministry of Education website: www.ontario.ca/kindergarten / www.ontario.ca/childcare
The Full-Day Early Learning–Kindergarten Program, draft www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindergarten_english_apr13.pdf
The Full-Day Early Learning—Kindergarten Program: Extended Day Program, draft http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kinderProgram2010.pdf
The Full Day Early Learning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2010 (Bill 242) http://www.ontla.on.ca/bills/bills-files/39_Parliament/Session2/b242ra.pdf
early learning memos – http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/kindergarten/memosummary.html
Still have questions about full-day kindergarten?
Submit your questions to www.edu.gov.on.ca/kindergarten/feedback.html.