The following resources are websites with information that may support you in learning more about early learning. They are blogs, websites or links to articles that have helped shape my beliefs as an educator. I hope you find them useful.
The Kindergarten Program
This reason I chose to include this document as a resource is that I find the newest version does a great job at clarifying misconceptions about topics surrounding emergent curriculum, inquiry and how the four frames work together to capture student learning. While the expectations at the end are helpful for educators, the information provided at the beginning of the document is very clear and illustrative of how the program was designed. For anyone just staring out in kindergarten, I always recommend they start here.
Edugains Kindergarten Series
If you love to watch video clips to see examples of a kindergarten classroom in action, this website is for you! There are so many resources included in this website and at times, it can feel overwhelming. My suggestion is to start with clicking through the purple topic buttons on the left hand side and watching the video series first. After you feel more comfortable navigating through the website, check out the additional resources too!
How Does Learning Happen
As a teacher, I wasn’t exposed to this document until I started teaching with a DECE partner. However, every time I flip through the pages searching for support, I find myself nodding along with its message. This resource includes goals for children, expectations for early childhood programs and really encourages reflection for anyone working with young children.
Passionately Curious
A teaching team in my board, Tracy Sims and Cheryl Emrich have a professional blog that has been instrumental in helping me become the educator I am today. I find their blog posts a perfect blend of information (grounded in research) and practical examples from their classroom. Their post about how they start each year by slowing down and focusing on relationships is a must read. Their “Flow of the Day” posts have evolved over the years as they constantly strive to be reflective in their practice.
Ontario Kindergarten Teachers Facebook Group
I began teaching kindergarten in September 2012. This was one year before my school made the switch to FDK. At the time, I was so overwhelmed with wanting to use research to back my teaching decisions. I joined a group on Facebook designed to help teachers jump into the world of inquiry, play based learning, Reggio, documentation etc. A few months in, I joined the admin team for the group and have been learning alongside thousands of other educators for the last 5 years. This group continues to grow at a fast pace, yet a community of kind, helpful people still exist There are SO many resources in the files section, and always a willing group of members to help someone out when they need encouragement.
Kindergarten Connections 