How Does Learning Happen?

Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years

Creek Childcare Inc. is dedicated to supporting children’s learning, development, health, and well-being through caring and responsive Early Childhood Educators, who focus on active learning, exploration, play, and inquiry, and who see children and their families as able and active participants in all aspects of our programs.

As a licenced child care centre under of the Ministry of Education, we are committed to being in compliance with the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 at all times. In addition to that we have adopted “How Does Learning Happen? Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (2014)” as the document to guide and influence our approach to curriculum.

"How Does Learning Happen?" is organized around four foundations that are considered to be essential for optimal learning and healthy development for children: Belonging, Well-being, Engagement, and Expression. The four foundations apply regardless of the child’s age, ability, culture, language, geography, or setting. Unlike a structured curriculum, the conditions are high-level states of being that children naturally seek for themselves and should not necessarily be viewed as separate elements.

We at Creek Childcare view children as competent, capable, curious and rich in potential. Research indicates that when children are calm and feel a sense of belonging and well-being they are ready to learn. By building trust and creating supportive, positive and responsive interactions between the children and staff and among the children, learning can take place.

By following the children’s interests they are happy to engage in learning and express their unique ideas and creativity.

Engaging families in the program builds on these positive relationships and supports the child in their healthy growth and development.

The four foundations of How Does Learning Happen

HDLH is organized around four foundational conditions that are considered essential to optimal leaning and development for children:

Our Goals for your child’s success

The following are our general goals.  Specific indicators of compliance are developed for each goal. It is a by no means a comprehensive list.

1. promote the health, safety, nutrition and well-being of the children;
2. support positive and responsive interactions among the children, parents, child care providers and staff;
3. encourage the children to interact and communicate in a positive way and support their ability to self-regulate;
4. foster the children’s exploration, play and inquiry;
5. provide child-initiated and adult-supported experiences;
6. plan for and create positive learning environments and experiences in which each child’s learning and development will be supported;
7. incorporate indoor and outdoor play, as well as active play, rest and quiet time, into the day, and give consideration to the individual needs of the children receiving child care;
8. foster the engagement of and ongoing communication with parents about the program and their children;
9. involve local community partners and allow those partners to support the children, their families and staff;
10. support staff in their continuous professional learning