Not just child’s play

Junior and senior kindergarten programs have social, emotional and academic benefits

Photo: Bigstock Photo

One or two years of kindergarten is helpful heading into Grade 1, says the director of Turnbull School.

Kindergarten, says Gareth Reid, “provides children with social confidence and nourishes those social skills that help them learn.”

It’s something many children who would have been the age to attend junior and senior kindergarten during the COVID-19 pandemic may have missed out on. Reid says that many of these kids “didn’t get the play and socializing they needed. When they did get into a classroom,” Reid continues, “those social aspects and settling into a routine were foreign to them. Some of them struggled at first.”

At Turnbull, an Ottawa private school located on Fisher Avenue, the JK and SK classes are blended.

“We started blending the two age groups about 15 years ago,” says Reid. “It’s really worked out well. They learn to work together, learn numeracy and reading skills. Most of them are starting to read and write before they get to Grade 1.”

Play — essential for children — in Turnbull’s JK and SK classes can either be structured or unstructured.

“We provide seasonal themes and material for children to explore at different play centres,” says Reid. “Make believe is essential at these ages and our students get to pursue their own imagination.”

Working with the same team of teachers through JK and SK is important, stresses Reid, as it helps to create strong bonds and positive relationships between parents, teachers and students. “Having the same teachers for two years creates continuity and helps with tracking social and intellectual development going into Grade 1,” says Reid. “I read to the JK/SK classes a few times each month and it’s delightful to see the change from September to June as these young students become more independent and thrive.”

At St-Laurent Academy, the JK, JK/SK and SK programs provide an excellent first impression and step for their students’ introduction into the educational world.

“Not only do we provide the important opportunity to explore through play and experimentation,” says Colleen Long, elementary principal at St-Laurent Academy, “our curriculum also provides a balance, with a wonderful academic schedule which includes English, arts, math, science, French and more, for eager young minds to expand their learning experience. In addition to this balanced approach, we make sure that our students enjoy physical education classes daily with fantastic weekly field trips to enrich everyone’s profile.”

Long says consistency for all classroom activities is also key and each grade is led by the head teacher who focuses on core subject areas, including the very important aspects of social and emotional development.

“As children begin to navigate the social environment, it’s important for our students to also develop confidence in creating friendships, advocating for self, communicating feelings and needs, as well as respecting and understanding others.” At St-Laurent Academy, JK students are typically four years of age and may have already experienced being in pre-kindergarten, as St-Laurent Academy runs a full daycare.

Long says every child is unique.

“With our three-tier system, we are able to not just take age into consideration,” says Long, “we can also assess each student individually and provide the personalized focus that every child deserves.” When their students graduate at the end of SK, “they’ve got the confidence and the skills to jump right into Grade 1 with ease,” Long says.

Fern Hill School students get an early start on learning through play in their preschool program.

“Our preschool program encourages our students to extend their play to more complex levels of discovery,” says Deborah Gutierrez, principal at Fern Hill School. “It also provides the opportunity to interact and socialize, which become essential as they head into JK and SK.” Gutierrez says that both the JK and SK programs have integrated language, math, art, science, and physical education for a continuous learning experience. “We want our JK students to grow and explore,” says Gutierrez, “and by providing a wide range of activities that include play and imagination, it helps them be part of the group and also make friends.”

The SK program at Fern Hill School continues the integrated programs introduced in JK, but it also begins the transition into a more structured academic environment.

“By the time our students graduate from SK, they are ready to take on the more structured and traditional learning of Grade 1,” says Gutierrez. “Our JK and SK curriculum and its integrated approach makes sure that students are intellectually, socially, and emotionally ready to move on and continue learning and thriving. I definitely think there are benefits for any child attending a JK and SK program.”  

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Useful websites

turnbull.ca/

st-laurentacademy.com/

fernhillottawa.com/