Milton Understanding the Early Years
The Milton
Understanding the Early Years
(UEY) initiative was a short-term project designed to help
the communities
of Milton better understand the needs
of their young children and families, primarily by providing
quality information on the readiness to learn of their
kindergarten children.
With quality information on the needs of its children,
communities can determine the best programs and services
to meet those needs. A community in action on the early
years is one that is working together for the
well-being of children. Click below to read Milton's
Community Action Plan:
UEY Newsletters
Click below to read the Milton UEY newsletters from
summer 2008.
July
August
Why do the "early years"
matter?
Research shows us that a good start in life, particularly
in the first few years, sets a strong foundation for
future success and happiness in school and throughout
life.
How do we know how
our children are doing?
In Milton, indeed across all of
Halton, two
tools are used to determine how well our children are
doing. The first is the Early Development Instrument
(EDI), which is a survey that
asks kindergarten teachers
to assess their students' readiness for school.
The second is the Kindergarten Parent Survey (KPS),
which asks parents about their children's health and
development, pre-kindergarten life experiences, family
support, and neighbourhood characteristics, among other
critical early years factors.
Together the EDI and
KPS provide the foundation for a community to determine
its strengths and weaknesses. On top of that foundation,
parents and child-focused
social service
agencies have their own knowledge and experience to
add.
Taken altogether,
they give the community of Milton the information it
needs to begin working together to make a difference
in the lives of its youngest citizens.
What are five key areas
of life that impact a child's readiness for school?
Communication and General Knowledge This is the ability
to clearly communicate one's needs and to understand
others, as well as an interest in the outside world.
*
Click to see our
early years posters on listening and talking, or
click to read about some of the
best children's books
related to this key area of life. All are available
at the Milton Public Library. These books can inspire
important conversations, play and learning. Enjoy!
NEW! Click for two pages
of great ideas to strengthen
your child's
communication and general knowledge through
fun and play.
Emotional Maturity This is the ability to
recognize and express both positive and negative emotions
in ways that are healthy, respectful, and appropriate
to the situation. It is also empathy and the willingness
to help and comfort others.
*
Click to see our
early years posters on empathy and helping,
or click to read about some of the
best children's books
related to this key area of life.
NEW! Click for two pages
of great ideas
to strengthen
your child's
emotional maturity through fun and play.
Language and Cognitive Development This includes
word and number recognition, counting and memory, as
well as advanced literacy such as reading and writing.
*
Click to see our
early years posters on reading and writing,
or click to read about some of the
best children's books
related to this key area of life. All are available
at the Milton Public Library. These books can inspire
important conversations, play and learning. Enjoy!
NEW! Click for two pages
of great ideas
to strengthen
your child's
language and cognitive development through
fun and play.
Physical Health and Well-Being This is physical readiness
for school (not arriving at school hungry), physical
independence (well-coordinated movements), and gross
and fine motor skills (able to handle crayons and pencils).
*
Click to see our
early years posters on fine motor skills,
or click to read about some of the
best children's books
related to this key area of life.
NEW! Click for two pages
of great ideas
to strengthen
your child's
physical health and well-being through fun
and play.
Social Competence This includes taking responsibility
and showing respect, problem-solving abilities, adjusting
to routines, positive work habits, and the readiness
to explore new things like books, toys and games.
*
Click to see our
early years posters on social skills,
or click to read about some of the
best children's books
related to this key area of life. All are available
at the Milton Public Library. These books can inspire
important conversations, play and learning. Enjoy!
NEW! Click for two pages
of great ideas
to strengthen
your child's
social competence through fun and play.
It is widely recognized that
these five areas of life are key to success in school
and beyond, and each one is measured by the Early Development
Instrument (EDI).
* These definitions
are based on the EDI,
which is used in Senior Kindergarten classes across
Ontario to measure the readiness to learn of kindergarten
students.
How ready for school
are Milton's children?
Click below for
Neighourhood Profiles
that show how Milton's children are doing.
West Milton
East Milton
South Milton
Rural North Halton
The Understanding
the Early Years initiative is funded by Human Resources
and Social Development Canada. For further information,
visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca.
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