Our Programs
Our Centres use How Does Learning Happen: Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years and Early Learning for Every Child Today: A Framework for Ontario Early Childhood Settings to guide an emergent curriculum that responds to children’s interests, questions, strengths, and experiences.
Early Learning for Every Child Today and How Does Learning Happen?
In Ontario, Early Learning for Every Child Today (ELECT) describes how children learn and develop from birth to age eight. How Does Learning Happen? builds on this foundation by recognizing children as competent, capable, curious, and rich in potential. Together, these resources support learning through caring relationships, play, exploration, communication, and meaningful daily experiences.
What Parents Can Expect
REKSAP Centres For Early Learning support the whole child. Educators create safe, caring, and engaging environments where children can build relationships, develop independence, express ideas, solve problems, and learn through meaningful play. Parents are children’s first and most important teachers, and ongoing communication between home and the Centre helps children feel secure, understood, and ready to learn.
- Belonging: Children feel connected to Educators, peers, families, and the learning environment.
- Well-being: Children are supported in their physical, emotional, and mental health.
- Engagement: Children learn through play, inquiry, creativity, and hands-on experiences.
- Expression: Children communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas through words, movement, art, music, building, dramatic play, and problem solving.
Toddlers
Toddlers are active explorers who learn through movement, touch, repetition, imitation, and testing new ideas. Warm relationships, predictable routines, sensory experiences, and opportunities to practise independence help toddlers feel safe, capable, and confident.
Educators support toddlers by helping them name feelings, use early language, make choices, practise self-help skills, and build confidence in a safe environment. Families may notice toddlers sharing space with others, following routines, showing curiosity, using new words, joining songs and stories, exploring materials such as blocks, water, paint, sand, puzzles, and dramatic play items, and beginning to recognize familiar letters and numbers.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten children continue to learn through play, inquiry, relationships, and real-life experiences. They are developing communication, self-regulation, problem-solving, early reading, writing, math, and collaboration skills.
Educators observe children’s interests and questions, then design opportunities that help them think deeply, create, explore, and represent their ideas in different ways. Families may notice kindergarten children writing their names, recognizing letters and numbers, measuring and comparing, asking thoughtful questions, creating detailed drawings or structures, working with classmates, and talking about their learning with pride.
Preschool
Preschool children learn through imagination, questions, friendships, and hands-on discovery. They begin to express more complex ideas, solve problems with others, and show growing independence in daily routines and play.
Educators encourage preschoolers to investigate topics that interest them, ask questions, build language, develop early math and literacy skills, and practise social skills such as taking turns, listening, helping, and negotiating. Families may see preschoolers drawing, building, pretending, counting, sorting, singing, telling stories, asking “why” questions, caring for themselves, writing their names, recognizing letters and numbers, and beginning to understand how their actions affect others.
School-Age Children
School-age children are developing a stronger sense of identity, responsibility, friendship, and independence. In before- and after-school programs, learning happens through choice, collaboration, leadership, creativity, physical activity, and opportunities to explore personal interests.
Educators support school-age children by listening to their ideas, encouraging problem solving, helping them manage conflict, and providing experiences that are challenging, meaningful, and respectful of their growing abilities. Families may see children planning projects, supporting younger peers, organizing games, exploring art or science activities, developing friendships, making decisions, and reflecting on their strengths and goals.
How Families Can Support Learning at Home
- Talk with your child about their day and listen carefully to their ideas.
- Read, sing, tell stories, and play together every day.
- Encourage independence by inviting your child to help with simple routines.
- Celebrate effort, curiosity, kindness, creativity, and problem solving.
- Share information with Educators about your child’s interests, culture, language, routines, and needs.
- Ask Educators what your child is exploring so you can continue the conversation at home.
When families and Educators work together, children experience consistent support across toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and school-age programs. Early learning is not only about preparing children for the future; it is also about valuing who they are today and helping them grow with confidence, joy, and a strong sense of belonging.
How Does Learning Happen?
A professional learning resource for those working in child care and child and family programs. It supports pedagogy and program development in early years settings that is shaped by views about children, the role of educators and families, and the relationships among them.
Early Learning For Every Child Today (ELECT)
A Framework for Ontario Early Childhood Settings describes how young children learn and develop, and provides a guide for curriculum in Ontario’s early childhood settings.