Fostering CREATIVITY

Over the last decade, research in Canada on early childhood education and brain development has focused on the importance of laying a solid foundation in the early years of a child’s life for improved learning in the later years (Mustard, 2006; Pascal, 2009a, 2009b; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). As a result, the government of Ontario has made policy changes that have affected Kindergarten programs in public schools in Ontario. As a result, the government of Ontario has made policy changes that have affected Kindergarten programs in public schools in Ontario. The Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK) learning model was introduced after a new law amendment was passed. In September 2010, Bill 242—Full-Day Early Learning Statue—Law Amendment Act (Legislative Assembly of Ontario, 2010)—came into effect and started the process of changing Kindergarten learning in Ontario public schools from a half-day to a full-day program with a greater focus on inquiry and play.

In Ontario, the Early Learning for Every Child Today (2006)—also called ELECT—was a framework for the Ontario early years childhood settings written by the Best Start Expert Panel on Early Learning. The researchers from this expert panel compiled brain development studies and compared early years programs from around the world. Mustard (2006) conducted studies showing that early brain development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behavior, and health. Research findings in Mustard’s report were based on detailed evidence from the neuroscience, developmental psychology, and educational fields of study. Evidence showed that a child’s brain development is connected to early years education and experience. Furthermore, Mustard found that

there are critical periods when a young child requires appropriate stimulation for the brain to establish the neural pathways in the brain for optimum development. Many of these critical periods are over or waning by the time a child is six years old. These early critical periods include: binocular vision, emotional control, habitual ways of responding, language and literacy, symbols and relative quantity. (2006, p. 5)

According to Mustard (2006), the brain’s architecture is built from the bottom up, and although the sequence of development in a child’s brain is similar from one child to the next, the rate of development and the variety of pathways vary. Understanding how children learn best will optimize the early years learning. Shonkoff (2010) showed that genes set the parameters for the basic structures of the developing brain, but a child’s interactions and relationships with his or her parents and significant others establish neural circuits and shape the brain. Many brain research studies (Greenspan & Shanker, 2004; Mustard, 2006; Shonkoff & Philips, 2000) have also revealed that opportunities for children to learn through play assist with the development of multiple pathways in the brain. Over the last decade, child brain development research studies (Rushton & Larkin, 2001; Rutledge, 2000; Washington, 2002) have produced more knowledge about neuro-scientific data than in several centuries. Clearly, the scientific evidence points to the importance of quality early years education programs. It also shows that we need to better understand what is actually happening in the classrooms.

In addition, the American Association of Pediatrics released a report in 2007 about the importance of play in the early years (American Association of Pediatrics, 2007). The report showed that starting from birth, play serves to strengthen the synaptic connections in the brain, especially the motor and sensory areas. It stated that there are also areas of rapid growth in the frontal cortex (cognitive thinking, problem-solving, and logic skills), and that it is through play that children can demonstrate their abilities (Bergen, 2007; Bodrova & Leong, 2007). Thus, this report showed that a wide variety of play experiences is necessary in order to develop a complex and integrated brain (see Appendix A for Glossary of Terms). Research studies (Bergen, 2007; Diamond, Barnett, Thomas & Munro, 2007; Kostelnik & Grady, 2009) also affirmed that play is important in the development of self-regulation, cognition, language, social, emotional, and creativity skills.

Fostering Creativity specifically investigates and analyzes Ontario’s FDK teaching practices. Through conversations with FDK teachers and visits to their Kindergarten classrooms, this book gathered information that would help one better understand how the Kindergarten practices were taking shape.