THE FOUR FRAMES
In the Kindergarten program, four "frames" are used to structure thinking about learning and assessment. The frames are designed to support a way of thinking that aligns with the way children's learning naturally occurs and that focuses on aspects of learning that are critical to young children's development. The frames reflect the integrated way in which learning occurs in children's play and inquiry in Kindergarten.
"...bear in mind that children enter the Kindergarten program at different stages of development and with diverse background and experiences - and that they will leave it at different stages and at different points in their growth..."
The Kindergarten Program 2016, Ontario
BELONGING AND CONTRIBUTING
The learning encompassed by this frame also relates to children's early development of the attributes that inform citizenship, through their sense of personal connectedness to various communities.
As children progress through the Kindergarten program they:
communicate with others in a variety of ways, for a variety of purposes, in a variety of contexts
identify and use social skills in play and other contexts
demonstrate an ability to use problem-solving skills in a variety of social contexts
demonstrate an understanding of the diversity among individuals and families and within schools and the wider community
communicate their thoughts and feelings, and their theories and ideas, through various art forms
demonstrate a sense of identity and a positive self-image
develop an appreciation of the multiple perspectives encountered within groups, and of ways in which they themselves can contribute to groups and to group well-being
recognize bias in ideas and develop the self-confidence to stand up for themselves and others against prejudice and discrimination
demonstrate an awareness of their surroundings
demonstrate an understanding of the natural world and the need to care for and respect the environment
demonstrate an awareness of themselves as dramatists, actors, dancers, artists, and musicians through engagement in various activities in the arts
demonstrate basic knowledge and skills gained through exposure to and engagement in drama, dance, music, and visual arts
What children learn in connection with this frame develops their capacity to think critically, to understand and respect many different perspectives, and to process various kinds of information.
As children progress through the Kindergarten program they:
communicate with others in a variety of ways, for a variety of purposes, in a variety of contexts
demonstrate literacy behaviours that enable beginning readers to make sense of a variety of texts
demonstrate literacy behaviours that enable beginning writers to communicate with others
demonstrate an understanding and critical awareness of a variety of written materials that are read by and with their educators
demonstrate an understanding and critical awareness of media texts
demonstrate an awareness of the natural and built environment through hands-on investigations, observations, questions, and representations of their findings
demonstrate an understanding of numbers, using concrete materials to explore and investigate counting, quantity, and number relationships
measure, using non-standard units of the same size, and compare objects, materials, and spaces in terms of their length, mass, capacity, area, and temperature, and explore ways of measuring the passage of time, through inquiry and play-based learning
describe, sort, classify, build, and compare two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures, and describe the location and movement of objects through investigation
recognize, explore, describe, and compare patterns, and extend, translate, and create them, using the core of a pattern and predicting what comes next
collect, organize, display, and interpret data to solve problems and to communicate information, and explore the concept of probability in everyday contexts
apply the mathematical processes to support the development of mathematical thinking, to demonstrate understanding, and to communicate thinking and learning in mathematics, while engaged in play-based learning and in other contexts*
express responses to a variety of forms of drama, dance, music, visual arts from various cultures
communicate their thoughts and feelings, and their theories and ideas, through various art forms
The learning encompassed by this frame supports collaborative problem solving and bringing innovative ideas to relationships with others.
As children progress through the Kindergarten program they:
communicate with others in a variety of ways, for a variety of purposes, in a variety of contexts
demonstrate an ability to use problem-solving skills in a variety of social contexts
demonstrate an awareness of their own health and well-being
demonstrate literacy behaviours that enable beginning readers to make sense of a variety of texts
demonstrate literacy behaviours that enable beginning writers to communicate with others
use the processes and skills of an inquiry stance (i.e., questioning, planning, predicting, observing, and communicating)
demonstrate an awareness of the natural and built environment through hands-on investigations, observations, questions, and representations of their findings
apply the mathematical processes to support the development of mathematical thinking, to demonstrate understanding, and to communicate thinking and learning in mathematics, while engaged in play-based learning and in other contexts
communicate their thoughts and feelings, and their theories and ideas, through various art forms
use problem-solving strategies, on their own and with others, when experimenting with the skills, materials, processes, and techniques used in drama, dance, music, and visual arts
use technological problem-solving skills, on their own and with others, in the process of creating and designing (i.e., questioning, planning, constructing, analyzing, redesigning, and communicating)
SELF-REGULATION AND WELL-BEING
What children learn in connection with this frame allows them to focus, to learn, to respect themselves and others, and to promote well-being in themselves and others.
As children progress through the Kindergarten program they:
communicate with others in a variety of ways, for a variety of purposes, in a variety of contexts
demonstrate independence, self-regulation, and a willingness to take responsibility in learning and other activities
identify and use social skills in play and other contexts
demonstrate an ability to use problem-solving skills in a variety of social contexts
demonstrate an awareness of their own health and well-being
participate actively and regularly in a variety of activities that require the application of movement concepts
develop movement skills and concepts as they use their growing bodies to move in a variety of ways and in a variety of contexts
communicate their thoughts and feelings, and their theories and ideas, through various art forms
The Kindergarten Program 2016, Ontario