Children entering kindergarten this year will follow a new Preschool Program adopted by the Québec government. Daily activities will continue to revolve around play, but there is now a new focus on learning the names and sounds of the alphabet, as well as the implementation of universal and targeted prevention activities to ensure a succesful transition to Grade 1.
Read the full summary article provided by Naître et Grandir, New Preschool Program: What’s in Store for your Toddler?
Read the complete Québec Education Program – Preschool Education – Preschool Cycle Program by the Ministère de l’éducation, or browse quickly through the Summary and Areas of development and competencies.
How Can Connexions Help your Child Transition Successfully to Kindergarten?
If your child is starting kindergarten for 4 or 5-year olds and is attending a school under the Western Quebec School Board, they will soon be receiving our Connexions School Readiness Kit at the start of school. The kit includes tons of health & social services resources specific to the Outaouais area, parenting information to help you establish routines and healthy lifestyles, early literacy and numeracy activities to prepare your child for school and other fun stuff.
If your child is attending a school under a French School Service Centre, please connect with us at 819-557-0615 or as we do have a few extra Kits on-hand.
We will also be offering our Community Speech-Language Pathology Continuum (CSLPC) Initiative once again this year to support the language development of children 5 and under. For more information about this Initiative and other upcoming events, make sure to Become a Member to receive our Email Send-Outs.
Make sure to join us on our Itsy Bitsy Tots Facebook Group as we will be re-launching this page for our Outaouais families! We will be sharing useful information about various child development skills, including speech, fine motor and social/emotional skills, as well as a wide range of health & social services resources within the Outaouais- and of course, tons of fun stuff and activities!
For more information about our mission to support English-speaking families and their children, make sure to read our latest report, Who Are our 0-5 Year Olds? This report provides a better understanding of the reality of our English-speaking children in the Outaouais and of the challenges they face, and will also serve as a guide for Connexions whose mission is to support and promote the health, well-being and vitality of the English-speaking population in the Outaouais. Read the full Report, Executive Summary and Fact Sheet.
Additional Online Resources that You Might Find Helpful
The Talk Box
How to Use the Talk Box: A Parent’s Guide to Creating Language-Rich Environments
Talk box : A parent’s guide to creating language rich environments
Children Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Child Encyclopedia
Agir Tôt
A smooth transition to school life
Canadian Pediatric Society- Screen time
Screen time and young children: Promoting health and development in a digital world
Digital media: Promoting healthy screen use in school-aged children and adolescents
Screen time and digital media: Advice for parents of school-aged children and teens
Activities to do with your child
Resources for parents
