Glossary of Terms

Abuse and neglect
Includes all aspects of abuse as defined by the Department of Justice Canada - physical abuse such as assault with a weapon, beating, biting, burning, choking, hitting, holding child under water, kicking, mutilation, pushing, shaking, use of force or restraint; emotional abuse such as exhibitionism, fondling or touching sexually or inviting to fondle or touch sexually, incest, intercourse, prostitution, pornography, or rape; emotional abuse such as exploitation, exposure to family violence, intimidation, social isolation, terrorization, unreasonable demands, or verbal threats; neglect such as failure to provide adequate nutrition, cleanliness, clothing, medical care, protection from harm, or shelter; and emotional neglect such as failure to provide adequate love, safety, or a sense of self worth.


Active listening
Involves listening to the intent of a message with an open mind without bias or prejudice.


Advocate
Involves participation in activities to help children, families, and early childhood educators gain the support and care needed. Activities could include participation in public forums around child care issues, signing petition, or writing letters to municipal, provincial, or federal officials.


Age appropriate
Ensuring that learning activities and materials are appropriate for the chronological age of the child.


Agency
Agency refers to the childcare setting.


Background experiences
The experiences that a child brings to the childcare setting such as cultural, ethnic, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language from the child's home environment.


Behaviour
All actions and activities engaged in by the child - social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive.


Curriculum
Includes all forms of planning and implementation of children's learning activities in the child care setting such as individual and group program planning and implementation, spontaneous and special activities.


Developmentally appropriate
Using practices, materials, and building learning opportunities with children that respect the child's right to learn through play, reflect individual children's background, experiences and changing capabilities, and are sensitive to the context of the family, culture, and community of individual children.


Early childhood settings
All early childhood settings such as home-based care, centre-based care, full time and part time child care programs.


Experiential learning
Learning that is the direct result of activities related to work or leisure activities.


Formal learning
Learning acquired through post-secondary education leading to recognition of that learning through credential granting such as a certificate or diploma.


Graduate
An individual who has completed the training requirements of an early childhood education program and has received a formal credential such as a certificate or diploma.


Informal learning
Learning from a variety of activities including conferences, workshops, discussions, independent reading and research, job experiences, and leisure activities.


Observation techniques
A variety of methods used to observe children's skills and abilities in order to plan and implement appropriate learning activities. Techniques include participant observation methods such as frequency counts, duration counts, charts, checklists or anecdotal records.


Safe and healthy environments
Learning environments are set up to ensure that all children's needs are met - physical, emotional, social, cognitive and language in order to optimize the safe and healthy development of all children.
 
 
Prior Learning Assessment Recognition
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