Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

Attitude more important for early learning than letters and numbers, Canadians say

Oct. 10, 2006 Ottawa—Canadians think that early childhood learning should focus on attitudes—such as fostering a positive attitude toward learning—rather than on school readiness, according to a new large-scale survey released today by the Canadian Council on Learning.

That’s one of many findings from the first edition of the Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning—a yearly barometer of opinions, perceptions and beliefs about lifelong learning in Canada.

Key Findings on Early Childhood Learning

• Nearly 90% of Canadians view early childhood learning as critical to success in today’s society.
• Canadians say that fostering positive attitudes toward life and learning in early childhood is more important than school readiness and personal development, which includes developing children’s artistic abilities, social skills and sense of personal responsibility.
• Canadians assign parents the primary responsibility for providing early childhood learning opportunities.
• Canadians believe that reading and play are more important at this stage in life than academic pursuits, such as learning letters, numbers, colours and shapes.

“Canadians are saying that children need a high-quality relationship with their caregivers in order to set them on the right track for success in their lives,” says Paul Cappon, president and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning. “If we can make the journey of lifelong learning a positive one right from the start, Canadian society will benefit down the road.”

The Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning asked 5,266 Canadians about four aspects of learning throughout the lifespan: early childhood learning; health-related learning; structured learning (elementary, secondary and post-secondary); and work-related adult learning.

The survey was designed by the Canadian Council on Learning in consultation with Statistics Canada, and was also administered by the statistical agency. Results are based on telephone interviews conducted between April 25 and May 20, 2006.

For more information, please visit www.ccl-cca.ca/scal.

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The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded through an agreement with Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Its mandate is to promote and support evidence-based decisions about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.

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