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Canadians think that early childhood learning should focus more on attitudes—such as fostering a positive attitude toward learning—than on school readiness.
Resources
Overall news release: Majority of parents can’t help their children with homework, say Canadians
Fact Sheet: Attitudes toward early childhood learning (PDF, 609 KB)
News release for early childhood learning: Attitude more important for early learning than letters and numbers, Canadians say
Summary of questions (PDF, 89 KB)
Complete questionnaire (PDF, 314 KB)
Canadians:
Parents of young children (under 8):
Canadians Agree:
Parents say:
Figure 1: How critical is learning to success in life?
Respondents were asked how critical various stages of learning are to success in life. These stages include:
The majority of respondents agree or strongly agree that learning at each stage is critical to success in life. Respondents do, however, place more importance on the first three stages and are less likely to strongly agree that learning at the post-secondary level is critical to success in life.
Men and women indicate that learning during early childhood, the elementary years and the high-school years is more critical than learning at the post-secondary level. Women are more willing than men to endorse the position that those first three stages of learning are critical to success in life. Respondents with more education also agree more strongly that learning during those three stages is critical.
Figure 2: Women agree more strongly than men that learning during the elementary and high-school years is critical to success in life
Figure 3: University-educated Canadians agree more strongly that learning during the first five years, elementary years and high-school years is critical to success in life
Back to What We Learned »
Figure 4: Responsibility for providing learning opportunities to young Canadians
Respondents were asked to what extent they hold parents, teachers, preschools and governments responsible for providing learning opportunities to young children. Most Canadians (more than 75%) agree or strongly agree that all four parties are responsible for providing learning opportunities for young children, but Canadians hold parents primarily responsible—this is equally true for parents and non-parents. Men and women responded very similarly; however, women are more likely than men to assign responsibility to preschools. Respondents with more education tend to assign more responsibility to parents than do respondents with less education.
Figure 5: Canadians with more education agree more strongly that parents are primarily responsible for providing early learning opportunities
Figure 6: Potential roles Canadians see for governments in early childhood learning
Respondents were asked about the following five manners by which governments could take responsibility for facilitating early childhood learning:
Two of the above were generally more favoured than the other three: increasing public awareness of the importance of early childhood learning and improving access to quality child care services.
Parents of older children (aged nine and over) responded differently than parents of younger children, while non-parents and parents of younger children (aged eight and under) responded quite similarly. One notable difference is that parents of older children are less likely than the other two groups to endorse any of the ways in which governments might facilitate early childhood learning. That is, as their children leave this stage, parents are less likely to agree that governments should adopt any approach to facilitating early childhood learning.
Figure 7: Parents of older children are less likely to endorse any role for governments in facilitating early childhood learning
A closer look reveals that non-parents and parents of younger children believe that improving access to quality child-care services would be the best way for governments to facilitate early childhood learning, while parents of older children indicate that increasing public awareness of barriers to learning would be the best approach.
Figure 8: Men and women with more education are more likely to endorse roles for government in enhancing early childhood learning
Women agree more readily than men that governments should facilitate early childhood learning by any of the five suggested means. Women also indicated strongest agreement that governments should improve access to quality child-care services, whereas men most strongly agree that governments should increase public awareness about the importance of early learning.
Respondents with more education are generally more willing to endorse any of the approaches governments might take, and this is especially true for women. Among university-educated women there is especially strong agreement that governments should improve access to quality child-care services.
Figure 9: What young Canadians should learn
The factors and their constituent items
1. Attitude
2. School readiness
3. Personal development
Parents with young children (aged eight and under) were asked to consider nine items and rate the extent to which they thought early childhood learning should involve each item.
These items were combined to form three factors. (See text box.)
Parents generally favour the Attitude factor over School Readiness and Personal Development.
This is true for fathers and mothers of young children, but fathers endorse all three of the factors more strongly than do mothers.
Foster a positive attitude toward learning
50%
Parents with more education endorsed the factors more strongly than did parents with less education. As well, parents without a high-school diploma prioritized School Readiness over the other two factors, while parents with at least a high-school diploma prioritized Attitude over all other facts.
Parents of young children were asked about the most important factors in choosing child-care services. These parents are primarily concerned with the caregiver–child relationship and with the caregivers’ training.
Just under half (43%) of all parents with young children indicate that at least one of their children has regularly attended day care at some point during the past five years. These parents are even more concerned with the quality of the caregiver–child relationship than parents whose children have not been in day care.
Figure 11: Most important factors for Canadian parents when choosing child-care services
Figure 12:Activities important for enhancing early childhood learning
1. Play
2. Reading
3. Academics
Parents of young children were asked about eight activities that are potentially important for enhancing early childhood learning.
Overall, parents are most likely to agree that reading to children is important and least likely to agree that attending organized classes is important.
The eight items were combined to form three factors. (See text box.) Parents generally prioritize Reading over Play and Academics.
Fathers are much more likely than mothers to agree that academic activities are important for enhancing early childhood learning.
Reading to children
63%
Parents with more education are more likely than those with less education to endorse any type of activity that might enhance early childhood learning. Parents without a high-school diploma prioritized academic activities over all other types of activity. In contrast, parents with at least a high-school diploma emphasized reading activities over all other types of activity.
Figure 13: Parents with more education more strongly endorse all types of early learning activities
Figure 14: How child-care providers can support early childhood learning
Parents of young children were asked about nine aspects of early learning that child-care providers should focus on.
Overall, parents most strongly support “developing problem-solving skills” and show the weakest support for “fostering children’s individual interests.”
Results show that, when these nine items were combined to form four factors (see text box), parents believe child-care providers should focus on basic skills, such as problem-solving and verbal communication, though mothers and fathers differ on this point. Mothers prioritize personal skills over basic skills, while fathers are particularly emphatic regarding basic skills.
1. Individuality Fostering children’s individual interests Addressing children’s individual needs 2. School preparation Preparing children for school Teaching children letters and numbers 3. Personal skills Helping children to gain self-control Helping children to become independent Teaching children to respect authority 4. Basic skills Enhancing verbal communication Developing children’s problem-solving skills
1. Individuality
2. School preparation
3. Personal skills
4. Basic skills
Developing children’s problem-solving skills
44%
Figure 15: University-educated parents are particularly concerned with basic skills
Parents with different levels of education also differed somewhat in their response patterns. Parents with a university-level education were more inclined than any of the other three groups of parents to indicate that child care providers should focus on children’s individuality and on their basic skills.
Figure 16: Parent perceptions of funding for child-care services
When asked about child-care services in their communities, parents are most concerned about funding and resources for parents who stay home with their children. Nearly two-thirds of parents—whether their children were in day care or not—agree or strongly agree that child-care services in their communities are underfunded. A similar proportion of parents agrees or strongly agrees that there are not enough resources for parents who stay home with their children.
Figure 17: Parents indicate that resources and facilities are limited for parents who stay home with their children
Parents of young children were asked the following questions about their knowledge of early childhood learning and what they need to know in order to enhance learning in their young children.
Figure 18: Fathers are more likely than mothers to indicate that they know enough to support their children’s early learning
A minority of parents (28%) strongly agree that they need to know more about children’s learning. Another minority (21%) strongly agree that they know enough to support their children’s learning. Both mothers and fathers of young children are more likely to agree that they need to know more about children’s learning than to agree that they know enough. However, fathers are more likely than mothers to indicate that they know enough.
Parents with a university degree are more likely to indicate that they know enough to support their children’s learning than to say that they need to know more about children’s learning. Parents at all other levels of educational attainment are less likely to say they know enough than to say that they need to know more.
Figure 19: Parents who want to know more about early childhood learning are particularly interested in factors that affect early learning
Figure 20: Parents with children in day care are more likely to agree that quality child-care services are not widely available
Parents of young children were asked a series of questions about the child-care services available in their communities. Parents responded most favourably to questions concerning availability: fewer than half agree or strongly agree that quality child-care services and competent caregivers are not widely available. Parents with children in day care agree more strongly than those whose children are not in day care that there is a lack of services and caregivers.
Figure 21: Parents with children in day care are more likely to agree that there are not enough competent early childhood educators
Figure 22: Parents do not have enough information to assess the quality of child-care services in their communities
A slim majority of parents indicated that they do not have enough information to assess the quality of day cares in their communities—this was equally true whether or not parents had children in day care.
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