Peel board initiative cuts aggression in kindergarten
February 28, 2008
Kristin Rushowy
EDUCATION REPORTER
An early years project targeted at children in Mississauga's Dixie-Bloor neighbourhood has led to a drop in hyperactivity, aggression and emotional problems among senior kindergarten students.
Supports such as annual assessments of kindergarten students and schools filled with services for families have made a big difference, said Jim Grieve, director of education for the Peel District School Board.
In fact, Grieve added, the board has extended assessments of kindergarten students to all of its schools so it has a better idea needs across the region.
Tuesday, a similar project for the Malton area, near Pearson airport, was unveiled.
It too is part of the national initiative funded by the federal government to improve early childhood development.
The Peel board is sponsoring the project and applied for the funding, but the community is taking the lead, said Paul Favaro, chief of assessment and accountability.
"They are going to be guiding the whole project," as well as determining what to do once the data on children's health, and social and emotional well-being has been collected. Community services will be mapped, as they were in Dixie-Bloor, to make sure needs are being met.
"We learned a great deal about how to geographically map the services and achievement across our community," said Grieve.
"It shows you immediately ... the neighbourhoods or pockets or school communities where there are issues.
"It shows you if you've got a significant number of children arriving in Grade 1 who are not ready to learn, or an area that is completely void of child-care services."
In Dixie-Bloor, mapping led to four community hubs in schools – offering social services – and 10 school readiness centres, added Favaro.
The results? An increase in vocabulary skills and a big drop in hyperactivity among children – a drop from 20 per cent to 8 per cent from 2001 to 2005, said Favaro.
Parents also reported less aggression and emotional problems in their children, although there was a slight increase in "indirect aggression," such as telling secrets or spreading rumours.
Toronto Star