Alberta has its own early learning and curriculum framework, called Flight. It's written for educators who work with children from birth to age six in child care centres and family day homes. Here's a quick guide for parents.
What Flight believes
Flight sees young children as capable learners and citizens who learn best through play. It treats educators as co-learners who observe children closely, wonder alongside them and plan experiences that build on what they're curious about. It also puts strong relationships with families at the heart of good care.
Four goals for every child
Flight describes four holistic, play-based goals for children's learning and care:
- Well-being: feeling safe, healthy and secure, with a growing sense of identity.
- Play and playfulness: imagining, exploring, taking risks and solving problems.
- Communication and literacies: sharing ideas through words, stories, art, music and movement.
- Diversity and social responsibility: belonging, caring for others and respecting differences.
What it looks like at Shining Stars
Our educators use Flight to plan each week, to notice and record each child's growth, and to talk with you about what your child is learning. When you see your toddler pouring water between cups, our educators see early math, problem solving and persistence, and they plan what comes next.
Flight and the Reggio Emilia approach share many ideas, which is why they work so well together in our rooms. Read more on our approach page, or visit the Flight framework website.