Early childhood education plays a significant role in supporting students’ growth in areas such as physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communications skills and general knowledge. However, as young people move up through the education system, we pay less attention to these skills and competencies, even though they continue to be vital long into adolescence and adulthood. In this session, participants found out more about the role of early childhood education, and why the competencies identified in the Early Development Instrument (EDI) need to be a focus for all students.
Magdalena Janus is a professor at McMaster University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences and the Offord Centre for Child Studies, where she holds the Ontario Chair in Early Child Development. With the late Dr. Dan Offord, Magdalena co-developed the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a measure of children’s readiness to learn at school entry. Since then, Magdalena and her team led the implementation of the EDI in Canada – which has now surpassed 1 million children, garnered the support of governments across the country, and created a data source on early child development widely used by communities, educators, and researchers. Magdalena regularly serves as a consultant with various national and international organizations, such as the World Bank, WHO, and UNICEF, on the measurement and indicators of early child development.
Lois is proud to be a Registered Early Childhood Educator. Awarded the Andrew Fleck Services award for the “100 most influential people in child care”, she is a pioneer in the children’s services industry, and continues to work diligently in her advocacy for quality, accessible child care. As the founding president of the College of Early Childhood Educators, Lois understands the importance of self-regulation as a significant component of early learning and care. She travels the province – training, guiding, and supporting leadership in the sector and development of a quality system. Lois was also the founding Executive Director of Child and Family Resources, a multi service agency in northern Ontario.