Glossary

Level 1 Early Childhood Educators with this qualification have one of the following: 

• one specified high school or college course 
• a 54-hour government-sponsored orientation course
• an approved family day home provider training course or 
• have been granted an equivalency from the Government of Alberta based on their previous training
• For more information: Child Care Staff Certification Guide*

* Children and Family Services website - November 30, 2023

Level 2 Early Childhood Educators with this qualification have either:

• completed a one year Early Learning And Child Care certificate program at an Alberta college or 
• have been granted an equivalency from the Government of Alberta based on previous training.  
• For more information: Child Care Staff Certification Guide*

* Children and Family Services website - November 30, 2023

Level 3 Early Childhood Educators with this qualification have:

• completed at least a two-year Early Learning and Child Care diploma program at an Alberta college or 
• have been granted an equivalency from the Government of Alberta based on previous training. 
• Educators with Level 3 qualifications may also hold a degree, master's, or Ph.D. in fields closely related to Early Learning and Child Care. 
• For more information: Child Care Staff Certification Guide*

* Children and Family Services website - November 30, 2023

Individuals with specialized knowledge, skills and competencies who can work either in a child care centre, out of school program, preschool program or in family child care. Formerly known as a caregiver/daycare worker or child care provider.

Care provided in an individual’s private residence. The educator can provide care for up to 6 children at one time, not including their own children. Children of all ages may participate in approved family day homes.

The program may or may not be licensed/regulated and educators may or may not have early childhood education qualifications. 

Also referred to as Early Learning and Child Care. Licensed facility-based daycare programs provide care and programming for infants, preschool children, and kindergarten children for four or more consecutive hours in each day the program is provided. Daycares may serve from birth to kindergarten. 

Licensed capacity refers to the maximum number of children allowed to be in a licensed or regulated child care program or setting at any one time.

Children’s Services licensing staff inspect licensed child care programs at least twice per year. Additional inspections also may occur to investigate critical incidents, to respond to complaints about the program, and ensure that corrective action was taken in response to identified violations of the legislation. Inspections are coded on the Child Care Lookup Tool as follows:

Licensed programs that serve children and youth ages 5 - 12 during non-instructional time, including non-school days, before and after school hours, non-instructional days, and school holidays. These programs encompass and promote a broad range of focus areas including social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and cognitive development and range in program delivery and philosophy. Out of school care programs promote positive social relationships with peers, School Age Educators, community and families by providing a safe and nurturing environment for children.

Licensed child care program provided to preschool-aged children and kindergarten-aged children for up to 4-hours per day per child. Preschools may serve children who are at least 19 months old to kindergarten.

Child care programs that have not been licensed nor are regulated by the province of Alberta therefore are not monitored by a set of standards that ensure safety and quality are maintained. 

“Curriculum is the whole range of experiences, planned and unplanned, direct and indirect, that occurs within an environment designed to foster learning.”(Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.142)

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

“May include principles, values, and goals of the program, as well as program standards and guidelines through which educators support children’s learning.” (Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.143)

In early learning, it is typically used to describe curriculum. Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework is Alberta’s curriculum framework.”

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

“Refer to the manner in which a child approaches learning, individually and within groups.” Examples include: “Playing and playful, Seeking, Participating, Persisting, and Caring.”(Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.143)

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

“Refers to ideas of fairness and social justice in order to provide different treatment or special measures for individuals or groups to ensure they have equal opportunities to succeed.”(Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.143)

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

A flexible curriculum framework that some early learning and child care programs use to guide their work with children and their families. It is focused on the uniqueness of childhood, considering learning and care with broad holistic goals for children’s development and learning, highlighting the importance of play, relationships and family diversity.

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

Refers to an interactive process of relationship-building between educators and families that is mutual, respectful, and responsive to the family’s language and culture.

“the understanding that cultural differences are embedded in family practices and traditions and that this diversity is a resource for learning and strengthening early childhood communities.” (Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.144)

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

Every child has the right to participate and to feel a sense of belonging. Inclusion is the idea of ensuring these rights are met by actively making choices or designing policies, programs, and physical environments so that all children, regardless of their different backgrounds or abilities, can participate actively and meaningfully within their learning environments and larger communities.

“Documented moments of children and educators create the focus for pedagogical dialogue through images, child-made artifacts, and recorded words.” (Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.145)

“A tool of meaning making—for reflecting on and revealing the way people look at and think about early childhood practices.” (Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.145)

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

Informed by Vygotsky’s theories whereby an educator’s decisions, actions, and interactions build on the children’s existing knowledge and skills to enhance their learning. (Makovichuk, et.al., 2014, p.146)

Retrieved from: www.flightframework.ca

An approach that recognizes and values children and families unique strengths that may include, their interests, cultural backgrounds and personal resources.

The process by which the brain develops the abilities to learn and remember. *

Also can be referred to as thinking skills—learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering.**

*Retrieved from: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=ue5462
**For more information: https://www.healthyparentshealthychildren.ca/
**For more information: www.caringforkids.cps.ca/

Development happens in stages which is a period of time when a child is typically learning specific skills or tasks. Each stage of development builds upon the stage that came before it.

The process of developing feelings and learning how to handle them appropriately. Every child has emotional needs. 

Retrieved from: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=hw250018

Skills that use the small muscles in the hands and fingers. They develop over time and also involve hand-eye coordination. Examples include using hands to eat, draw, dress, play, and write. 

Retrieved from: www.caringforkids.cps.ca

Skills that use the movements of the body’s large muscles. Examples include sitting, standing, walking, running, keeping balance, and changing positions.

Retrieved from: www.caringforkids.cps.ca

A term that refers to all areas of development at once. Holistic development looks at the child as a whole and recognizes that all areas of development are very much related and intertwined

The process of growth in height and weight throughout the body. Includes Fine Motor Skills and Gross Motor skills.

For more information: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/

Connecting and having relationships with others. It includes cooperating, and responding to others' feelings. 

For more information: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/

Temperament is each person's unique way of thinking, behaving, and reacting to other people and situations. Although every person is different, basic patterns of temperament exist.

For more information: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/

The ability to bounce back from adversity or challenging times.

For more information: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=hw250018
For more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm6Bf7JwK4g

Focuses on fine motor skills, visual-motor skills, perceptual skills, self-care skills, play skills, or for children who need more support with coping within their environment.

Retrieved from: albertahealthservices.ca

Focuses on gross motor skills including posture, balance, coordination, and the effect of muscles and joints on these skills.

Retrieved from: albertahealthservices.ca

Focuses on assessment and treatment of communication and feeding/swallowing development issues.

Retrieved from: albertahealthservices.ca