The Mauricie Regional Education Table (TREM), participating in the Great Toddler Week movement, has unveiled its brand new tools designed for parents of children about to enter kindergarten. The aim is to ensure the optimal development of the children so that their first experiences in the school environment go as smoothly as possible.
During an information and networking activity organized for those who work with children aged 0 to 5, TREM presented its new tools “Let’s open the doors of school together”. A total of eight topics are covered, each of which is accompanied by a simplified information sheet. The topics are divided into two categories, namely what children can generally do or should know to make entry into kindergarten easier, and what is not necessary and is instead dealt with by the school.
“To implement our tool design, we had the chance to work with exceptional partners,” said Méliza Lottinville, project manager at TREM. We present tools that reflect people’s realities, are easy to understand, and capture parents’ attention. We have also developed tools that take different environments into account. In short, before starting kindergarten, we want to demystify what is necessary and what is not necessary. »
TREM has been able to count on the contribution of community institutions, early childhood centers and school institutions with which it works to implement measures that respond to the needs identified in the region and to develop and design these tools. “By knowing our children’s vulnerabilities, we can develop the best strategies to help them succeed. At TREM we will continue to join forces and efforts with those of other organizations to promote equal opportunities and the development of the full potential of our children,” said Mélanie Chandonnet, Director General of TREM.
“The tools we are introducing for school transitions will help parents decide what to do and what not to do when my child starts kindergarten. Sometimes there are several myths surrounding the topic. Does my child need to be able to count, do they need to know how to tie their shoes or do they need to know how to go to the toilet? It can put pressure on us as parents, so we offer tools to demystify it all. »
A worrying portrait for Mauricie
Vice-President and Municipal Sector Representative at TREM, Nancy Mignault, took the opportunity to mention that the recent Quebec Child Development Survey in kindergarten paints a poor picture of Mauricie at this time. regarding the areas of development of our little ones.
“We don’t look good in Mauricie,” she testified. The vulnerability of our children is increasing in all areas of development covered by the survey. Therefore, it is now our duty to take note of this data, roll up our sleeves and row together in the same direction to help our little ones. The survey conducted in 2022 found an increase in the vulnerability of our 5-year-old kindergarten children in all developmental areas covered by the survey, including two that have significantly higher proportions than the rest of Quebec, namely social skills and cognitive and language development. »
“In numbers, the proportion of children at risk in the area of social skills has increased from 9.3% in 2017 to 12.2% in 2022, making us one of the regions with a significantly higher proportion of children at risk in this area than the rest of the Province. Regarding the area of cognitive and language development, the proportion of our children at risk in this area has increased from 12.7% in 2017. That is why it is our duty to take note of this data and roll up our sleeves for our little ones,” she concluded.