Author

Nic Enright-Morin

The Myopia Epidemic

The chances are that when you were a kid, some well-meaning adult probably convinced you that eating carrots would help you to see in the dark.

While you might not hear that fictitious fact too often anymore, – cos’ let’s face it, carrots won’t give you night googles any more than eating blueberries will turn you blue, it turns out that our modern lifestyle is affecting our vision – and not for the better.

That’s because myopia rates are on the rise – particularly in children.

Myopia, if you’ve never heard of it before, is the medical term for what is more commonly referred to as ‘nearsightedness’. Basically, it is a common eye condition that makes distance vision blurry. What that means is people with myopia can typically see well enough to read a book or computer screen but struggle to see objects farther away. While myopia affects kids as well as adults, in the past the childhood rates weren’t too much of a cause for concern.

But with our ever-changing modern lifestyle: more and more of us spending less time outdoors and more time inside – myopia is on the rise, and optometrists and eye specialists want to let families know the risks.

Because the good news is: there are precautions that you can take to protect your kid’s eyes from unnecessary damage.

While the cause of myopia can be down to genetics – which basically means if mum or dad has it, there is a greater chance that a kid will too, our lifestyle choices play a role in the increase in cases, especially in kids.

Dr. Debbie Jones is a clinical professor of optometry at the University of Waterloo and a scientist at the Centre for Ocular Research & Education. Her team found that children who spend less time outside are much more likely to have myopia or nearsightedness, which often gets worse with age. “Children spending more time inside on tablets and cell phones and other near activities and less time outside is certainly one of the components of why rates of myopia in kids are on the rise.”

In the study conducted by Dr. Jones and her team of experts, they found that myopia is a global epidemic with prevalence rates in Canadian children increasing at an alarming rate. Of the 166 children in the study, nearly 20 percent were nearsighted. What was more worrying was how the numbers increased with age: six percent of the children (age six to eight) were nearsighted, compared to 28.9 percent of children ages 11 to 13 – a five-fold increase.

The good news is that in many cases, myopia is preventable. Dr. Jones said that her team found that children who spent even an extra hour outside per week, were about 14 times less likely to be myopic than children who didn’t. “We know that outside time has a protective effect. So if your child is not myopic then more time spent outside is recommended – at least ninety minutes a day. And if your child is myopic, then talk to your eye care practitioner about ways to slow down the progression.”

So how do you know if your child has myopia?

Just like with anything medical, consult a specialist. Dr. Jones said that often parents overlook going to the optometrists for a check-up because they assume their kid’s eyes are fine.

“I often have parents who say to me, ‘my kid’s eyes are fine’ and my response is ‘well you know that one eye is working.’ Because without a thorough and regular eye examination from an optometrist, you don’t really know how their eyes are working. And children are not very good at letting you know if they can’t see clearly, they may not have a comparison, so kids might not actually know that they have an eye problem. There really is no substitute for a regular eye examination.”

Dr. Jones said that parents need to view a trip to the optometrist in just the same way as a trip to the dentists. “You wouldn’t look in your child’s mouth and expect to see a problem with their teeth – it should be the same for vision. You can’t look at your child’s eyes and decide for yourself if they have a problem, you should take them to a professional.”

You might be surprised to learn that the recommendation for the first eye exam is at six months of age; which is really to check that a baby’s eyes are developing normally.

Eye specialists then recommend a second exam around the age of about three years old, then annually thereafter. Dr. Jones said, “We recommend an eye exam once a year from school age onwards, just to make sure that you find out if things are changing.”

While coverage for optometry exams varies from province to province, here in B.C. if you are under the age of 19, your MSP will fund or subsidize the cost of one routine eye exam a year. Additionally, MSP may cover all routine eye exams for children under the age of 19 in families who receive income or disability assistance.

It’s important to get kids eyes tested because myopia in young children will get worse as they get older because their eyes are continuing to grow. And the scary thing is if nearsightedness is left untreated, it can increase the risk of blindness. The more nearsighted your child is, the greater these risks become and these risks increase exponentially as myopia progresses.

The majority of myopia progression typically occurs between the ages of 6-17, as this is a key growth time for children and their eyes.

Although Dr. Jones says there’s no substitute for a routine eye exam, she also said there are signs that kids may be suffering from nearsightedness. She said parents may notice their children squinting at things, they may move closer to things (like the TV) to get a better view, they may hold things closer, they may struggle at school. Sometimes children can even fall behind with reading or schoolwork. A perfect example of myopia affecting a kid’s life is when they have difficulty reading a teacher’s writing on the whiteboard. Sometimes people with undiagnosed myopia have headaches and eyestrain from struggling to clearly see things in the distance. So, there are lots of things that you can look out for.

There are plenty of resources online available, including a new website that has just been launched called fightmyopia.ca with some good information about myopia and it can also help people find a good eye care practitioner if they don’t have one already.

Finally, Dr. Jones said that while the news is alarming, we should remember that with environmental cases of myopia we are in a position to change the rising statistics.

“We don’t know for sure how much, but we do know that our modern lifestyle is having quite a significant impact on the effects on people’s eyesight. It’s a contributing factor, and we are in a position to try and reverse the trend by limiting that amount of screen time, indoor time and getting children outside more and having regular eye examinations and looking for ways to slow down that progression if we find our child is myopic.”

Ultimately it boils down to that message we hear time and time again: get kids off screens and outdoors. And if you want to feed them carrot sticks as well, then go for it.

Facts about Myopia

Myopia is near-sightedness which means people have trouble seeing things far away.
Myopia can only be diagnosed by a trained eye specialist, but symptoms could include: blurry vision, sitting too close to a TV, or holding a device too close.
People with myopia may also complain of headaches.
Myopia can be down to genetics, but the environment and lifestyle play a big factor.
Specialists recommend that kids spend time outdoors in daylight and less time indoor on screens.
Did you know that almost one-third of all cases of Myopia go undiagnosed or untreated; and if not properly treated by an eye care professional, can lead to long-term vision complications such as retinal degeneration and detachment?

Find an Optometrist near you

Lynn Valley Optometry
North Van, 604/987-9191
lynnvalleyoptometry.com
Dr. Shajani specializes in working with children with visual dysfunctions and learning-related vision problems. With our Vision Therapists, he has helped children reach their potential for over 12 years.

Maple Ridge Optometry
Maple Ridge, 604/463-4469
mapleridgeeyecare.ca
Our optometrists are committed to your child’s eye health and success. We can ensure your child has one of the most important tools they need for learning: healthy, clear vision.

Optomeyes
West Vancouver: 604/922-0413
Squamish: 604/892-5055
optomeyes.ca
Significant myopia is more than a cosmetic issue. Highly nearsighted people have a much higher incidence of several ocular diseases. By far, the most effective way of stopping and reversing myopia is orthokeratology. The doctors in our clinic have a combined 40 years experience in Ortho-K.

August 7, 2019 0 comment

Education

The Whole Child

written by Nic Enright-Morin

As parents, we all want our children to get the best education possible, and we are lucky that here in B.C., we have some of the greatest schools in the world.

But since the roll-out of the revised B.C. curriculum in 2016, education across the province has undergone a radical overhaul. The changes began in 2016 for grades K – 9, and further updates have been launched this fall for grades 10 – 12. With so much change taking place for hundreds of thousands of young people, there is a lot of talk about this new educational approach and what it means for our kids.

One school that is more than prepared for B.C.’s new curriculum is Pear Tree Elementary. Located in Kitsilano, Vancouver, Pear Tree is an innovative private school for children in kindergarten to grade 7. Their theme-based learning approach, which integrates project-based learning, problem-based learning, and inquiry-based learning, means that Pear Tree Elementary is completely in tune with the provincial changes.

Although Pear Tree Elementary is a relatively new school (they opened as a school in 2016), it is already getting wonderful feedback from both students and parents alike.

Paul Romani, the school’s co-founder and co-director, believes that Pear Tree Elementary’s progressive theme-based learning and whole child approach are among the secret to the school’s educational success.

But what exactly do these two approaches entail? As parents, we hear so many buzzwords that it can be hard to know what they truly mean. According to Romani, what teaching the whole child means is actually very simple!

“What many schools get wrong is that academics are only part of the puzzle. You have to educate kids’ socio-emotional sides: their feelings, their relationships with others, and their relationship with themselves. It’s important to develop a positive self-image.” Romani says the final part of the ‘whole child’ puzzle is a child’s physical well-being. “If you neglect a kid’s physical education and nutrition, it completely undermines all the other work that you are doing with that child. It’s no good trying to nurture a child with great academics and a stable emotional level if the child isn’t eating properly, because then they’re constantly either hyper or lethargic, because their body isn’t getting what it needs. Kids need an outlet to burn off their energy and a chance to get a proper physical education.”

At Pear Tree, all three components of the whole child are built-in to the schools’ daily routine – a mandatory healthy hot-lunch program and daily physical activity are something in which all students participate. Accompanying this is Pear Tree’s use of short-term and long-term goal setting for each child. This ensures that every stakeholder (school, parent, child) is constantly working towards meaningful and tangible goals – sort of like an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for every student.

Romani says that children’s development is hindered when schools and families focus solely on just one aspect of their well-being. “Teaching the whole child is basically about recognizing that all of those things are interrelated. You need to treat all the components with equal importance. For example, take the sports-focused families that want their kids to be great athletes; their academics suffer, and perhaps even their personalities suffer, as a result of such extreme competitiveness. Conversely, you’ve also got families that focus only on their kid’s academic success. Look what that does to their physical and social well-being.”

Romani said if you think your child is falling short in some developmental areas, or if their schooling isn’t up to par, then as a family, you can compensate for those shortcomings by taking extra-curricular activities in those areas. “Every family has different values; it’s all about balance at the end of the day.”

Romani says that when kids don’t have equilibrium between the three elements, it makes it hard for kids to grow up into balanced individuals who are able to take on any situation that life throws at them. He recognizes it may be difficult to ensure kids lead balanced lives, but it’s well worth the effort. “I know it can be quite overwhelming, but at the end of the day, if you want your child to be well-rounded, happy and successful then you need to educate the whole child, and you can’t neglect any of the three components.”

The other innovative approach that sets Pear Tree Elementary apart from other schools is their learning style. At Pear Tree, rather than subject-based learning, students undertake a theme-based learning approach, incorporating project, problem, and inquiry-based learning.

While Pear Tree is perhaps the only school in B.C. that uses this method, the new B.C. curriculum and its inquiry-based learning model is more in-tune with Pear Tree’s philosophy. What is more, Finland, a country generally considered to be a pioneer in education, recently introduced a theme-based learning approach across their entire country.

A theme-based learning approach is exactly as it sounds; rather than tackle each subject in isolation (like math, science, art), you take a theme – such as ‘Our Living Oceans’, or ‘Biomimicry’ – and learn about a broad range of subjects under that umbrella, including the performing arts, fine arts and technology. Particular subjects lend themselves to certain themes, so it requires a variety of themes to truly include all subjects at all times.

According to Romani, “A theme-based learning approach is about understanding that everything we learn in life, including the things that we learn at school, are learned for a reason; you are studying things because they are going to be useful to you in your life. Too many schools and educators fail to realize that the skills in the B.C. curriculum are there for a reason. Our regular field trips and guest speakers demonstrate precisely this, as students get to see working adults using the same skills in their jobs that they are learning at Pear Tree.”

During a typical term at Pear Tree Elementary, students have two to three themes on the go at any one time. Kids study one theme in the morning class; and, after the morning break, they may study the same theme, or move onto a different one. Students study those two to three themes for an entire semester. Within each theme, the kids cover numerous subjects. While some have more of a science or social studies, all of them are multi-disciplinary. Romani says that when kids study two to three different themes at a time, they really balance out.

“Students are completely immersed in those themes for three months or more, and within that time they will study all the different subjects, all connected to the B.C. curriculum. We follow the B.C. curriculum, but we put our own spin on it, and go far beyond it. Our students really get the opportunity to study topics in tremendous breadth and depth, which means they acquire and retain far more facts and skills than traditional learning approaches.”

For further details, or to find out when Pear Tree Elementary’s next school open house is, visit peartree.school for more information.

November 2, 2018 0 comment

Health

Is there a doctor in the house? There’s an app for that.

written by Nic Enright-Morin

With the dark days of winter looming upon us, it can only mean one thing: tis’ the season to get sick. And as anyone with a family knows, when flu season hits and your children are unwell, getting kids proper medical care in a timely and efficient fashion can be a real challenge.

We’ve all been there: that last-minute dash to the emergency room or walk-in clinic, only to find yourself waiting for several hours because you picked the busiest place in town.

But luckily, this winter, things might be a little different.

This week an app launched in B.C. that will help take the guess-work out of getting the speediest medical care for you and your little ones.

The app is called Doctr and it tracks the wait times and occupancy rates of emergency rooms and walk-in clinics across Canada. While the app doesn’t show exact wait times, it does show how busy each emergency room and walk-in clinic is in real-time, so that patients can make an informed decision about what emergency room is the best one to head to.

The app is free to download for smartphones, Android phones, and ipads and you can upgrade the app to premium to get access to wait time trends and forecasts.

Here in B.C. the app currently has information for six hospitals in the Lower Mainland, including hospitals in Vancouver, Richmond and North Vancouver. It also has data for many local walk-in clinics, and even if the app doesn’t have the data for the wait times, the app still has lots of other pertinent information including contact details and facility open hours.

Quentin Gay is one of the two co-founders of Doctr, and he’s delighted with how the roll-out of the app has been going across Canada so far. He is also pleased with how the app is helping people, particularly families, make choices that can make their lives easier and less stressful. “This app is useful to parents because they use emergency rooms a lot and knowing how long they are going to have to wait is going to help them plan their trip to the emergency room or to find an alternative. As we know, when kids get sick, family doctors aren’t always available right away – or perhaps you need a doctor after-hours or on the weekend, and with kids, sometimes you have acute problems that need to be seen to straight away.”

He also said that since the app was first launched in the winter of 2016 it has received great feedback from users, who find it incredibly convenient. In fact, more than 350,000 people across the country are using the apps features and many more are expected to take advantage of it this flu season. “So far, the feedback that we’ve received from people is that they find the app very useful because it gives them transparency. It’s similar to having the wait times displayed for transit when you’re waiting for a bus or the subway: it makes the wait times more bearable.”

To download the app, go online to Google Play, or the App Store.

Enter here to win 1 of 20 Doctr subsciptions to be given away on November 30th!

October 29, 2018 0 comment

Education Lower Mainland Parenting

Physical Literacy – An Exercise in Learning

written by Nic Enright-Morin

Over the past few years, the concept of physical literacy has grown in popularity around the world. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t feel bad – but before you ask, it’s nothing to do with running and reading books at the same time!

According to the International Physical Literacy Association, “Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding of value and taking responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.”

To put it into plain English, the concept simply means viewing all aspects of our health holistically, rather than as separate ideas.

The philosophy is gaining ground in Canada. This year, the BC Ministry of Health provided funding of $50,000 for 17 community ventures across B.C. to learn and be mentored about physical literacy and how it positively impacts our health and well-being.

But the reality is, even though experts now know that incorporating movement, nutrition and mindfulness together means children thrive, it isn’t always easy – or possible – for most mainstream and public schools to implement such ideas.

However, a progressive and modern school like Pear Tree Elementary, a private school in Kitsilano, has physical literacy at the heart of its learning approach.

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August 7, 2018 2 comments

Health

Pelvic Floor Health: the low-down

written by Nic Enright-Morin

Let’s get real: sneezing when you pee and painful intercourse are not usually topics that women are in a rush to discuss. But the reality is, pelvic floor dysfunction affects one in three Canadian women; a change commonly brought on by childbearing and menopause.

But if you thought looking after your pelvic floor meant doing a few Kegels while you stand in line at the grocery store – think again. Not only are Kegels not appropriate for everyone, if you do them incorrectly, but you can also harm the muscles and tissues you’re trying to help.

It’s also crucial to get a proper diagnosis of what’s going on ‘down there’ if you are having issues; otherwise, if you treat it by yourself, you might do more harm than good.

So, what can women do to make sure that they are properly taking care of their pelvic floor health?

What is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction?

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD), refers to any disorder found within the pelvic floor.

This includes bladder and bowel dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse (descent of the organs) and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.

A pelvic floor disorder may begin after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, trauma, bladder infections, if you play a lot of sports, hormonal changes or aging.

So if PFD is pretty common, and can be caused for multiple reasons, what can we do to help treat it?

What is Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy?

Pelvic floor physiotherapy is the most non-invasive approach to treating pelvic health issues, including incontinence, and patients can often see results after only a few visits. Just like the name suggests, pelvic floor physiotherapy strengthens the important muscles lining the pelvic floor. These are the muscles we use to control the urge to urinate or defecate, and they support the uterus, bladder, and rectum. Both men and women have them, and these muscles also help during childbirth.

See More on Page 2: Why should you see a specialist for your pelvis?

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May 29, 2018 0 comment

Fraser Valley Health Lower Mainland Vancouver Island

Demystifying Psychological Educational Assessments

written by Nic Enright-Morin

All parents want their children to thrive. From the minute they’re born, we guide them through a million milestones – and then we send them off to school. Most kids just get it – they breeze through the A, B, C’s, math equations and general school structure without a backward glance.

But every so often, there’s a child who finds school a challenge and that’s stressful – not only for the child, but also their parents, teachers, and caregivers.
However, with a little help and research, it’s possible to discover the reasons behind the challenges that are weighing the child down. Learning is a complex process and some children need different learning styles in order to succeed. And with a Psychological Educational Assessment, it’s possible to pinpoint exactly what is going on, so that teachers and families can implement strategies and techniques to help the child.

But for many parents, an assessment can sound daunting. So to relieve the pressure and answer some of your questions, BC Parent has spoken to some local psychologists to get the low down on what the process entails.

What exactly is a psycho educational (psych ed) assessment?
A psych ed assessment is a psychological test that analyses a child’s mental processes underlying his or her educational performance. Most psychologists agree that this testing is not something to be feared. Instead, it should be seen as empowering, as it helps provide answers and strategies of how to deal with problems their child has been facing.
Dr. Eamonn Gill, a registered psychologist in Vancouver, says, “A psych ed assessment is really just designed to give us an understanding of a young person’s abilities and skills. The assessment can include a broad array of measures to capture information about various components of cognitive ability, memory, attention, behavior, social and emotional functioning, academic functioning and other executive functions.”

At what age do children get tested?
Any child from the age of four to 18 years old can get tested and this can be for a variety of reasons. Dr. Carla Fry, a registered psychologist with the Vancouver Psychology Centre, said, “Young children might be assessed to see if they have learning or developmental disabilities. Older teens might be assessed to help them to determine what they might want to study in university or trade school and whether they need any accommodations, such as extra time or a separate room to complete exams to help them to demonstrate what they have learned.”

How do you know if your child needs a psych ed assessment?
Experts agree that the initial signs that testing might be necessary are often academic based, especially in the early grades. Early signs include children having problems keeping up with their peers, or perhaps trying really hard at school but still finding it a struggle, particularly regarding reading, writing, or early math skills.

Other things to watch for include difficulty remembering things, difficulty absorbing instructions or responding to instructions, difficulty paying attention, coordination (grasping pencils for example). Additional red flags to pay attention to are difficulty in grasping concepts related to time, or problems staying organized.

What happens during a psych ed assessment?
Each assessment will be slightly different, depending on the things the child is being tested for.
The assessment is a very interactive process, where kids are presented with visual and hands-on problem-solving tasks and verbally presented questions. The length of the testing will vary, depending on whether a child gets the testing through the school or independently.
In a private practice, the testing for the child is often around six hours. Many psychologists will break that up into two or three testing sessions, so that the young person doesn’t get exhausted or burnt out, or so that their performance doesn’t get negatively affected by having to sit for too long.

Some of the main areas that are looked at during the tests are social functioning, processing emotions, ability to reason, perform mathematical calculations, sustain focus or attention, reading skills, writing skills, how well they’ve developed expression of ideas and facets of memory.

How can it help?
There are numerous ways in which a psych ed assessment can be of value to a child’s development – both at school and at home. Dr. Gill says, “One of the hidden benefits is that sometimes parents can be aware of things that are going wrong, but they’re sometimes not so aware of the hidden strengths that their children have. Going through a psych ed evaluation might make parents aware of significant strengths or abilities that their child has that they didn’t know.”

What happens after the assessment?
Once a child has gone through the assessment process, and the psychologist has gone through the materials and calculated the results, they will also talk to the child’s teacher (with the family’s permission) to get information from the educational environment. The objective is to get information from multiple environments.
Dr. Arthur Burrows, a registered psychologist in Nanaimo said, “We say things like, ‘you need to get your kid tested’, but the tests are only one part of it. Kids can score different results on these tests for a whole bunch of reasons and that’s why it’s not just the test, it’s the history, observing the child, talking to the adults who know the child – that information is very rich and very important and the test scores should be taken into context with everything else.”
Whatever the assessment results show, it is important to discuss the results with the child in a supportive and non-judgmental manner.

How much does it cost?
Psych ed assessments range in price from $2400 – $3000 for a private assessment.
However, if the cost of a private assessment is prohibitive, children can get assessed through the public school system. Often, students will get flagged by the teachers or the learning support team as needing assessment. Parents can also request a meeting with their child’s school-based team to discuss whether their child is a potential candidate to an assessment from the school psychologist.

The downside of testing through the school is that wait times can be lengthy, (depending on the resources available at your school and in your district) and this can mean if a child is in dire need of help, waiting can have an impact on their progress.
If you think your child needs an assessment, make an appointment with your child’s teacher, school counselor or principal to see what options are available.
You can also call a psychologist yourself – most of them are willing to make the time to answer a couple of questions to see if a psych ed assessment is a good choice for your child.

How to find a good psychologist for your child?
Finding the right psychologist is crucial to making the whole process go smoothly.
Dr. Burrows said, “You want to find a psychologist who you feel is approachable and straightforward because it’s really important for parents to be a part of this process. All registered psychologist have to be registered members of the BC College of Psychologists, so make sure you check their credentials and when you’re shopping around, you want them to have specific experience and training doing psych ed assessments.”

The BC Psychological Association offers free access to a referral service listing Registered Psychologists in your area, but another way to find someone suitable is to ask members of your school community for a referral.

Registered Psychologists

North Shore Stress and Anxiety Clinic
Suite 300 – 145 Chadwick Court, North Vancouver
604/985-3939
psychoed.ca
At the NSSAC Psychoeducational Assessment Centre, our team of skilled and experienced psychologists specialize in providing high quality, evidence-based psychoeducational assessments. We are committed to helping children, teens, and adults better understand their strengths and challenges and reach their potential.

Gill, Cohen & Associates
Suite 704 – 318 Homer Street, Vancouver
604/767-1325
gillcohen.com
Dr. Gill and Dr. Cohen have decades of experience as psychologists working with children and youth. Our mission is to help your child regain a positive relationship with learning and maximize their academic success.

Thaiss Psychological Services
(Dr. Laila Thaiss, R.Psych., CPBC #01583)
209-2186 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria
250/516-6692
thaiss.ca
Dr. Thaiss offers specialized psychological services for children and adolescents. Her assessments help you understand your child’s learning and emotional strengths, as well as their developmental needs. Supports and recommendations are provided to help your child experience success and promote their wellbeing.

Vancouver Psychology Centre
1529 West 6th Ave, Suite #204, Vancouver
604-733-7709
1718 Marine Drive, Suite #1, West Vancouver
604-912-0264
vancouverpsychologycentre.com
The Vancouver Psychology Centre is a team of like-minded Psychologists, Counsellors, Art Therapists and Youth Care Workers that have united to provide evidence-based assessment, consultation, and treatment to individuals and families who seek greater happiness and meaning in their lives.

Dr. Antanina Firer
601 W. Broadway – 301, Vancouver
504/338-5757
threestoryclinic.com
drantaninafirer.com
Dr. Antanina Firer is a Registered Psychologist who specializes in child and adolescent psychology. Dr. Fireer serves Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. She provides comprehensive psychological assessments for children and teenagers who present with cognitive, emotional, and behavioural challenges.

January 4, 2018 0 comment

Education Fraser Valley Government Lower Mainland Parenting Vancouver Island

Montessori then and now: still ahead the curve in education

written by Nic Enright-Morin

Our ever-changing world impacts us in many ways; even in the way, our kids are taught at schools. In recent years, the BC government has been rolling out changes to the education curriculum, which has meant big differences to the way our children are taught in schools. There are several key changes that the BC government has made, including new standards on how kids progress is documented (children won’t be just be given letter grades. Instead school assessments of children’s learning will try and look at the bigger picture), as well as other major modifications in learning approaches.

The new curriculum aims to prepare children for our changing world, paying particular attention to our increasing reliance on technology. It also intends to give them the knowledge necessary to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. One of the other main philosophies within the new BC curriculum is the understanding that no two children learn in the same way, or at the same pace, and that effective learning comes from not just memorizing information, but the ability to apply that information in real-life situations. It also takes into consideration that students learn best through approaches that harness their interests and passions.

While there has been a lot of interest in how the new curriculum has been applied in traditional BC public schools, not a great deal of time has been given to alternative school’s systems, such as the Montessori program. BC Parent spoke with educators and parents in the Montessori system to find out their thoughts on how the new curriculum was working in tandem with the Montessori method.

Firstly, though, what exactly is Montessori? It is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori, who’s scientific approach was based on the belief that education should nurture the individual needs of a child. Her teachings advocate working with children’s independence and with respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. Through the course of her research, Dr. Montessori discovered that children had “absorbent” minds, and so learning was something they did naturally, without it having to be forced upon them.

The Montessori program is popular in countries all over the world, and here in BC, it is a choice program, like French immersion. Parents can opt into the program through public schools that offer it, as well as through private schools that offer the program. For example, on Vancouver Island, one of the first ever Montessori schools in Canada opened in the late 1940s.

In BC, Montessori schools follow the provincial curriculum, as well as the educational philosophies of Maria Montessori. Erin Higginbottom, principal of the Family Montessori School Society in Vancouver, says that so far, merging the new BC curriculum with the Montessori system has been a success. “The new BC curriculum is actually fitting in quite well with the Montessori educational philosophies, as the new curriculum is moving towards the way that we do things, so it’s been very easy for us to demonstrate how our curriculum meets the new BC curriculum – and then some. What the new BC curriculum has done is to offer up a more project and inquiry-based collaborative model of working, presenting the bigger ideas, and in a Montessori program that is how our program has been designed from day one. We start our lessons with the bigger picture. We start by telling a story, or by asking questions, and then we allow the children to explore in their own individual way and get them to dig a little deeper and pick out those details that they find important. Then they transfer that knowledge into projects, field trips or any other subject area that it might take them, so there are a lot of cross-referencing and cross-curricular projects that are happening. So because we’ve always approached learning in that way and because now, the new BC curriculum is doing that as well, it’s been very lovely to see that the way we’ve been doing things is more widely accepted. Because of that, it’s been much easier to marry the two curriculums together.”

Higginbottom, who last year during her maternity leave created a document that shows how the Montessori program integrates the new BC curriculum, says schools haven’t had to overly modify their curriculum to meet the new provincial standards, as the Montessori program already covers all the bases of the core curriculum. But she said that there are some areas that they have adjusted. “We’ve always had to figure out ways to implement specialty programs such as French and physical education, which we’ve been able to integrate quite well, especially when we turn over the ownership of learning to the students and allow them to pursue those specialties, not only when they have the outside instructors but when the interest arises as well.”

As well, in the new BC curriculum, there is a focus on readying students for life beyond school. Higginbottom says that goals such as career development have always naturally been a part of the Montessori day-to-day classroom routine, as children learn how to goal set, problem solve and communicate from very early on, through journal writing, day-time planning, and class discussions.

However, she says there are areas in the new curriculum that Montessori educators will need to be mindful of. “The applied skills design and technology components of the curriculum that affect kids from grades six and up is much more thorough than the previous curriculum and is something that Montessori educators will have to look at a little more closely, moving forward.”

Higginbottom, who has been involved in education for over fifteen years, firmly believes in the success that a Montessori program can offer children. “Doctor Montessori’s method has been proven to work for over a hundred years now and research is catching up to validate her original findings, which were that education should be based on the developmental and psychological characteristics of the child and when you set up the classroom that meets the needs of a given age, the children thrive and they’re happy. Not only are we paying attention to their academic development, we’re encouraging social and emotional intelligence, as well as skills that are really coveted in the workplaces of today and the future. Ironically, this ‘new’ twenty-first-century learning has been implemented by Montessori since the early 1900s.”

On Vancouver Island, the Montessori method is also a popular option for many families. Penny Barner, the administrative head at Selkirk Montessori in Victoria said, “The island is very rich in Montessori schools and we have some of the best Montessori options available in Canada. Not only do we have Montessori pre-school and Kindergarten schools, we also have a number of elementary and middle school programs. We even have the only Montessori high school in Canada here in Victoria.”

Selkirk Montessori School academic head, Erin Hayes, agrees with Higginbottom that the changes to the new BC curriculum have been easy to implement and that, in actual fact, many of the changes are philosophies that are already at the core of Montessori learning, especially at higher-grade levels. “The middle school and high school Montessori model is based on the development of the adolescent. It’s not just a regurgitation of the elementary model, it definitely takes it that step further. I think the new BC curriculum is very much based on the Montessori model, meaning that learning is research based and the children are in charge of their own education. They learn good time management and organization skills and they have that independence, so that by the time they are in middle school, they have learned all the executive skills that will stand them in good stead for high school – if they go into a non-Montessori high school or for when they get to university.”

Nathan O’Donnell is a parent who lives in Vancouver and has two kids. His old-est son is five and is currently completing his final year in a three-year cycle of a Montessori program. He says before his son started school he was new to Montessori, but the more he learned about the program the more attractive it became. “Immediately it was apparent to me that in the classroom there was a sense of mindfulness of self and of others and knowing that was going to be a part of the everyday school routine was very impressive to me. Beyond the classroom, my son has brought those expectations home with the way he conducts himself with his younger brother. The mentoring that he’s received from the older kids at school has really influenced him and so he practices the same behaviour when he comes home. There is a nice harmony between home and school.”

Jean Marine, who lives in Vancouver, has a four-year-old daughter who has been in the Montessori program since she was three. Marine also attended a Montessori school herself and it was this experience that lead her to seek out the same choice for her daughter. “I just love the program. I’ve gone all the way through to higher education myself, I have a Ph.D. and when I reflect on my own learning, it’s my Montessori education that still sticks with me. The thing that I love is that Montessori instills in kids a love of learning for the love of learning, not just for a mark on a test. I love that it’s mixed age classrooms. I think that the freedom that is given to your child to explore and develop at their own pace in a safe, contained environment is fantastic.”

Higginbottom says that parents considering Montessori as a choice for their child should definitely do their homework. “You do need to do your research because not all Montessori schools are created equally. Parents need to look for schools that are accredited or affiliated with certain Montessori organizations like AMI, the organization that Doctor Montessori and her son founded, or AMS to make sure quality programs are being delivered.”

Ultimately, when it comes to the new curriculum, Higginbottom says things couldn’t be going better and that so far, the transition has been a great success. “I think because we’ve been trained specifically to deliver education in this way and we’re comfortable doing it, we’re not scrambling, we’re quite sure of how to deliver the program and we know and trust what the outcomes will be. I think parents respect that and appreciate the individualized attention children receive and the fact that they’re with a teacher for at least three years means we’re developing a more meaningful relationship with their children.”

MONTESSORI SCHOOLS IN BC

Lower Mainland/ Fraser Valley

Family Montessori School Society Co-ed, grades PS–K

Since 1980, FMSS is proud to have pro-vided the highest quality of Montessori programming for preschool and kindergarten aged children. Following AMI Montessori principles and standards, our guides provide enriching, engaging and inspiring learning environments nurturing an “education for life.”

Marpole Bilingual Montessori School Co-ed, grades PS–K

Our program sets a fantastic foundation for your child. With our unique approach to the daily bilingual French program combined with the Montessori curriculum, your child will be prepared academically, socially, emotionally and physically. Accepting applications for Sept 2018. Call for an appt.

Monkey See Monkey Do Montessori Co-ed, grades PS–K

We have offered high-quality programs for children ages 2.5–6 since 2007. Children learn language arts, math, geography, music, gym, and have access to a beautiful outdoor play area. Experienced and warm teachers. Graduates have a solid academic foundation, good problem-solving skills, pro-social behaviour and a love of school. Information Session March 4, 3–4 pm.

North Star Montessori Co-ed, grades PS–7

We offer an authentic Montessori pro-gram that fosters a love of learning, independence and respect, an integrated curriculum that connects children to their local and global communities. Practical experiences build confidence and inspire an intrinsic motivation that students carry with them throughout their lives.

Reach for the Stars Montessori Co-ed, grades PS–K

We educate infant/toddler, preschool and kindergarten students. Personalized attention fosters a balanced atmosphere that is cheerful, nourishing and orderly. We incorporate the additional enriched areas of learning into the AMI Montessori method of teaching through guides that are specially trained professionals in the AMI Montessori method and certified as Early Childhood Educators.

Westside Montessori Academy Co-ed, grades PS–7

WMA is a small school with a big heart—an established preschool through to Grade 7 since 2008. Offering Montessori education, lower student to staff ratios and thoughtfully designed learning environments. Love of learning starts here.

Vancouver Island

Selkirk Montessori School Co-ed, grades PS-8

Montessori observed it, modern research proves it, and we continue to evolve the practice of it. Come learn at Selkirk Montessori where ever-evolving education is a rich and exciting experience.

“Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.” —Maria Montessori

February 18, 2017 0 comment

Education

Technology in the classroom

written by Nic Enright-Morin

No matter where you are from, or what your family’s lifestyle is like, there is one topic that unifies parents worldwide: what is the effect of technology on our children and is it enhancing or impeding their development?
The reality is that in the last twenty years technology has become a mainstay of everyday life, and like it or not, it is here to stay. However the effects of technology in schools is still largely unknown and studies into the subject have come up with no definitive answers either way.

Currently in Canada, there are no national guidelines or curriculum for how much technology should be used in a classroom and so the amount of technology time really is up to each individual teacher. Brian Aspinall, a grade 7 and 8 teacher and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert who advocates the use of technology in our classrooms, says it is time for Canada to get up to speed with a national technology curriculum, just like other countries have done in Europe and Australia. Aspinall says doing so will help our children when the time comes for them to enter the workforce. He says there will be more jobs than there are people to fill them in the next 20 years, particularly in tech fields such as software design.

The federal government also recently predicted that jobs in the STEM fields (science, technology engineering and maths) would grow by 12 per cent between 2013 and 2022, with 35 per cent of those jobs expected to be computer science-related. However, on a day-to-day level in the classroom, Aspinall says that as someone who has worked with and without technology as a tool, he truly believes that it helps students discover their own unique strengths, “I think today technologies are very important in classrooms because they allow a personalized learning environment, they allow kids to learn at their own pace, to pause videos, they can code at their own abilities and levels, they can build structures in games that fit their individual learning styles. Technology offers students a choice and an opportunity to be successful in any capacity.”

Cris Rowan, who is the CEO of ‘Zone In’ a company that offers workshops for teachers and educators all over the world on how to use technology wisely in the classroom, agrees that while there is a place for technology in education, in many cases, it is introduced too early and that as a result, kids ability to grasp the fundamentals of learning is suffering, “My thing is that in the early grades we’re not giving the kids the foundational components for literacy that they need. They don’t know how to print, they don’t know how to read, they don’t know how to do their math and tech doesn’t address those issues well.”

Rowan says that in a study (PISA) that tested kids literacy, maths and science skills, 15- year-old students in Canada have been dropping in performance each year since 2003; the time when computers became commonplace in the classroom. Rowan believes that in order for children to have solid writing, reading and math skills that they need to learn them from a teacher before going anywhere near a computer. She says that in the early years (Kindergarten – grade 3) computers should not be used in schools at all. Apsinall disagrees with Rowan and believes that technology is crucial from the get-go and should be used “right from kindergarten. I’m not saying that they should always be on computers, I’m saying that the technology is another tool on the teacher’s belt and it should be completely imbedded in their practice; it should be as much of a choice for students as writing on paper, painting a picture or playing with plasticine, it just needs to be another piece of the puzzle.”

Rowan says that parents and educators need to make sure that they are fully informed of what technology is used for and why, “What’s happening is that [technology] is kind of the flavour of the month, schools are going crazy with it, and it’s not evidence based. The bottom line here there is that there is no evidence to show that it does anything other than entertain children and there’s no–long term research that’s been done, yet we’re making these massive changes in our kids education without knowing the outcome.” Aspinall does not share Rowan’s concerns and thinks that adding technology in the classroom is a no brainer. He says that for him what he really likes is its ability to help students who might not do very well in a traditional school environment, “I had a student who was non-verbal and autistic, he didn’t speak at all, so he did very poorly in the traditional school model, he didn’t write tests, he just didn’t care. Then his parents said you’re the tech-savvy teacher, is there some way we can help him? After a chat about the boys interest, we introduced him to Minecraft and without using his voice he was able to demonstrate figures in a growing pattern sequence.”

Aspinall says technology allows all kids to participate in school and gives them the chance of an education that is tailored to their specific needs and passions instead of a one-size-fits-all model, “I think traditionally, we had students who were unable to be successful through the testing environment and schools gave them this label. But now we’ve got technologies in place that enable all kids to be successful, if a kid struggles with reading: a device can read to them, if a kid struggles with writing they can speak their thoughts to a computer. Technology has provided the equity so we can actually get all kids to voice what they are thinking through methods beyond paper and pencil.”

For Rowan the fact that everyone these days has jumped on the technology wagon is worrisome because, “Whenever a child’s engaged with a device there’s four critical factors for learning that are missing: the device makes the child sedentary, when research shows you’ve really got to be moving to learn, they’re missing a human connection, another factor is nature; it’s actually the green aspect of nature that’s attention restorative and promotes learning better than any other intervention out there and yet we keep kids in at recess and they go on their devices. The other one is touch: because of all these devices, kids are touch deprived, they don’t do rough and tumble play, teachers can’t even touch kids on the shoulders any more, and touch is powerful, it lowers the arousal states that kids are in and so we’ve completely limited this.”

Ultimately, the debate surrounding technology in schools is as complicated as computer code itself. But as Canadian parents, with no rules in place to govern what technology is taught in our children’s classrooms, we need to step up and ask questions, to make sure that technology is enhancing our kids education. Perhaps there is one thing we can all agree on: standing up for our children’s rights is timeless.
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Written by: Nicola Enright-Morin

April 8, 2016 0 comment