Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten
Curriculum Information and Documents
Supporting Children's Healthy Development
Transition into the formal school system happens for most children in Kindergarten. Since September 2017/18, all NWT families have had the option to enroll their 4 and 5 year old children for two years of Kindergarten (JK and K). In March 2012, a population-based measure called the Early Development Instrument (EDI) was used across the NWT for the first time to build an understanding of Kindergarten children’s development. The EDI is completed yearly by Kindergarten teachers and measures developmental changes and trends for groups of children in the following areas: physical health and well-being, emotional maturity, social competence, language and cognitive development, and communication and general knowledge. The EDI does not diagnosis individual children. The information from the EDI guides decision-making for programs, services, and policy-making and provides schools information to guide planning for children in the primary grades.
JK/K Curriculum
The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a commitment to continue to invest in quality early childhood development. The mandate of the 19th Legislative Assembly identifies a need for action to support quality early childhood development through free and optional, play-based care for 4-year-old children in the NWT. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment was proud to announce the new Junior Kindergarten (JK) program, which is outlined in the NWT Right from the Start: Early Childhood Development Framework and Action Plan.
The NWT JK/K Curriculum is mandated for use for Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten (JK/K). JK/K begins with what children already know and recognizes their past experiences, culture and language. Children thrive in environments that validate their individual identities.
A curriculum is more than a document and learning outcomes. It begins with what teachers intentionally plan for their students and extends into all experiences planned or not. The NWT Integrated Kindergarten Curriculum is child-centred and play-based. This allows children to be actively involved in the learning process and helps them construct a deeper understanding of the world around them.
This curricula is specific to English programming:
This curricula is specific to French Immersion and French as First Language programming:
For more information on Junior Kindergarten in English, please click here.
For more information on Junior Kindergarden in French, please click here.