精童欲女

Dr. Ling Li, a post-doctoral fellow in the 精童欲女 Faculty of Education, was awarded a Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship for a study to evaluate the 鈥淧yramid to Retention: Supporting Educators to Enhance Social and Emotional Competencies in Infants and Young Children鈥� in the early learning and child-care sector on PEI.

鈥淭he pyramid model is a US-originated framework which is well structured and research-based. It is like a roadmap for helping young children develop healthy social and emotional skills,鈥� said Li, who is conducting the study under the supervision of Dr. Gabriela Arias de S谩nchez, assistant professor of education at 精童欲女. 鈥淭hink of it as a four-layer pyramid: At the bottom, we focus on building warm, nurturing relationships between educators and children. The next layer creates supportive learning environments. The third layer provides specific teaching strategies for social-emotional skills, and the top layer offers intensive, individualized support for children who need extra help.鈥�

The model, in the PEI project, is currently used by participating early childhood educators, who work with infants and young children up to age five, she added.

Currently, 18 early childhood educators, from across the province, including both urban and rural areas, covering both English and French-speaking communities, are involved. A group of 10 educational coaches, mentors, and consultants are working with the educators during the project.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen major government investments in early learning and childcare,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd this project was one of those investments. It provided comprehensive training for early childhood educators in supporting children鈥檚 social and emotional development.鈥�

Li said that the project will continue with funding from Mitacs.

鈥淲hat makes our project unique is that we鈥檙e adapting an evidence-based model for PEI鈥檚 specific needs. PEI is one of the leading provinces in Canada with this innovative approach, and our experience could help guide other provinces.鈥�

In partnership with the Early Childhood Development Association of PEI, the project will provide an innovative evidence-based professional development program that encompasses a comprehensive framework, consistent guidance, and practical strategies to enhance young children鈥檚 socio-emotional learning.

Specific goals include evaluating how effective the pyramid model is in PEI鈥檚 early learning settings and using the data to improve and facilitate the program鈥檚 progress; helping children develop strong social and emotional skills during their crucial early years; and supporting early childhood educators by providing them with effective tools and training.

鈥淲e're not just implementing the program,鈥� said Li. 鈥淲e鈥檙e carefully evaluating how it works in our local context and making adjustments to ensure that it best serves PEI鈥檚 children and educators. This makes our project a potential model for the rest of Canada.鈥�

Early social and emotional skills are like building blocks for life, she said. When children learn these skills early on, they develop better self-awareness and regulation, form healthier relationships, perform better in school, and have better mental health outcomes later in life.

The project recognizes and builds upon the existing strengths of PEI鈥檚 early childhood educators, who are doing remarkable work in supporting children鈥檚 development, she said, and it helps to retain them, strengthening the Island鈥檚 early years system by developing evidence-based, locally adapted approaches.

This study has been supported by the Early Childhood Development Association of PEI from the beginning and, more recently, by Mitacs through the prestigious Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.

精童欲女 acknowledges the assistance of Canada鈥檚 tri-council of federal granting agencies鈥擭atural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)鈥攖hrough its Research Support Fund, which helps fund services and infrastructure that support research activities at the University. In 2024鈥�2025, 精童欲女鈥檚 RSF allocation is $1,041,691.