The findings from a recent Canadian study, published in Environmental Education Research, bring attention to the important connections between climate crisis education and early learning and child care. 

“Because children are among the least responsible for the climate crisis yet will live most fully with its consequences, they have a right to learn about it, develop climate literacy, and participate in shaping more sustainable futures.” 

The authors’ documentary review and analysis of curriculum frameworks offers valuable insight into the strengths and gaps related to climate change learning in early childhood curriculums across Canadian provinces and territories. 

Four dimensional approach to climate change learning

Applying a four dimensional approach to their analysis, the authors examined provincial and territorial early childhood curriculums across four domains: 

• age-appropriate climate change concepts, 
• sustainability practices 
• nature connectedness, and
• transformative pedagogies 

British Columbia stood out for being the only province whose framework explicitly mentioned climate change as an age appropriate concept. 

Eight of the twelve provinces and territories’ frameworks integrated sustainability practices to varying degrees, for example through the promotion of recycling practices and, in Nova Scotia, the framework drew on Indigenous ways of knowing and respecting the earth.

Nature connectedness was mentioned in all frameworks and was addressed more comprehensively in seven. This included learning about biodiversity and ecosystems and observing seasonal changes and weather patterns. All twelve frameworks mentioned outdoor activities as part of early childhood experience.

Transformative pedagogies are those that strongly align with a child-centred philosophy of learning, where children are positioned as active participants in their learning. For example, in British Columbia, educators ‘provide diverse materials and experiences, educators create spaces for experimentation and transformation’. Other transformative pedagogies represented inquiry-based or holistic approaches.

Early education curriculums in Canada indicate a promising direction for climate education in the early years

Overall, the authors concluded that “many frameworks possessed significant strengths that position them well to support age-appropriate climate change education”. They emphasized the importance of providing educators with support for incorporating climate change concepts and practices so they can help children “build the knowledge, awareness and confidence needed to participate in a warming world”.

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