Consider...Different contexts

Rural – Four-year-old Jacob lives on a farm near Milo, a small town in southeastern Alberta. His father is a wheat farmer and his mother is a nurse who works shifts in a hospital in Vulcan, about 40 kilometers away. Jacob’s grandmother comes to take care of him when his mother is working day shifts at the hospital. Most days, Jacob spends time outside in the large yard around their house. Once a week, his mother or grandmother take him to the library drop-in story time in Milo. Next year, Jacob will take the school bus to kindergarten. Jacob’s great-great grandfather came to Alberta in the early 1900s and the farm has remained in his family ever since.

Suburban – Four-year-old Ziba lives in a suburb of Moncton, New Brunswick. She lives with her mother and older brother, Ben, in a three-bedroom house with a backyard. Ziba’s mother works for the city of Moncton as an administrative assistant. Ziba has many friends that live on her street and she goes to a neighbour’s house while her mother is working. Next year Ziba and her friends will go to the local elementary school to start kindergarten. Ziba’s mother is from Pakistan and moved to Canada when she was 16 years old. Ziba’s father has moved back to Karachi, Pakistan and her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins also live in Karachi.

Urban – Four-year-old Michelle lives in assisted social housing in downtown Montreal with her twin sisters, two-year-old Alisha and Jean-Marie. Her mother is a student at a local CEGEP (community college), preparing to be a dental assistant. Michelle and her sisters attend a Centre de la petite enfance at the CEGEP and next year will start kindergarten at the local elementary school around the corner from her home. Michelle’s father does not live with them but does visit occasionally. He recently found a job in construction in Toronto, so visits are likely to be less often.