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Manning & Early Childhood Development Coalition

Our Vision: To communicate the importance of early childhood development in our Coalition’s area (Manning, Deadwood, North to Keg River and Paddle Prairie).

Our Mission: All children have the opportunity to reach their full potential in all five Developmental Domains (Emotional Maturity, Physical Health & Wellbeing, Social Competence, Communication Skills & General Knowledge, and Language & Thinking Skills).

Area Served: The coalition serves Manning, Deadwood, and north to Keg River & Paddle Prairie. For a map, please click here.

About Early Childhood Development

The first five years of a child’s life are the most critical period in development and have a lifelong impact on learning, health, work, relationships and well-being. By five years old a child should show age-appropriate knowledge and behaviours in the following five areas of development:

Social Competence
Language & Thinking Skills.
Physical Health & Wellbeing.
Emotional Maturity.
Communication Skills & General Knowledge.

The 5 Developmental Domains

Social Competence

Plays and gets along with other children
Able to follow rules and instructions
Able to follow routines
Accepts responsibility for actions
Shows respect for others

Language & Cognitive Development

An interest in reading, writing and language-related activities
Age-appropriate reading, writing and counting skills
Recognition of shapes, sizes and colours
Can easily remember things

Emotional Maturity

Able to deal with feelings at an age-appropriate level
Able to separate from parent/guardian
Not too fearful or impulsive
Able to focus
Ability to communicate needs and wants in socially appropriate ways
Ability to tell stories
Can say words clearly
Age-appropriate knowledge about life and the world
Ability to take part in imaginative play

Communication Skills & General Knowledge

Ability to communicate needs and wants in socially appropriate ways
Ability to tell stories
Can say words clearly
Age-appropriate knowledge about life and the world
Ability to take part in imaginative play

Physical Health & Wellbeing

Fine and gross motor skills (can hold a pen, crayons or brush, can climb stairs, etc.)
Independence in looking after own needs
Physically prepared for school
Able to sustain energy levels throughout the day

5 Developmental Domains Poster

5 Developmental Domains and Activities

Early Development Instrument (EDI)

EDI data is collected using the Early Development Instrument, a tool to assess children’s level of development in their pre-school years. The tool was developed at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University. The EDI questionnaire is completed by their teachers, for children attending kindergarten. The information collected through the EDI supports our understanding of the current state of children’s developmental health and facilitates informed decision-making, locally and provincially, that supports positive change in children’s developmental trajectories.

2016 Manning & District Report

2014 Manning & District Report

Current Projects

The Little Bookshelf Project

Early literacy and instilling a love of reading is vital to the development of children. Our Little Bookshelf Project has created 5 bookshelves in our Coalition area that provide books for children ages 0-5. Parents are caregivers are encouraged to pick a book with their child to take home to read. When they are done, they can do it all over again!

Little Bookshelves can be found at:

Manning Elementary School
Rosary School (Manning)
Manning Early Childhood Resource Centre (MES Annex)
Manning Adult Learning & Literacy
Paddle Prairie Brighter Futures (Paddle Prairie)

I Am Growing Up

This book was developed to provide information on the importance of early childhood development as well as promote the various organizations and programs available to families (created in partnership with Northwest Peace Early Childhood Coalition, the Manning & District Early Childhood Development Community Coalition, and the Fairview Clearhills Childhood Development Coalition) For a pdf copy, please click here. I Am Large, Domains for Ages Poster

Early Childhood Fair

Every year, the Manning & District Early Childhood Development Community Coalition that encourages learning and play for children ages 0-5 years. The 2018 Fair will be held on Thursday, April 19th at the Rosary School Gym from 2 - 6 pm.

STEAM Projects

Did you know… By the time your child enters the workforce, 65% of the jobs that will be available do not even exist today?

STEAM encourages children to think about problems through SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART and MATH which will allow them to excel in the new world they will face.

STEAM allows children to: