Belize’s Littlest Tell Their Stories at the Bliss

The National Pre-School storytelling competition got underway at the Bliss today in Belize City. The event, which has been taking place for more than ten years, saw the participation of two finalists from each district today. The Bliss came alive with teachers and students participating in creative ways of story-telling-  from using props to a bit of acting vying for the trophy and other prizes.  We stopped in today to listen to some stories and to find out what place this art form has in early childhood development.

Nadira Ross, Acting Manager, Early Childhood Unit, MOE

“As you’ve seen today, we have teachers narrating the stories. We have them bringing that classroom setting and bringing that story that they would usually do with their babies to life. And as you can see, we have the Bliss packed with parents, teachers and other stakeholders who have that vested interest in early childhood. You could see that we have the children being a part of it as well because the story that the teacher is narrating is actually what they do in the classroom and you hear them engaging in that back forth and with the children; so it is something very good and something very helpful for the little ones to see that okay the teacher doesn’t only be inside of her classroom element, but I see her outside. So, it is helpful for parents to also understand that when children are at school, they do play and they do learn through that structured way of playing.”

Nadira Ross

Andrea Polanco

“Are you able to perhaps just go into a little bit more of some of the things kids learn in terms of how important it is to early childhood[development]?”

Nadira Ross

“How important – you raised a good question – because through stories children get to express themselves. Maybe Tom might come to school today and he might not be having such a good day but when teachers tells that story; narrates that story and get life into that story, Tom could relate. And in him relating, it changes Tom whole feel for the day and whole attitude. So, through story-telling, children get to express themselves and speak of things that happen within them that they might not necessarily speak out and stories do help our little ones to get those stories out of them.”