A Day of Play at B.T.L. Park
Child Stimulation Month activities continue with the annual Early Childhood Education Expo. The Ministry of Education during this month is encouraging parents of children between the ages of newborn and eight years to take some time to play and explore with their children. There was plenty of that on display at the B.T.L. Park on Monday, where the lessons count for far more than an academic grade. News Five’s Aaron Humes reports.
Aaron Humes, Reporting
It was a sunny day, sweeping the clouds away. Many hundreds of children this morning went to where the air is sweet. But they weren’t congregating on Sesame Street – we found them at the B.T.L. Park during the annual Early Childhood Education Expo.
John Newport
John Newport, QUADS Director, Ministry of Education
“There are a tremendous number of different activities going on. So for the children, it’s a chance to come and meet with children from other schools, to do some different activities. They’re playing with art, they’re playing with water, they’re meeting people from not just the Ministry of Education but from other ministries. And so really what our motivation is [is] to get a message across that education can be stimulating; it can be fun, it can be enjoyable, and in fact that is education at its best.”
The kids seemed to be having a grand time, but what is most important, according to Newport, is that they are learning – in their own unique and individual ways.
John Newport
“As you walk ‘round, what you are seeing is children learning effectively. So that is the main message: we sometimes have this idea that you learn just by sitting on a chair and a teacher telling you something, but in fact that’s not true. These children are learning far more by playing with blocks and stacking things and pushing cars and pulling things, than if they were in the classroom.”
So for parents watching at home tonight, understand that, as Newport says, you are the biggest arbiter of success in your children’s early path through life.
John Newport
“Learning is not for a grade. The things that the children are learning today, will help them right now with their lives and will help them in the long-term future. We don’t need to go around with a clipboard and say, ‘You’re getting seven out of ten for playing with this water.’ What we want to see is you’re playing with it; you’re exploring, you’re experimenting, you’re building your creativity, and then we can be confident that that is what you need.”
Aaron Humes reporting for News Five.
