Do the parents know?

Are parents of young children aware of the purpose of pre-school education? Do they know what to look for when thinking of day care or pre-school education for their child?

The Learning Adventure held its first seminar for parents for this scholastic year and this topic was one of the issues tackled by the parents present, together with guest speaker Dr Valerie Sollars, senior lecturer for early childhood education at the University of Malta.

Should the parents choose their child's pre-school on friends' recommendations or should they shop around? The impact that early school experiences have on the child's later development is great.

This is precisely why parents must show responsibility when selecting their child's pre-school. Not only should they shop around but they should also visit a play school a number of times during its normal school day.

Hoary tales of two-year-olds being given homework or expected to sit still for long periods at the cost of learning and creativity were condemned by all parents present. Dr Sollars shared her experiences on pre-schools in Malta and abroad and described how open spaces and varied activities available for the child to choose, rather than a system of classroom and teacher - bled activities, is the way forward.

She also stressed the importance of exploration and messy activities such as painting, sand and water play and described how children abroad even experiment with carpentry.

The Learning Adventure holds seminars for parents of children using its services, as well as for parents who wish to learn more about child education. Feedback given by parents is considered very important for a quality service to be maintained.

The Learning Adventure makes learning fun for children from 0 to 12 through The Day Care Club, The Nursery School, The Homework Club, The Saturday Club and The Summer Club.

The next seminar will deal with the importance of play. For more information call either Charmaine Agius Ferrante on 2145-4115/9949-0491 or Ninette Pace Balzan on 2144-1466/7944-1466 or visit www.thelearningadventureltd.com