Caregivers during one of the training sessions.
ST. EUSTATIUS--The Best4Kids (B4Kids) programme has organised a training in HighScope curriculum for day-care centre educators.
The programme will last four weeks with the first session taking place from May 17 to 21. Karalyn Huey from Michigan will conduct the trainings.
The content of the first week of training will be about active learning, adult-child interaction, learning environment, daily routine and assessment. The B4Kids aims to provide the best quality care for young children on St. Eustatius.
“On island there are two individuals that are finalising the training to become HighScope trainers. It is the intention to have the HighScope curriculum available for all childcare centres and for group one and two in primary education,” said Carol Jack, Director Social Domain.
The central belief of the HighScope approach is that children construct their own learning by being involved and by working with materials, people and ideas. The programme features active learning at its core. Children are guided to explore, interact and exercise their creative imagination through purposeful play. Through a version of scaffolding, children are encouraged by their teacher to take the next step in learning.
The programme takes an intentional learning approach to education that makes teachers and children active partners. A daily routine is designed to help children understand what happens next and usually includes outside time, computer work and small and large group interaction.
“This programme has proven to have very good results for children in their further development. Ten caregivers will be trained to guide children in their development, and to make the transition into primary education [as smooth as – Ed.] possible. We hereby thank our B4Kids colleague on Saba for her cooperation, and also the B4Kids programme which is funded through the Ministry of SZW [Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment],” said Jack.
