Experts gathered on Wednesday, 21 February, to share ideas and impart knowledge to parents and Early Childhood Development programmers on the importance of ‘Play-Based Learning’.
The Department of Basic Education in partnership with UNICEF, Cotlands, and the Lego Foundation held a conference on the importance of Play-Based Learning at the Indaba Conference Hotel in Fourways. The purpose of this gathering was to outline the responsibilities of all involved parties and to ensure that they understand how to facilitate early learning programmes.
This is the 6th South African Play-Based Learning Conference, this time under the theme: Early Learning and Development: Foundations for the Future through Partnerships on Play, Parents, Practice and Policy.
Basic Education Deputy Director General, Simone Geyer said that the conference will enable various stakeholders to share best practices, implementation challenges and explore ways to support ECD in implementing play-based methods.
According to Geyer, playing has been identified as a building block of critical thinking, flexibility and adaptability at a young age. She says that adults need to make certain that babies and young children are afforded opportunities to learn through play.
“The importance of learning through play as a pedagogical principle is embedded as a seamless approach in the national curriculum framework, for children from birth to four years, to the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy statements (CAPS),” she said.
Geyer said that equitable access to early learning and development opportunities plays a critical role in improving educational outcomes and positive economic growth. She said it is essential to make sure that no learner misses out on the fundamentals that will assist them perform to the best of their ability.
“This is being established in the national development plan with the vision of 2030 which states that the South African government must make early childhood development a top priority to improve the quality of education. Quality learning at these age groups needs to take place at home, which is the parent’s role in early learning and in groups, programmes and centres while preparing young children for formal schooling,” she added.
Lego Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sidsel Marie Kristensen expressed her excitement to be part of the conference and contribute towards the development of South African children. She said that there is a lot of contribution that they can still provide as they focus on the early years of children. Kristensen added that playing is an important role to develop children and the Lego Foundation will work with parents and teachers to use play-based methods to help in the development of the children.
“We have been in South Africa for more than 10 years and now we want to move to the next level. We will be here for the next ten years. We want to help the most vulnerable children, parents and the community,” she said.
Kristensen concluded that the Lego Foundation is planning on launching the Braille Bricks in South Africa to teach ECD learners braille alphabets.