The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and partners have launched a new resource kit to support holistic development in children. The resource kit Creative Conversations: Shaping Our Future can help in teaching children the cultural heritage of Singapore.
The resource kit was developed by ECDA in collaboration with the National Library Board, the National Museum of Singapore, early childhood educators, as well as art and drama specialists.
"Creative Conversations: Shaping Our Future" Resource Kit For Preschoolers
The Creative Conversations kit offers a fun and interactive journey of adventure, exploration and discovery. Early educators and parents can use this new resource kit to better facilitate learning and holistic development in younger children.
You will find many learning opportunities about museums and other community spaces in Singapore.
Follow archaeologist Professor Alvis and his niece Bernice as they explore Singapore in a heart-warming adventure. You can join them as they go back in time and learn more about the cultural heritage of the little red dot from the country's early settlers, their trades as well as their occupations.
It's a fun and creative way for children to be educated about the world their parents, grandparents and ancestors lived in. How they were able to endure those times as well as how they overcame their hardships through determination, perseverance and resilience.
To enrich holistic development in children, these resource kits will be distributed to preschools in Singapore to enable educators to work alongside parents.
Resource Kit Provides Materials For Holistic Development In Children
Creative Conversations: Shaping Our Future comes with an information booklet, an engaging story about the past, activity cards and even entire maps!
The kit is complete with lessons that will enable children to take part in interactive discussions, problem-solving, writing activities, arts and crafts, role-playing and also storytelling. It also comes with craft materials fit for preschoolers to use.
To help educators and parents help children develop a better understanding of the world around them as well as respect for diversity through the use of this resource kit, here are a few strategies recommended by the booklet to try:
1. Choose a setting from the past
Discuss with your child life in old Singapore – with either books or materials you find on the Internet. Ask your child what they think life was like during that period and pose questions such as "What do you think you would see?" or "What do you think you would hear?"
2. Pick a character from the story cards
There are various characters you can choose from the story cards. Pick one of them to discuss with your child and ask them questions like:
- What is this character like to you?
- How do you think the character was feeling at that time?
- What do you think the character was thinking?
- Can you talk about the things this character did in the story?
- What would you do if you were that character?
3. Select an exhibit
For more holistic development activities in children, you can help them work on a mini-project about an exhibit of their choice. You can then eventually share what you've made during a show & tell session.
You will also find book recommendations for further readings of Singapore's history and heritage. Early childhood educators have added extension activities based on these books that children can engage in after reading.
The resource kit is available for download here. Download Creative Conversations and jumpstart your child's enriching journey today!
Lead image source from ECDA website.
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