from Singapore News
Two PCF kindergartens experiment with LEGO products for teaching
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 06 March 2010 1949 hrs
SINGAPORE : Two kindergartens under the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) are piloting the use of teaching materials from LEGO.
The aim is to raise the quality of early childhood education. Launching the programme at Marine Parade on Saturday was Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who is also the area’s MP. Capitalising on pre-schoolers’ curiosity and enthusiasm about the world around them, the PCF centres in Marine Parade and Chua Chu Kang have started teaching programmes with LEGO materials. Karen Goh Meng Choo, a parent, said: “Helping the students to be more creative, develop their brains, mathematics in all ways…LEGO is good for all the children.”
PCF said LEGO is being used in the teaching of English, Mathematics and Science, and the children achieve more than just learning.
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also chairman of the PCF Executive Committee, said: “Through LEGO, we also teach them soft skills like socialising, as well as creativity, because to build a good project, the children have to collaborate with one another so that they can build the project together. So through the LEGO play, we encourage teamwork.”
Children from low-income families will not be left out, assured Mr Gan. He said there are many schemes to help them join in these specialised programmes. [and more in the article]
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