KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) has listed the main offerings that parents should look for when enlisting their child in a Brain Builder Centre.

Director of Cross-Sectoral Coordination at the ECC, Michelle Campbell, stated that there are sometimes unrealistic expectations of children in the zero to three age cohort.

She explained that there are specific offerings that must be in place to stimulate the minds of children in that age group, which are not related to academic achievement.

“Now for our parents, when we talk about the Brain Building Centre, we’re looking at three particular areas; we’re looking at early stimulation, nutrition and we’re looking at social protection,” Campbell said.

“We want to make sure that once our children are in a Brain Building Centre, they are surrounded by the experts that understand best practices, and within that environment, you’re going to see learning centres. We believe that children learn best through play, and this is what we support,” she added.

She pointed out that parents and guardians also play a vital role in reinforcing the activities done at the centres.

“Mommy and Daddy come in, Grandma comes in and we’re greeting them. We want our children to be able to see the connection and the relationships being established between the adults, that trust being established and then that trust now moving into the environment with that particular child,” Campbell explained.

She said that at this age children should be allowed to play and get messy without repercussions, as it is contributing to their development. Additionally, reading and role-playing are critical to early brain stimulation and should be done at the Brain Builder Centres and at home.

“We have what we call our reading area. They should have books that are small enough to fit into their hands. The pages are thick and sturdy so that they can turn the pages, they can begin to picture read,” Campbell said.

“They can sit comfortably on the floor on a nice carpet on a pillow and just enjoy reading. This is what we call pre-reading skills. This is what’s going to build upon them how to read – looking at a book and looking at the pictures,” she said.

-JIS