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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.
Although PCF is kicking off the LEGO centres at Marine Parade and Chua Chu Kang, it is leaving it open to the other centres in Singapore to start these programmes in their centres. All in, there are nearly 240 PCF centres all over Singapore.
PCF teachers have also not been forgotten - six have been trained in LEGO Denmark to develop programmes which suit Singapore's pre-school environment.
Mr Gan said: "The six master trainers will train our teachers on how to effectively use LEGO bricks and software to help our children develop Higher-Order-Thinking or HOT skills.
"As they play with LEGO sets, our children will learn to evaluate, explain, design and construct, as well as develop such skills such as teamwork, creative thinking and problem solving.
"They will have an e-portfolio so parents can see how their children have enhanced their language and literacy skills. In due course, PCF's Early Childhood Institute will organise parents' workshops at Marine Parade and Chua Chu Kang, so that parents are able to engage their children and become their partner in their learning journey." - CNA/ms
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