Early childhood educators and primary teachers from across the province have gathered in St. John’s today to learn more about the importance of play.
About 100 participants are attending The Play for Optimal Learning Conference.
“The importance of play to a child’s early learning cannot be overstated,” said Education Minister Clyde Jackman.
“Play promotes learning in all areas of children’s development — language, cognitive, social-emotional and physical. It is through everyday activities and opportunities to play, on their own or with their parents and caregivers, that children first learn valuable skills such as numeracy and literacy that will eventually help them to be successful in school and in life.”
The Department of Education is providing $125,000 for the two-day conference, which will highlight the role of the educator and the environment in promoting play-based learning with young children. The conference will feature local and national experts, and allow participants to be actively involved in defining what emerging curriculum and play-based learning means to them as educators.




