Help Young Children in Kindergarten!

Dear Supporters,

Spring has arrived and the temperature in Bulqize is warming up so that the forty five children attending the two kindergartens can begin to explore and play outside. 

Selvie and Drita are putting their newly learnt knowledge and the manuals to give the young children in their classes a really lively and interesting learning experience.  Getting to know a group of twenty five young children takes time, patience and motivation.  What can each of them do, what do they like, what do they dislike and how do they make friends and resolve conflicts?  These are the issues that Selvie and Drita were faced with last year, but now by conducting assessments, observing each child and listening to them they understand their pupils much better.  This knowledge is useful when it comes to planning the daily activities as part of the preschool curricula. An individual approach is needed for child centred-learning and to make sure each child can develop their individuality and personality, their strengths and build upon what they know.  Although all the children need to learn the same skills some do it quicker than others and each requires an approach that meets their needs.  Reading circles are now part of every day with the educators telling the stories from the new books.  The children are asked to respond to the educators question regarding the story, which builds the children’s language.   

The educators have learnt that they need to make available a selection of toys and activities from which the children make their own choices.  The corners of learning provide a range of opportunities for each child to try new things out and through this learn new skills and how the world around them works.  Very importantly children are learning independence, how to make relationships and to have fun.

As many of these children live in families affected by long term poverty, their life experiences are restricted, so their joy at being in a kindergarten that is bright, airy and has a selection of toys that are theirs to use and to explore is breathtaking. Stories, jigsaw puzzles and construction bricks in bright colours lend themselves to the child’s natural instinct to a world of fantasy and to copying the things they see around them.  Alba aged 5 years old jumped up and down very excited and said:

                                                 “Yoo hoooo we have so many toys now!”

The kindergartens are now furnished with the carpets bought with your donations.  The carpets have added to the learning and play of the children through expanding the space they have to conduct active games.  Each carpet is brightly decorated with roads, trees, houses and articles that we find in our towns and cities.    Toni took the blue car and began to drive it across the roads, adding “brrrmm brrmm” sounds as he pushed the car.  Other children decided to use the construction bricks and use them to build towers and buildings.

The children would like to thank you all for giving them classes that are filled with warm bright carpets and also so many toys and books that make each day an adventure. 

Now, we are looking to equip the outside play areas, so that their physical development and team games can be supported.  Can you help us to purchase balls, skipping ropes, hoola hoops, skittles and nets?