FROM birth to three years old, children learn an awful lot, so it is important for parents and caregivers to do all they can to get them off to the best start possible. For most children, learning comes naturally: from day one they are inquisitive explorers on a mission to find their place in the world. All they need is the consistent guiding hand of caring adults. There are several things that caregivers (i.e. parents, daycare and nursery workers, family members) can do for children under three to set a good foundation for life-long learning.

First: When it comes to learning, caregivers must remember that they are the most significant people in a child’s life and the most important way that a child learns is through interaction with them; interactions such as singing, talking, playing, sharing, reading and other interesting past times. Not by spending time watching things on a mobile phone or IPad or by being made to sit in front of children’s television programmes for hours. Screen media can only offer a limited amount of learning and can be harmful to child development.
Although some children’s programmes and other media activities do support child

development, caregivers should check the content beforehand to make sure it has age- appropriate material that stimulates learning. Screen media should not be introduced too early (definitely not before two years old) and even then, it should be limited to only one to two hours per day.

Second: Under-threes will never be able to relay all the thoughts, ideas and emotions that are being cultivated and established in their minds: They are too young to understand them or control them. Therefore, caregiver should be sensitive and aware that under-threes are learning on many different levels. They must interact with them accordingly. It is the caregiver’s duty to keep the young fertile minds of the under-threes motivated and vibrant. When caregivers do not fully understand their role, there is a chance they may misinterpret the fresh, inquisitive mind of a toddler for the making of a mischievous, ‘disgusting’ child and thus harm the child’s natural ability to explore, ‘experiment’ and ultimately learn.

A lot of daily activities for under-threes are play-based, so books should be introduced as early as possible. Books are a quiet and pleasant past time that do, without a doubt, give under- threes a positive learning foundation. In a world full of digital devices, it is necessary to get ‘back to basics’ in order to give under-threes a head start. Many parents are of the illusion that education begins at school, but education begins with caregivers and the more ‘clued in’ caregivers are about the needs of the under-threes, the more successful the child’s projected outcome.

Finally: A National Reading Programme for under-threes has been established in Guyana through the Ministry of Social Protection, Childcare and Protection Agency’s Early Childhood Development Unit in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health’s Maternal and Child Health Unit and the National Library.

It is a fact that children learn more from interaction and practical experiences with people who care about them, than from any other source. Hence, the reading programme will aim to reach the 361 health centres across Guyana, where parents visit with their children on a regular basis.

To quote the words of Minister Amna Ally (Ministry of Social Protection) at the recent launch of the reading programme. “We are living in an era where we have access to scientific information… we know much more nowadays about child development…we have to share the knowledge to help develop young minds”.

It must be our aim as caregivers and adults of today, who are bringing up the adults of tomorrow, to give the children and young people of Guyana every opportunity to reach their potential.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, ring the Childcare and Protection Agency Hotline on 227 0709 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A message from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ministry of Social Protection