“The play materials will further develop their IQ”
Effective approach: A volunteer teaching rhymes to children at a creche in R. Pudupattinam.
PUDUKOTTAI: Children of fishermen families in five coastal villages in the district are blessed with considerable development in their intelligent quotient (IQ), courtesy the establishment of six crèches by the Pudukottai district branch of the Red Cross Society.
The Society started two crèches at R. Pudupattinam and one each at Ponnagaram, North Pudukudi, Meemisal and Muthukuda in 1996.
The development in children’s IQ level is reflected in their marked improvement in the academic performance at the local primary or middle schools, in contrast to the past. “Children with pre-school education at these crèches are exposed to a school environment, rid of any fear; also our task in teaching alphabets gets reduced to a great extent,” says the headmaster of a panchayat union elementary school.
This is because of two factors: Apart from nutrient food including egg and milk, teaching of alphabets, rhymes and stories have all started paying dividends,”, says the district secretary of the Society, J. Raja Mohammed.
During the post-tsunami period, assistances have started pouring in from individuals and institutions. The Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Balram Jakhar, sanctioned Rs.4 lakh from the Red Cross Society funds for construction of buildings for the crèches functioning in thatched structures at R. Pudupattinam and North Pudukudi. Work on the buildings had been completed last month. The Canadian Red Cross Society donated Rs.10,000 for each crèche towards supply of play- materials. “The play materials, including pictures, charts and counting kits, will further develop their IQ” Mr. Raja Mohammed says.
With simple dance movements, M. Padmavathy, a volunteer of a crèche at R. Pudupattinam, catches the children’s attention to a rhyme ‘thanga kaasu vaithu iruntha kozhi muttaiyo?’
All the children in the age-group 2-4 are prompt to practice it. The crèches function from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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