The Anguilla Community College is the proud recipient of a set of books, DVDs and games focusing on Early Childhood Education and the developmental needs of young children. Early childhood refers to that period in a child’s life between conception and eight years of age. It is one of the most important phases in a child’s life, as it is the period of the most rapid brain development. During this stage, character is formed and the foundation is laid for many basic social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills that are used throughout life. A child’s ability to adequately develop language skills and mathematical skills and the skills required for appropriate social and emotional interaction with peers are all influenced by the foundation that is laid in these early years.
These essential learning materials came just in time to meet the needs of the students as the Anguilla Community College has embarked on offering Early Childhood Education as one of its Associate Degree programmes for the first time. One of the central tenets of this programme is that ‘EIGHT IS TOO LATE’. That is the early years of childhood offers the opportunity for significant growth in cognitive skills, that have long lasting implications for learning and development,
Our vision is that all children in AXA from birth to eight years old develop the foundation skills and dispositions to participate in formal education and to become lifelong learners and productive citizens.
The first cohort of students in this Early Childhood programme were introduced on Monday, October 28, 2013 to the donated material comprising 236 books, 38 DVDs and 14 games for the Early Childhood programme. This generous contribution was donated by the Louden’s family. Professor Delroy Louden, the President of the College is very passionate with this programme since Early Childhood Education focuses on supporting children’s comprehensive growth, development and learning abilities. With this in mind, he is one of the Lecturers in the Early Childhood programme.
This donated material will greatly assist the Anguilla Community College in its preparation for accreditation, covering several essential areas in literacy such as language skills, rhyming and repetition, reading comprehension, sight word vocabulary, phonics, enjoyment of books and most importantly, harbouring a life- long love for reading.
This is the second major donation by the Lounden’s family. They previously donated a scholarship in the Technical and Vocational Education programme in honour of their late father, Mr Meville Louden.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
