The Foundation for Education and Cultural Initiatives “Step by Step” – Macedonia opened the first Children’s Creative Center for fostering early-grade language and math literacy. It is the first activity and resource center in the country that enables students to engage in reading and math activities, with the help of their parents and teachers. It is a modern, stimulating and child-friendly environment covering a surface of almost 1.000 m2, where young learners can into a reading and math adventure. Some of the contents offered in the center are: a library with children’s literature, giant picture-books, interactive smart boards, computers with digital learning activities, math games and puzzles, reading and writing assignments, children’s theater, art corner, cozy reading corners and much more.
The center nurtures the concept of ever-changing and ever-growing space and aims to continuously respond to students’ needs and interests. Therefore, this is a place where lower-grade teachers from all schools in the country can contribute with positive examples from their teaching practice. The creative activities for students of different age and background knowledge that the teachers will prepare will be displayed in the center and used by all other visitors. The Children’s Creative Center has also opened its doors to all teachers interested to use this less formal, but highly stimulating space, as a setting for a lesson with their students. The afternoon hours of working days, as well as Saturdays, are a perfect timing for a parent-child bonding and learning time in the center.
The Children’s Creative Center has been renovated and equipped under the USAID Readers are Leaders Project, implemented by the Foundation “Step by Step” – Macedonia. Readers are Leaders Project aims to assess and improve early grade reading and numeracy skills, strengthen teachers’ pedagogical skills, and increase the community recognition and appreciation of reading and numeracy skills for children’s intellectual growth. For further information on project activities, please visit: http://stepbystep.org.mk/en/proekt-ral.
Tags: Curriculum, Research & quality
