Play Centre Course In May

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31341, 11 April 1967, Page 2

Play Centre Course In May

“Focus on Special Children” is the theme of the Canterbury Play Centres’ Association residential course for supervisors to be held in Christchurch from May 22 to May 25. The course is sponsored by the Department of Extension Studies, University of Canterbury, and will be opened by the director (Mr D. Rutherford). The programme includes talks and discussions on aspects of pre-school education and care of young children. On Monday, May 22, Dr. Dale Paul, a visiting American lecturer now at Christchurch Teachers’ Training College, will speak on “The Vital Pre-school Years.”

On the Tuesday, Miss I. Christlson, officer for preschool education in New Zealand, will discuss “Day to Day in the Play Centre.” In the afternoon, “Do We Practise What We Preach” - will be the subject of a panel discussion by play centre members. Dr. P. J. E. Lewis, senior lecturer in child psychology at the University of Otago, will give a talk entitled “Recognising and Helping the Disturbed Child and Supporting His Parents.” Supervisors will spend the Wednesday visiting infant rooms, kindergartens, play

centres, speech clinics, the School for the Deaf, the Cerebral Palsy School, the Intellectually Handicapped Children’s Centre, and the Crippled Children’s Society’s minding centre. A panel discussion dealing with the visits will be held in the evening. Those taking part will be Mr J. Pankhurst, of the Christchurch Teachers' Training College, Mrs R. Brodie, assistant principal of the Kindergarten Teachers’ College; Miss M. Ockenden, supervisor for junior classes, Education Department; Dr. J. C. Brook, lecturer in speech therapy; Mr A. B. Allen, inspector of special classes, Education Department “How to Recognise and Help the Gifted Child, in the Play Centre” is the title of a talk which Mr R. Sinclair, senior psychologist Department of Education, will give on the Thursday morning. The course will close with an address by the president of the Canterbury association (Mrs A. M. Crookson).