The preschool age (3 to 6 years) is crucial for development of children as their brain can absorb the maximum information at this age. Learning should be made joyful and this can be achieved when anganwadi teachers hone their communication skills, A.E. Roberts, Regional Joint Director of the Women Development and Child Welfare (DW and CW) Department, has said.

At the inaugural of a two-day consultative workshop on Improving learning environment under preschool context, organised by the DW and CW Department at the Platinum Jubilee Guest House of Andhra University here on Monday, Mr. Roberts said that though most of the anganwadi teachers were doing a great job by striking a rapport with the children and making the learning process more interesting, there were some teachers who were speaking to them in a high pitch unmindful of the negative impact it could have on the child.

He said this could be due to lack of communication skills and awareness among the anganwadi teachers in dealing with children. He said that the workshop was intended to hone the skills of the aganwadi teachers. Chhattisgarh had bagged the first place in the country in the implementation of preschool activity, which mainly concentrates on social, physical and psychological development of children.

PDK Rao, founder of Sodhana Foundation, an NGO working in the area of preschool learning, spoke of his association with preschool children in the US and India for nearly half-a-century. He said: There is no child, who is not intelligent. Children of the present generation are very active.He advised the anganwadi teachers to make the child happy and not to subject them to pressure, fear and shyness. We should be only facilitators for the child to learn. Children learn by listening and seeing things. Self-learning, peer group learning and learning from the teachers are the three stages,he said.

Mr. Rao spoke on the problems of anganwadi teachers, need to boost their morale, developing ICDS units as mandal-resource centres instead of involving NGOs, functioning from remote areas, without knowing the ground realities. Child Development Project Officer Anuradha presided.