‘Put down the ‘Cocomelon’!’ - Educator says children need wider exposure

Venise Burrell, principal of the Elim Early Childhood Development Centre in Portmore, St Catherine, is urging parents to play a more vital role in the type of content that children are exposed to.

"I don't want us to lose the 'Jamaicanness' of things, and because everyone is so exposed these days to different devices, it is easy to lose sight of our own culture," Burrell said.

According to Burrell, while American YouTube shows like Cocomelon are useful for young children to learn, she believes there is content available that can be more helpful.

"Our children need wider exposure. Everyone has different interests and learning styles, so when you introduce them to a wider range of content, especially Jamaican, non-electronic-based content, they will thrive," she said.

Burrell was speaking on Tuesday as schools across Jamaica celebrated Read Across Jamaica Day, an annual initiative aimed at emphasising the importance of child literacy. She reminisced on the days of collecting bottle caps, and making trucks from old carton boxes, experiences that are not often seen in Jamaican society today.

"These were the things we used to do when we played. Now, it is almost as if parents don't want their children to play any more. But playing is a part of learning and literacy. And we have to do whatever it takes to preserve it," the principal said.

Senior Inspector at the Early Childhood Commission Yvette Edwards-Wilson echoed Burrell's sentiments, adding that the authority has mandated time away from devices for many of its schools.

"One of the challenges we have is that our children are engaged with too many devices, like smartphones and tablets, but not many books. One of the mandates we are enforcing is that our practitioners read to our children daily. So there has to be a slot in the daily activities for reading," Wilson said.

Burrell encouraged parents to "put down the Cocomelon".

"Try as best as you can. Sing a lot to your children. Tell them the kind of child you want them to be. I think it is only then [that] we will begin to see changes in our society as a whole," she said.