PORT ANGELES — A special program to help children improve math skills by playing with blocks is planned at Dry Creek Elementary School on Jan. 10, with volunteer training the day before.
The program, BlockFest, has been funded by a nearly $50,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Parenting Matters Foundation.
It will be conducted at schools throughout Clallam County.
The next sessions will be at 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Jan. 10 at Dry Creek Elementary at 25 Rife Road in Port Angeles.
All are sponsored by Parenting Matters and the First Teacher Program.
BlockfestTM is a research-based program that helps raise awareness of early math and science learning by offering hands-on block play experiences to families with young children.
The goal is to show parents, teachers, and caregivers how to use block play to help children from 8 months to 8 years old like and succeed in math.
Parents can help their children learn early math and science concepts while they play with blocks through guided play and conversation.
Information about the program will be distributed through First Teacher, the monthly newsletter of the Parenting Matters Foundation.
Volunteers are needed.
Volunteer training will be scheduled at Dry Creek Elementary on the afternoon of Jan. 9. Other sessions are likely to be scheduled
To volunteer, contact Cynthia Martin at 360-681-2250 or Bill March at 360-457-6758.
For more information about the program, see www.blockfest.org.
