Let your children play while learning and do not force them to read and write while they are at nursery and kindergarten levels, said State Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Children Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.

She said parents sometime underestimated the benefits of playing and seldom realised that their children could actually learn new things, as well as practice good values and even develop their motor skills and muscles while playing.

"There are parents who insisted that their children be taught how to read and write at nursery and kindergarten levels.

"Some of these parents would even go to the extent of sending their young children to tuition classes to learn how to read and write, which it is not the right concept," she said at the launch of Taska Day 2017, themed "Children Olympic Telematch" at Yayasan Sarawak here today.

She said nurseries and kindergartens were actually to prepare the children for the next stage of formal education.

"It is only during the primary school level that children should learn to read, write and think," she added.

At the event, Fatimah also announced a grant of RM10,000 to the Association of Registered Childcare Providers Sarawak to finance their activities.

-- BERNAMA