Market research by national firm draws in parents.
By: Jeff Milgram
Teri McIntire is sitting on the floor at Jazams toy store in Palmer Square with her daughter, 17-month-old Faith Carver, and teacher Ellen Hall.
While Faith is doing most of the work, all three are playing with stacking blocks.
"Do you want to put the red block back in the box?" Ms. McIntire, the former public relations officer for Palmer Square Management, asks Faith who, with curly blond hair, is cuter than any child has a right to be.
"’K," says Faith in her shorthand for OK.
"Do you want to do it again?" Ms. McIntire asks.
"’gain," says Faith, who is one of about 20 local children, some less than 12 months old, who took part in a marketing pilot program this week for a new preschool educational system called A-Ha!
If the pilot program of three hour-long classes known as the Power of Play is deemed successful, A-Ha! will bring its learning system to Princeton permanently.
The classes teach parents how to interact with their children and play better. The system uses five separate play areas, devoted to a variety of simple but creative play, including music, building blocks, trains, dress-up and puppet theater.
One goal is to train parents to use 30 minutes of uninterrupted play a day with their child no laundry and no washing the dirty dishes. Another goal is that, through the play, the child will learn things like numbers and colors.
But the emphasis is on play and letting the child set the pace for learning skills. The goal is to turn the youngsters into confident, independent learners.
"What we’re trying to decide is if this formula is attractive," said Don Burton, a co-founder of the A-Ha! Learning System.
Mr. Burton does not want parents to deliberately stress academic learning, such as reading or math. The child will get those skills through a balanced range of play experiences that draw out and advance the child’s intelligence, according to the company’s literature.
"The more you play with your children, the more they will play independently," said Peter Reynolds, Mr. Burton’s partner. "All animals in the wild play with their children all the time."
The system works for Ms. McIntire, who attended classes both Monday and Wednesday. It also works for Faith, who can name different colors and can recognize Mr. Burton and Mr. Reynolds.
"I learned two very practical techniques that I never would have thought to include in my play with Faith," Ms. McIntire said. "I can’t wait to go home and use them right away. It just makes play so much more interesting for Faith and, importantly, for me."
There are also several personal connections. Joanne Farrugia, the owner of Jazams, has known Mr. Peterson for several years, and Ms. McIntire knows Ms. Farrugia.
"I love Joanne, she’s always doing something cutting-edge," said Ms. McIntire. And while it might seem like a strange thing to admit, she didn’t know how to play with Faith before.
"You can always learn," Ms. McIntire said. "I’ve learned how to play."
A-Ha! has tested its concept in other communities.
"This is all market research, but the feeling is that once we nail the format, you can do this in your living room," said Jill Bazo, a marketing associate. "We did it in Greenwich, Conn., and we plan to do it until we get it right."
If A-Ha! gets it right, Ms. Farrugia wants to have a center somewhere in Princeton.
A-Ha! techniques come from three major sources: Harvard University, the Brazelton Institute and the Reggio Emilia School in Italy.
The Reggio Emilia School, in which parents play an important role in their child’s education, started in Italy but has inspired schools in the United States.
In general, the three institutions found that play is crucial to a child’s physical and intellectual growth it’s how children develop their minds and learn about the world.
"It’s not just play, there’s a lot of rich stuff going on," Mr. Burton said.
Mr. Reynolds was president of the toy-making BRIO Corp., the largest wooden-toy manufacturer in the world. At BRIO, Mr. Reynolds emphasized the importance of play in children’s lives and, consequently, the need for good toys. Mr. Reynolds is a sought-after speaker on the topics of good toys, play and development, and toy industry trends.
Mr. Burton has successfully launched a number of businesses in the education and media area and was head of business development for Disney Education at Disney Interactive, where he developed strategies for the product lines and the business unit.
He also founded Learning Partners, an innovative Internet start-up focused on learning, growth and development issues.