The objectives of the presentation on physical literacy and early education will be to outline developmental motor milestones in the early years and red flags for identifying issues. There will be discussion on the recent evidence of how play has changed for children and we will discuss the link between motor skills and future academic learning. We will also provide examples of how to incorporate motor skills into early childhood education.
Jennifer Neill, OT Reg(PEI) is an Occupational Therapist working in the pre-school program in Queens Region. She graduated from McMaster University in 2006 and began working with children 12 years ago. She spent much of her career working in New Brunswick and moved back to PEI in 2015. She has worked with children of all ages in various settings and she enjoys working collaboratively with all team members to best support the child in their environment. She strongly believes in the importance of early childhood development for laying the foundation for lifelong learning.
Melissa Myers, OT Reg(PEI) is an occupational therapist working in the pre-school program in Queens Region. She graduated from Dalhousie University in 1999 and has been working with children since 2000 in various settings including hospital, school, daycare and home settings. Her early career began in adolescent mental health and from there she moved to working with children in the school system in Calgary, Alberta. She moved back to PEI in 2011 and started working in the pre-school program. Having worked with children from birth to adolescence, she is a strong supporter of early child development and the importance of building strong sensory and motor foundation skills in early childhood to support future development.