Kindergarten in New International School in Singapore : The doorway to discovering excellence
Twelve golden years of a person’s life are spent in school. These years are the base for how we experience life, understand people and ideas and build relationships. If we look at school as a long bridge with a variety of learnings and experiences, then kindergarten is just the beginning of it. It is the guide for the child on how to get across the bridge and navigate life.
Role of Kindergarten
Children are young, impressionable and very curious during these years. Instilling them with the right education and values and preserving and uplifting their talents are some of the roles of a good kindergarten. New International schools in Singapore work towards fulfilling these roles. The school supports the enthusiastic child so they can reach their full potential. The role of education in international schools is to lead your child to be well-rounded citizens. The foundation for this is set in kindergarten itself.
Objective of Kindergarten
At this tender age, the main objective of kindergarten is making children interact in class. Interaction is not limited to the teacher, but also with each other and with the environment around them. This is the child’s introduction to different cultures, ideas and helps them bond and have fun. The right environment will help children out of their shells to discover the world around them.
The interaction is also improved through activities planned by the teacher and games that let children bond. The activities also help children develop essential soft-skills that will lead to the overall development of the child.
Other Crucial skills learnt in Kindergarten
Kindergarten also sets the foundation for subjects like mathematics and science and languages like English or any other language the child is most familiar with. Kindergarten plays an essential part in developing your child’s motor skills so they can write, paint, mold, create whatever they wish to. The learning is also well paced so that your child can grasp everything and understand concepts clearly.
The objective of kindergarten is also to make children responsible and aware of their potential. Value-based education helps children learn the golden values of life and create their own path. The communication introduces them to different cultures and ways of life before prejudice sets in.
New International schools in Singapore also place importance on developing unique strong personalities in your child and hence children participate in activities that help improve their interpersonal skills. It prioritizes creativity and exploration so that little children enjoy learning. This guarantees a stress-free, positive environment for the child.
These are some of the objectives of kindergarten schools. This ensures a basic understanding of concepts and smooth transition to primary school.
A kindergartener’s life
The life of a kindergartener is far from mundane and is filled with a variety of activities and learning opportunities that strive to keep them active and curious.
Children are avid learners and are keen to try new things. Hence, schools have programs organized and labs designed to let children experiment with objects and nature.
Children have low attention spans and hence all the learning is optimized keeping this in mind. Subjects are taught through practical set-ups so children can use all their senses to grasp the concepts in its entirety.
There are a lot of activities organized that take place inside and outside the classroom. This makes the whole learning experience more engaging. Children interact with nature and this helps them care for it and become more sensitive.
Extra curricular activities
Sports and physical activities are also important. New International schools in Singapore have infrastructure specially built for children so that they can play their favourite sports, hone their skills, and develop team-building skills. Kindergarten also exposes children to the arts through music, dance and other art forms.
Children also participate in competitions organized by the school which gives them a platform to present themselves, compete and show sportsmanship. At this stage, participation and having novel experiences is more important than winning.
Books are gateways to imagination. Hence, in kindergarten, children are encouraged to love books through reading and storytelling sessions.
All these chapters in the kindergartener’s life lead to their holistic growth. The child matures physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. It prepares them well enough to step into the next part of their life.
A view into the kindergarten curriculum
Kindergarten establishes a base for the child in some of the important subjects and concepts that they will learn in detail as they grow up. Having this basic understanding of the subjects guides them to understand the world around them better.
International schools in Singapore teach different languages. As they are young, it becomes a bit easier to grasp the basics of the language. Along with English, they are also taught a Mother Tongue Language (MTL) as a second language. This is a step to increase the child’s linguistic ability and make them aware of their own cultures. GIIS Singapore offers Tamil and Hindi as second languages in kindergarten. The curriculum is planned to ensure the improvement of the child’s reading, writing and speaking skills.
Concepts on Core subjects
Mathematics is taught keeping several themes in mind. The concepts of shapes, sizes, numbers, addition and subtraction are covered at this stage. To make the learning easier and fun, objects are used to make the experience more practical. These fundamental skills are taught at a slow pace and are optimized according to the student.
The science taught in kindergarten is to help children be aware of the life surrounding them. Educating them with the right terminology for living and nonliving things, the earth and the solar system are some of the concepts learnt. Activities outside the classroom that let children interact with plants can create a fun and engaging learning experience.
All these subjects, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities organized by the school come together in unison to increase the cognitive awareness of the student and lead to growth in all spheres.
Your role as a parent in kindergarten
The curriculum overview mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg as to what international schools in Singapore offer. Each school has its own unique, planned curriculum and infrastructure.
As a parent you need to find the school that fits your requirements and fulfills the roles and objectives for the kindergarten.
● This can be done by visiting the school website and understanding the different offerings and the quality of education.
● Interacting with teachers and parents at the school is very beneficial. Parent-teacher communication is of utmost importance as the learning doesn’t end in school and must continue in a systematic fashion at home too.
● Staying up-to-date with the school curriculum and teaching calendar of the school helps you to assist your child well. Therefore, the school should have a common portal for updates and school news.
A unique curriculum for preschoolers.
There are various curriculums offered in different schools. The CBSE and Montessori programs are some of the popular ones. GIIS has the Global Montessori Plus program that brings innovation to the Montessori method of education. In this way, other international schools create their own method of teaching.
Hence, you need to find the right kindergarten for your child to create a strong foundation and an education that offers flexibility and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Kindergarten is a place where children discover the joy of learning. Hence, it is important that the learning is appropriately supplemented by play-time.
The right match, guides the child to plant the seed of education and watch it grow into a garden as life proceeds.
