Have you ever wondered what your kiddo is up to at school? Full of excitement and growth, their kindergarten years involve developing many skills such as reading and writing along with the fundamentals of mathematics, music and movement.
The warm environment at MindChamps West Coast Plaza, which is conveniently located inside the safe West Coast Plaza mall, ensures that each kindergarten student is cared for individually and empowered to reach their full learning potential through engaging programmes.
Below, take a peek at what your child’s exciting day is like at MindChamps West Coast Plaza!
A typical day in the life of a kindergarten student at MindChamps West Coast Plaza
After the children arrive and get their temperature taken, they unpack their books and toothbrush set, and put away their backpacks themselves to practice responsibility. A tasty and nutritious breakfast is served until 9am.
This is followed by either MindGym (three times a week) or an outdoor session (twice a week). During MindGym, which takes place in a colourful, well-equipped indoor gym, the Champs engage in fun exercises such as Zumba dance (see video below), obstacle courses, jumping on a trampoline or walking across the balance beam.
Since the centre is nestled within the safe, guarded suburb mall of West Coast Plaza, for outdoor sessions, two teachers will chaperone the children to soccer and basketball courts, neighbourhood playgrounds and Clementi Woods Park, which is just minutes away. Each outdoor session feels like an exciting mini excursion.
Read also: Learning Through Sensory Play at our Preschool @ West Coast Plaza
English Lesson (Part 1)
On Tuesdays from 10.15am to 12.15pm, kindergarteners will go through the MindChamps Reading and Writing programme. Building on their phonemic and phonics awareness, K1 students begin to practice reading digraphs (two letters put together that make one sound, such as “ch,” “th,” and “sh”), as well as sight words.
The use of MindChamps’ research-based “Say and Sing Phonics” in-class app and eBooks allow children to master phonics in a fascinating manner – through an interactive reading and listening experience. Children’s love for reading deepens when they get a chance to play with integrated phonics activities that further aid the learning of vocabulary through music and entertaining stories.
The regular English lessons are theme-based and brimming with hands-on activities. For example, when the children were learning about the digestive system, they conducted an experiment to see what happened to food that passed through the digestive system. They soaked bread in water and mashed it with their hands to simulate the stomach digesting food. Then, they used a towel to squeeze the bread dry to demonstrate the small intestine’s function. The remaining dried bread was an example of what happens once they pass motion.
By taking a creative approach, our childcare teachers make English lessons as engaging, active and dynamic as possible – a far cry from desk-bound rote learning.
Read also: One Simple Rule to Creative Writing Success, According to MindChamps @ West Coast Plaza Expert
Chinese Lesson (Part 1)
Following shower time, which takes place from 11.00 to 11.30am, the Champs have Chinese lessons from 11.30 to 12.30am.
Children sing, recite, play games, and dramatise stories and rhymes. Following the theme of Our Bodies, the Champs learned a Chinese song about body parts, with accompanying dance moves.
In another theme-based activity, a child would lie on a large piece of paper on the floor while the other students traced his or her body. Together with the teacher, the Champs would draw in and label individual body parts and organs, while discussing each function in Mandarin.
Lunch and Power Nap
After a morning filled with learning, children take their lunch from 12.30 to 1pm, tucking into nutritious and delectable foods such as chicken and potato stew with mixed grain rice, or fish with spaghetti followed by fruit and yogurt.
Children brush their teeth after lunch to practice personal hygiene habits. Following this, they set up their own cots for naptime. Classroom lights are turned off, a little flower lamp is turned on, and classical music plays softly for a soothing, restful atmosphere.
Once they wake up, they queue for the toilet and then enjoy a healthy and tasty afternoon snack.
Enrichment Classes during Childcare
Part of what makes MindChamps’ curriculum unique is its offering of research-backed enrichment programmes, which complement the core academic programmes for a 360° learning experience that taps into your child’s full learning potential.
Music for the Mind™, NeuroMooves™, Gourmet Moments, and Creative and Theatrical Strategies™ allow children to expand their interests and skills to be well-rounded.
The Champs got to make red bean buns during Gourmet Moments. Another time, for Mother’s Day, there was a collaborative mother-and-child bento-making session that was enjoyed by all. The Champs even got to learn how to debone a fish.
English Lesson and Chinese Lesson (Part 2)
From 4.00 to 5.30pm, Champs continue their English and Chinese lessons. This is to reinforce what they learned in the morning session to ensure a deeper understanding.
A popular English activity is playing Hangman in groups, which requires teamwork, collaboration, and utilising their knowledge of phonics.
In K1, children expand their Chinese vocabulary and apply new phrases to their own sentences. They also continue learning the correct strokes for characters. Often, after the champs “write” the strokes in the air, the teacher will ask for volunteers to write the characters on the whiteboard.
You should see how these children beam with confidence when they receive the teacher’s praise in front of the class!
Read also: 4 Tactics by MindChamps @ West Coast Plaza That Help Your Child’s Reading Comprehension
Highlights at MindChamps West Coast Plaza
A recent highlight for the K1 class at MindChamps West Coast Plaza was an excursion to Jurong Frog Farm to enforce the Animals theme. Outings are a fun way of fortifying their classroom learning with real-world discoveries.
At MindChamps, childcare teachers do not only focus on academic and enrichment education, they are also dedicated to teaching Champs values. Following the value-based theme of Integrity, the Champs were thrilled to attend a Pinnochio play.
In June, when the K1 class was learning the value of Compassion, they held a charity event where the children created different products and donated the money from their sales to the Children’s Cancer Foundation. Through this, they learned that no matter their young age, they too can take action and make a difference to help others.
Written by Jenny Tai