Choosing a preschool for your child involves many factors and can be a daunting task. Location, curriculum, quality of teachers, and the overall environment are some factors which you may look into when weighing your options and deciding which preschool to place your child in for up to 12 hours each day.
Let’s take a look at MindChamps Toa Payoh, a top preschool in central Singapore, and the reasons behind its popularity.
MindChamps Toa Payoh is strategically located
Located in central Singapore, Toa Payoh is a 10-minute MRT ride from the Central Business District (CBD) where a majority of offices are located.
MindChamps Toa Payoh is located in HDB Hub, which is easily accessible from Toa Payoh MRT station and the connecting bus interchange. Parents working in the Hub can drop off and pick up their children conveniently without worrying about being late. Similarly, those who live nearby can also enjoy this convenience as they commute to and from work through the Hub.
Dinner and daily necessities can be easily purchased at the shops in Toa Payoh Central. If there is time, parents can even make a stop at the nearby library before heading home. All these factors and more make MindChamps Toa Payoh a suitable choice for parents who work and live in the area.
Established preschool with a unique S.M.I.L.E.S. curriculum
Launched in April 2008, MindChamps Toa Payoh is the first MindChamps PreSchool centre to be established. The response was overwhelming – all vacancies were snapped up within three months and 150 students were put on the waiting list. Since then, it has been operating at full enrollment with a long waiting list each year even though there are a number of other preschools in the Toa Payoh area.
MindChamps Toa Payoh uses a unique S.M.I.L.E.S.™ curriculum, based on MindChamps’ 3-Mind model of education which focuses on nurturing the Champion, Learning and Creative Minds of preschoolers to bring out the best in them. Developed exclusively by MindChamps, S.M.I.L.E.S. is an acronym for Sensory, Motor (Music and Movement, Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional and Social – all lessons and activities conducted are designed to encompass these elements.
The curriculum is bilingual, and children learn both English and Mandarin during lessons. The S.M.I.L.E.S. curriculum is used in all MindChamps PreSchool centres worldwide.
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Highly experienced, qualified and trained teachers
All MindChamps PreSchool teachers are required to undergo up to 200 hours of training and accreditation, regardless of prior qualification or experience. Thus, parents can rest assured that the teachers at MindChamps Toa Payoh are experienced and qualified. In fact, some teachers have been teaching at the centre since it was opened, a testament to the school’s positive and healthy working environment.
The teachers work closely with parents on the progress and development of their children via the MindChamps app. Communication and updates including photos and videos of the children are shared through the app as well.
Interesting fact: Among all the MindChamps PreSchool centres, MindChamps Toa Payoh is the closest to the MindChamps HQ – which is located within Toa Payoh HDB Hub as well. MindChamps HQ also serves as a training venue for teachers from all MindChamps PreSchool centres. Typically held throughout the year, the training sessions are conducted by MindChamps’ training and curriculum team.
Spacious and clean environment
The preschool is brightly lit, spacious and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis to ensure that hygiene is maintained for the safety of the children. Coupled with MindChamps PreSchool’s policy of keeping its teacher-child ratio low, the large classrooms are conducive for learning.
In addition, there is also a Mind Gym in MindChamps Toa Payoh which provides a safe space for children to play and expend their energy. The NeuroMooves™ enrichment programme is also conducted in the gym on a weekly basis for children of all levels.
Prepares children sufficiently for Primary school
The pedagogy used at MindChamps PreSchool takes into account the changes that children face when they graduate from kindergarten and progress to primary school.
In fact, in the final two terms of Kindergarten 2 at MindChamps PreSchool, children experience the theme “Here I Come, P1!” to let them gain a better understanding of how Primary school is like and to ease the transition between kindergarten and primary school.
Some activities that the K2 children go through as part of P1 preparations include excursions to nearby primary schools where they get to tour the school and its facilities, and even have a go at purchasing their own meals from the canteen.
The K2 children learn about the purpose of money and how to handle it through role play. For example, mock canteens and bookshops will be set up in the classrooms for the children to play the roles of cashier and customer. Learning to tell time is also another valuable skill that they will learn.
Read also: 4 Important Life Skills For Kindergarten Children in Singapore
Check out what a happy parent of MindChamps Toa Payoh has to say about his daughters’ learning journey at the preschool:
MindChamps is a truly special place. You can feel the warmth as soon as you enter the front doors. I can see that both my daughters are happy and I’ve also witnessed them grow emotionally, progressing academically just in a year after I enrolled them into MindChamps PreSchool. The staff there are superbly competent, caring professionals who treat each child as if they were their own.
– Mr Muhamad Yusri Omar, Parent of Maiya Ayunie and Maira Amanie
Written by Jamie Koh
Ready to let your little one shine at MindChamps Toa Payoh?