“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Independence is one of the most crucial life skills parents can nurture in their children from the early years. Independent learners possess self-confidence and are ready to overcome challenges that come their way. They are usually self-motivated and likely to take the initiative in their learning.
Nurturing these essential skills in your child in their early years can have long-lasting positive effects and provide a strong foundation as they grow into their adult years. Independent self-starters often excel in their careers and are perceived as an asset to their employers.
There are many ways to cultivate independence in your preschooler. This includes encouraging them to complete routine chores and homework on their own before asking for help. Most importantly, enrolling your child in a preschool curriculum designed to nurture resilient and independent learners, such as MindChamps, will also be instrumental in helping your child develop self-motivation and initiative in learning. Read on to find out how our MindChamps curriculum can nurture the right skillset for your child to build independence and self-resilience.
Teaching Children “How” and Not “What” to Learn
At MindChamps, we focus on equipping children with the skills and strategies of learning. Teaching them “how” to learn can help our Champs become proactive and independent learners. Unlike rote learning, our curriculum is designed to nurture curious minds that set the stage for lifelong learning. As such, the MindChamps model of early learning is based on the 3-Mind Approach – a practical and developmental model comprising three distinct qualities:
- The Champion Mind: Celebrating the child’s uniqueness, going beyond conventional wisdom, and overcoming adversity to achieve success.
- The Learning Mind: Equipping learners with strategies of “how” to learn to better understand, store, recall and synthesise information and concepts.
- The Creative Mind: Connecting multiple perspectives and integrating them to solve problems and generate new, creative ideas.
Together, the 3 Minds allow our Champs to stay curious and open-minded, enabling them to adapt to an ever-changing world. By encouraging creativity and uniqueness in problem-solving, we equip them with the skills and confidence to face challenges independently.
A Holistic Learning Environment
At MindChamps, children will be active participants in the learning process. Through our unique Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ approach, we encourage our preschoolers to ask questions about the discussion topics, leading to an enquiry exploration and fostering their curiosity. Along the way, children will have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers to solve problems that may arise during the learning process. This way, they will be encouraged to take the initiative in problem-solving, while understanding the value of collaboration and teamwork.
Lessons and activities are also incorporated with S.M.I.L.E.S.™ elements, which focus on developing five areas of growth outside of the classroom: Sensory, Motor, Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional, and Social. These elements work to further nurture independence in our children. For example, movement is incorporated into our lessons to develop their fine motor skills so that they can carry out daily tasks independently and be prepared for more advanced tasks like writing. We also design games that support social and emotional development, enabling them to establish positive relationships with their peers and a healthy sense of self. Building self-esteem allows children to gain the confidence to face challenges independently.
Nurturing independence from an early age sets a solid foundation for our Champs to uncover their fullest potential. Book a visit to learn more today.