One of the best gifts for our children is education.
With education, our children are enriched with knowledge and the capability to unleash his potential and someday contribute to our community and society in his own ways.
Before our children embark on their primary school education, parents may choose to homeschool their preschoolers or send them to a preschool to learn with their peers.
If you are deciding between homeschooling your little one or packing him off to a preschool in Singapore, this might offer some insights:
Should I homeschool my child or send him to a preschool?
Homeschooling refers to home education, where a parent teaches his/her child at home. Parents who decide to homeschool their kids usually do it on a full-time basis.
As the sole educator, the parent develops lesson plans and prepares resource materials accordingly to support their child’s learning.
Attending preschool, on the other hand, lets the child hop onto the school’s education style and programme together with his friends.
Experienced and qualified teachers with relevant early childhood studies certification and training take care of learning materials and conduct lessons for children of the same age group.
Structured learning environment for preschoolers
Experts suggest that routines and structure facilitate children’s learning, and soon enough, children know about the order of things. Both homeschool and preschools in Singapore have varying degrees of structured learning in place.
With different education models and curricula available for homeschoolers to use as a guide, homeschooling allows the parent to put together their daily lessons as preferred. Parents decide what to teach, and what resources to use.
Parents may also choose to navigate their children towards certain interests such as learning a specific musical instrument or include life skills as part of their day.
For children who attend schools during the early years such as nursery, kindergarten and preschool in Singapore, there are philosophies and learning values which the educational institutes embrace. They help set the direction for what the kids will learn during their schooling hours.
Besides the building blocks of foundational learning, a structured programme is also infused with value-added learning opportunities, going beyond academics to prepare them for primary school and life.
In a bid to nurture curious learners, MindChamps Preschool believes in cultivating children’s unique competencies in holistic ways. The preschool embraces a 100% respect and zero fear mindset when it comes to raising young champions through the MindChamps Education and Life Philosophy by inculcating 10 key values in preschoolers.
Values such as being a ‘compassionate person’, and ‘focus on the beauty in others’ form the backbone of a person’s beliefs to mould one’s character and attitude.
Learning and development strategies: homeschool vs. preschool
With the parent as the head in their homeschool life, children embrace parent-child bonding, as relationships make up a part of their learning experience.
There are no hard and fast rules on the learning and development strategies to partake, as it depends on the educator/ parent’s beliefs and expertise.
Education experts at MindChamps Preschool believe that with effective mind stimulation and activation, preschoolers enjoy the discovery journey of learning and exploration.
With the S.M.I.L.E.S. Environment strategy – Sensory, Motor (Music and Movement), Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional and Social – teaching specialists (also, referred to as educarers) proactively engage young minds with age-appropriate stimulation to nurture and ignite these young brains.
Further reading: Ultimate Checklist: Choosing The Best Preschool in Singapore
Preschools in Singapore offer multi-faceted exposure
While education and academics may seem like competitive grounds in Singapore, it need not be all study and no play, especially for a preschooler.
During their formative years, immersion in our cultural roots and heritage plays a fundamental role in developing individuals. Aligned with this belief, MindChamps Chinese Preschool takes pride in exposing children from 18 months to 6 years old to the Chinese language and seeding their love in this culture.
Addressing the concerns of local parents where families are predominantly English speaking at home, MindChamps Chinese Preschool spurs engagement through reading and writing with the ‘The Love for Chinese Language’ programmes developed for pre-readers and emerging readers.
Preschool programmes are not just about books, but also about a child’s health.
Research explains that the mind and body are antagonistically connected, so an active body fuels a healthy mind! To get kids grooving in a bid to support their cross-lateral neural development, the scientifically developed MindChamps NeuroMooves™ programme is geared to do just that.
Besides releasing happy hormones and garnering big smiles from the preschoolers, coordinated cross-lateral movements help children develop gross motor skills, musical intelligence, coordination and balance too.
Whether the children are at nursery, preschool or kindergarten levels in Singapore, they get to put all their energy through plenty of fun!
Further reading: 7 Types of Preschools in Singapore
Forging friendships at preschool
Education is more than just reciting the ABC’s and nursery rhymes.
In fact, interaction with other children and adults offers a wealth of lessons and a sneak preview of our world of interrelations.
When it comes to social opportunities, homeschooled children spent a large amount of time with their parents who take them through different activities together.
Although the children may not attend lessons with friends throughout the day, parents would usually arrange for play dates and organise “classes” with other homeschooled children of similar ages and capabilities to meet their little friends when everyone’s schedule allows.
In a preschool setting where relationship building is steadily cultivated, children are exposed to the opportunity of strengthening his communication skills, allowing him to learn through social interactions, and understand group dynamics amongst others.
Games and activities are extra fun with friends too, as they experience the joy of singing and dancing together, sharing laughter and squabbles – all in a child’s day!
After all, educators and parents are integral in a child’s education and learning journey.
See first hand how MindChamps PreSchool can enrich your child!