MindChamps Chinese PreSchool’s curriculum is aligned with the framework used in all our MindChamps PreSchool centres, which focuses on the creation of the S.M.I.L.E.S.™ Methodology.
As your child is immersed in a Chinese learning and speaking environment, there will be ample opportunities to develop his/her Sensory, Motor, Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional and Social skills through highly experiential classroom activities.
When planning lessons and activities, our teachers are trained to incorporate the S.M.I.L.E.S.™ elements so that your child gets a holistic learning experience.
Our CurriculumHow We Bring Our Curriculum to Life
At MindChamps Chinese PreSchool, your child will be actively involved in the learning process, which helps to develop his/her thinking skills.
Through our unique Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ approach, we help to foster your child’s curiosity about the topics of discussion by encouraging him/her to ask questions that will lead to an enquiry exploration. Our teachers facilitate lessons whilst allowing your child and his/her peers to explore the various sides and possibilities to a question. Teachers also observe the interests of the children and plan their lessons and activities accordingly, incorporating the S.M.I.L.E.S.™ elements to provide a holistic learning experience.
Lessons are conducted in small groups, allowing teachers to address questions that result from the learning process. These questions can then be extended to another exploration. Along the way, your child and his/her peers will also have the opportunity to reflect on the challenges faced and how they worked together to resolve them. This allows children to truly understand what it means to give and take as they collaborate to problem-solve together.
Our Curriculum Framework
From Nursey 2 onwards, the children will progress further in their learning journey. Each class will be taught by one English and one Chinese teacher – similar to the setting for all classes across all levels in bilingual MindChamps PreSchool centres. This will provide preschoolers with a balanced exposure of both languages as they progress into the preschool curriculum and prepare for their primary school education.
Here are the core, enrichment and special modules that make up the curriculum at MindChamps Chinese PreSchool
Core Modules
Conducted in English
With a wide range of quality literature to choose from, your child will have the opportunity to learn and explore through stories. Fun with Language™ is designed to nurture your child into a highly successful reader, writer and storyteller by making reading fun and enjoyable.
This module is offered to children in Nursery 2 to Kindergarten 2.
Conducted in Chinese
This module focuses on developing and enhancing your child’s Chinese language communication skills, particularly in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Through fun and interactive lessons, your child will be exposed to drama, games, rhymes, chants, songs, music and movement to deepen his/her understanding of the elements of the Chinese language. With practice and a lot of encouragement, your child will be empowered with the confidence to communicate in Chinese in his/her day-to-day life.
This module is offered to children at all levels at MindChamps Chinese PreSchool.
Conducted in English and Chinese
Enquiry Teaching and Learning™ is a unique approach developed by MindChamps PreSchool that encourages children to be curious about topics and ask questions that will lead to an enquiry exploration.
Lessons start off with the teacher asking the children questions and then taking their responses in to lead the class into an enquiry teaching and learning process. Upon observing the children’s interests, the teacher will plan lessons that allow the children to explore new ideas while developing their thinking skills. The teacher will also make sure that lessons planned incorporate the S.M.I.L.E.S.™ elements and meet the interests and learning needs of different children.
This module is woven into all the modules in our Chinese PreSchool curriculum and is conducted in Chinese only for children in Playgroup and Nursery 1, while children in Nursery 2 to Kindergarten 2 will get exposure in both English and Chinese.
Conducted in English and Chinese
To build a solid foundation in Maths during the early years, our Numeracy Strategies™ programme focuses on helping your child build an understanding of numerical concepts. Your child will be introduced to mathematical concepts through physical grouping and counting exercises, musical pre-numeracy activities, as well as hands-on activities that involve calculating and experimenting with combinations of money denominations.
This module is conducted in Chinese only for children in Playgroup and Nursery 1, while children in Nursery 2 to Kindergarten 2 will get exposure in both English and Chinese.
Enrichment Modules
Conducted in English
Developed by a team of early literacy experts, this module focuses on developing your child’s early literacy skills through a selection of fun and interactive activities to keep him/her engaged in reading and writing.
Preschoolers in Playgroup and Nursery 1 will be introduced to the basics of literacy skills before they progress to key skills such as phonemic and phonological awareness in Nursery 2 and beyond through our unique “Say and Sing” approach.
Conducted in Chinese
Musical experiences are brilliant neurological exercises that promote intellectual development in children. This module combines rhythmic movements with speech and song to develop important life skills in your child, especially in areas such as inner speech and impulse control, which affect language development and social skills. Through the integration of music, movement and creative elements, your child will be led to explore, enjoy and solve problems to develop his/her creativity.
Conducted in English
Creativity and Theatrical Strategies™ incorporate expertly crafted theatrical principles to engage your child’s mind and bring every aspect of the curriculum to life. Through practical creative and theatrical activities, your child is encouraged to use his/her imagination and creative thinking skills in various contexts and scenarios within and outside the classroom.
One of the key features of this module is to tap on storytelling to lead children to ‘physically become’ characters and/or conceptual components in the story. This involves exercises where your child will “step into” a variety of factual and imagined scenarios as he/she is led to respond physically, vocally, and emotionally, through his/her imagination.
Conducted in Chinese
To cultivate healthy eating habits from young, involving your child in food preparation and introducing him/her to different cuisines is a great first step! Gourmet Moments™ offers opportunities for your child to observe, ask questions and compare while he/she is taken through the steps to create simple, healthy dishes. Through this module, we introduce children to a wide range of ingredients and facilitate discussions on food from all over the world.
Conducted in Chinese
The NeuroMooves™ module is designed to enhance your child’s physical and neural development through activities that enrich his/her whole-brain learning experience. Through a series of specially-designed moves, your child will be equipped with the fundamental movement skills to continue to be involved in physical activity in later life, as well as the ability to regulate his/her mental and emotional well-being.
Special ModuleHow we foster curiosity and interest in Chinese culture and values?
To excel at a language, it is essential to understand the history of the country it originated from; cultural appreciation provides a richer context to the Mandarin learning experience.
Children love stories, and China’s rich history is full of interesting tales, morals and values that will captivate young ones, sparking their interest in the language too.
Chinese Cultural Appreciation is conducted in Mandarin and is a core module offered exclusively at MindChamps Chinese PreSchool through weekly lessons that introduce children to China’s rich history and culture.
This is achieved through lessons that feature highly experiential activities such as:
Clay modeling
Chinese painting and calligraphy
Chinese tea appreciation
Chinese knot tying
Paper art/origami
Blue and white porcelain
Chinese chess
Chinese opera
What Makes a MindChampion?
With our Education and Life Philosophy of 100% Respect, Zero Fear, we nurture children to become young Champions by instilling the following 10 attributes in them. For MindChamps Chinese PreSchool only, each attribute is also paired with a corresponding Chinese idiom (成语) that describes the desired quality or behaviour.
- I Am Confident 胸有成竹
- I Am Grateful 饮水思源
- I Have Integrity 一诺千金
- I Am Self-Reflective 三省吾身
- I Focus on the Beauty in Others 见贤思齐
- I Embrace Setbacks as Setups 百折不挠
- I Value Feedback as a Seed for Growth 闻过则喜
- I Am Creative 奇思妙想
- I Am Compassionate 与人为善
- I Am a Life-Long Learner 学无止境