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Should you send your child to preschool? Research makes a compelling case for preschool education.

 

Many parents are struggling with the decision on whether they should start sending their children to preschool. For one, it may incur costs that otherwise will not be there especially if the child has a caregiver at home. More importantly though, parents feel they are taking away a huge part of their kid’s childhood when they are sent to school too early. This topic has been a source of concern for the government because of the implications towards a nation’s budget and its economy, that a lot of researchers have been asked to do latitudinal and longitudinal studies.

If you are looking for a preschool in Singapore, look no further. Boasting of a renowned curriculum, Preschool education in Singapore is the best choice for your child if you want them to have every head start in life. Hesitate no more and check out their site today!

The results of the research are clear: preschool education is important to your children. Claudio Sanchez of NPR writes about what preschool can do for young children.

 

Preschool makes sure that your child is ready.

 

Some of the nation’s top researchers who’ve spent their careers studying early childhood education recently got together in Washington with one goal in mind: to cut through the fog of studies and the endless debates over the benefits of preschool. Read more here!

 

Preschool curriculums that allow children to learn and socialize are beneficial to all children. It helps children be more prepared to take on formal education. Through core curriculums, children are better prepared for school. By playing with peers, children become more emotionally mature and are able to grasp the concept of collaboration. Most children who have undergone preschool are emotionally capable of being separated from their parents. They expect that they will have to deal with a different set of people because of their experience. For children who are bilingual, preschool helps them bridge the gap between their mother tongue and the second language that they are learning through interaction and social learning. Why can this not wait until a child is in kindergarten then? The Economist outlines why children should start as early as possible.

 

To get ahead, you will have to start early.

 

Some also question the emphasis on the age of four. New research suggests the achievement gap between rich and poor children starts far earlier—even right after birth. By 18 months children from disadvantaged homes are already several months behind in their vocabulary and language-processing abilities. Read more here!

 

Every development stage of a child is important. The first three years of your child are part of their formative years and what happens in these three years greatly determine what is ahead of them. Vocabulary and language, which are needed to succeed in life, are foundations that are laid very early on. You simply cannot take this stage for granted and put it off when your child is four. A parent should prepare their child the best way that they can and preschool is there to help. The proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” still rings true to this day. Parents who provide their children a loving home can also help them relate with their peers through preschool. Sometimes, though, it’s not just about getting ahead. It’s also about helping children who aren’t doing so well in their early years. Jonah Lehrer, writing for wired.com, cites several studies on why preschool is important for children especially for disadvantaged kids.

 

Preschool bridges the gap for children despite socio-economic status.

 

Adults assigned to the preschool program were 20 percent more likely to have graduated from high school and 19 percent less likely to have been arrested more than five times. They got much better grades, were more likely to remain married and were less dependent on welfare programs. Read more here!

 

Before there was science to tell us why disadvantaged kids do poorly in school, society often just blames a child’s socioeconomic status. When further studies were conducted, it turns out that children who are more privileged get an early advantage because of their language-filled environment as well as the early education they have been provided. Parents from lower income statuses often cannot send their children to private preschools so this is where the government should step in. Governments must invest in preschool for disadvantaged children to provide them a nurturing environment. There is inherent brilliance in all children and we all just need to make sure we cultivate it.

 

To conclude, apprehension among parents on whether they should send their children to school is understandable. Preschool benefits children by making them more prepared socially, emotionally, and cognitively so this should alleviate any apprehension. It’s important that children even before formal schooling starts get the most out of their environment because the first formative years have long term effects in a child’s life. Finally, preschool helps disadvantaged children grow. It provides them the environment that they may be missing from their homes and governments must include it in their national budgets. Preschool is great for all children no matter what their background is.

What Goes Into Selecting The Right Nursery School?

Many people mistakenly assume that, choosing a nursery school for children is not that much of a challenge. The reason for this kind of nonchalance is that, they assume that the parameters which distinguish one nursery school from the others are easy to adjudicate on. Experts are repeatedly warning parents to, not select a nursery for their wards without due consideration. Since parents will not always be able to give their full attention to their kids, selecting the right nursery school becomes even more important. Young kids are very impressionable. The kind of beliefs and treatment that they encounter at their nurseries, determines the way they are going to look at things for the rest of their lives. Since different kids react to the same thing differently, their attitudes need to be carefully moulded in specific ways, such that they understand the nuances between the right and the wrong to some extent. Thankfully, parents are now exhibiting increasing prudence when it comes to choosing nursery in Singapore, one such school is Chiltern House Nursery School. In this article we shall discuss, what goes into selecting the right nursery school.

Teachers trained to educate young children well
No matter how good a nursery�s facilities are, the one thing which cannot be substituted by anything are skilled teachers who can handle young children with tact. Young children are inherently curious, so in order to educate them effectively, teachers will have to be patient and elucidate things to their level of intelligence. Additionally, young children can also be frequently restless; this is where tactful handling becomes important. Hence it is imperative that a nursery�s teachers are adequately trained to deal with young kids efficiently and educate them appropriately.

Amenities and security of the nursery
As said earlier, young children can be restless at times. In order to ensure that they do not pose a threat to themselves or others in their childish activities, the nursery�s infrastructure should be made child safe. All of the amenities must be well maintained and should have adequate personnel supervising it. A little care in this regard, will save a lot of problems in the future. Additionally, the nursery furniture should have corner claddings, the floor should be soft and all the plugs and sockets should be out of reach of the kids. Also, the nursery should be well equipped to respond to any emergencies immediately.


Experience your schooling at IB international school

A place where you learn the proper meaning of life, where you learn to grow is the school. A good school with a good education system is all that you need to have a bright future. The IB international school is the place where you will have the best of the schooling. If you are looking for a Singapore Private School then you can also refer to GESS Singapore international school. Do have a look at their website today.

To enjoy the school days to the fullest choosing the IB international school is a brilliant idea.

A casual education system may offer you high rated study skills, and some kind of physical environment. Are these two aspects enough to make your schooling time and your learning period a good experience for you? Talking about the IB education system, in particular, it makes you grow with experiences. They build the most suitable environment so as to increases your focus towards your studies and your activities.

If you think schooling is all about being focused on the books and writing notes, then the IB education system will help you in changing your mindset. The IB education system will help you in promoting your skills in all the aspects. The regular physical activities which go on in the school helps you in developing your interest in games and sports.

If you are an art lover, then opting for an IB international school is the best decision you can take in order to make your art skills grow faster. The IB curriculum understands the importance of art in the life of a student. They conduct programs at regular interval to increase the creative skills of all the students. Not only do they encourage you to get involved in the art but also makes the subject interesting for you.

Conclusion
As a student, if you consider going to school as a boring thing, then surely you have wasted your precious schooling years. It isn�t that late you can still choose an to make your rest of the schooling life fun for you. The search for an ideal school comes to an end when you choose . To have a jubilant experience while growing, you need an environment filled with positivity. The best part about this curriculum is that they assist you in polishing your hobbies also.

Early education opens up a new world for a young child. That is why choosing a quality preschool is a guaranteed way to provide your child a head start in life.

Some of you might be thinking that what the point of putting the child in extreme burden by getting them enrolled in a preschool. However, you will be pleased that learning is not all about pressure but can be provided in fun ways as well. This is where the preschools come to the rescue and provide your child with entertaining ways of learning so that they can develop a joy of learning through a quality attested curriculum.

One such school, Chiltern House preschool, has a history of curriculum that is engaging and helps your child grow at an accelerated pace compared to his or her peers in regular preschools. You should check out their site above today.

In order to help new parents evaluating what a preschool in Singapore involves, we have listed the following reasons of why preschool education in Singapore is important:

Preschool education establishes long-lasting roots for good behavior, attitude, and health even. It is never too late to start providing that almost 90% of the childs brain is already developed by the age of 3.

Preschool education also helps in the grooming of the children. Your child gets numerous opportunities to interact with other children as well as the teachers. This gives them a lot of confidence that not only helps them in the preschool but in the later stages of their lives as well.

Working parents can find it very difficult to pay attention especially to their young children and that is where the personality of them is not groomed the way it should be groomed. Preschools provide equal care to the children and the teachers make sure that due attention is provided to all the children. This helps the children learn the basic etiquettes and moral values that are highly needed in a human being.

Preschool education is centered on each child. This means that your child learns at their own pace and needs. The teachers tailor the learning syllabus according to the learning ability of the children and do not impose anything on the children. Thus, the child feels ease in learning.

All the progress of the child is monitored closely and the parents are reported periodically. The changes in the behavior of the child are also discussed with the parents so that they know how much effort is being done on the education of the child. This report allows the parents to know where the child stands, what the positives and negatives of the child are, and how are they going to play their part in further improvement and development of the child.

Preschool education in Singapore does not only focus on the academic growth of the child but the various extra curriculum activities make sure that the child learns other arts as well. One of the notable extra curriculum activities is music. Various musical activities are performed in a preschool that soothes the mind of the child and makes them aware of the beats of music and in the meantime makes them aware of the rhythmic ups and downs of music.

In conclusion, preschool education in Singapore has many benefits on the mind and the personality of the child that helps your child compete better in this competitive world. If you are undecided whether or not to enroll your child in a preschool in Singapore, these reasons might help you make a decision. There are different preschools in Singapore and you can choose the one that suits your budget.


A Few Reasons Why Some Time Away From Textbooks Is A Necessity

Children pretty much like adults seem to be burning the candle at both ends. Right from the time, a child starts preschool education s/he has a host of educative material that the child is expected to master or lose out down the line.

At Chiltern House Preschool education in Singapore, children are advised to balance out their play and their work life. If you are a parent looking to send your young one to a preschool, check out this Chiltern House Review for an honest review of preschools in Singapore.

Here are some reasons why some time away from textbooks is a necessity.

Too much of information is not always a good thing. Children have minds that absorb any interesting piece of informative content. However, too much of knowledge fed all the time with high expectations can scramble the child�s brains and that is certainly not the right approach by an educator or parent.

Everyone irrespective of age needs some time away from the vagaries of life. All work and no play can result in lax muscles making way for obesity to creep in unexpectedly. Kids may just resort to keeping their minds on the books resulting in bad eating habits because of excessive studying. The great outdoors is a wonderful way to help kids exercise their minds and their brains as well.

Since children today have an affinity for gadgets and gizmos, they tend to use these forms of relaxation tools to free themselves from excessive studies. Being ahead in the game is great. Down the line, however, addiction can take over resulting in a host of unlikeable activities that the child may end up in causing her/him to lose focus on the freedom of gaming as a whole and studies too.

Bringing out the best in the child through a series of extracurricular programs brings out their talents. For instance, if kids are interested in theatre or drama and encouraging voice and help will help them in their overall learning curve. Evidence has proven that children tend to do better when they have interests outside the study area.

In many preschools, additional activities like swimming, basketball, tennis, badminton, table tennis and a host of other games are encouraged. It helps children be children as they learn to play sports.

Using their brains to better their learning ability has always been a way forward. However, aside from the usual pedagogy, playing with other kids is also a necessity. The reasons stipulated above highlight the points why some time away from textbooks actually proves beneficial for kids. They become all-rounders instead of just being textbook kids.

Every family is unique. The way you raise your children is different from your neighbours. There are values that you hold dear to your heart and would not want to compromise them at whatever cost. It is exciting to know that there are childcare facilities that can meet your special needs. Try as much as possible to choose a facility that accommodates those preferences.

One childcare that meets these preferences is Chiltern House preschool. They nurture your child’s confidence and independence, and also structure their programme to ready your child for primary school. Hence if you are serious about your child’s education, you should consider Chiltern House child care.

Meeting Requirements to Operate

The facility should, however, meet the minimum requirements to operate in Singapore. Miss Vanda gives her opinion on this:

“You should ask the following questions from the daycare centre Manager to get a sense of their credentials and centre policies:

  • What is the minimum qualifications of the teachers hired?
  • What are their discipline philosophies?
  • Are the child care providers in the centre trained in First Aid or CPR?
  • Are the teachers certified?
  • Are the administrators responsive to the needs of their staff, personnel and clients?”

Read more on these basic requirements here.

Do not compromise on these bare minimums as they have a bearing on every other service offered at the facility.

Having considered those basic minimums, let us look at these two facilities that go an extra mile to inculcate in their programs services and activities fit for you and your family.

Religious or Value-based Childcare Centres

The New Age Parent notes here:

“Religious childcare centres or kindergartens integrate basic religious values impartation into the academic curriculum. For example, My Little Gems Preschool (pictured above), a Buddhist inspired preschool, children attend character class where child learn Buddhist values such as self-reliance, motivation, gratitude, unconditional love and compassion through role play, Buddhist stories and songs. “ Read more here.

Religion is at the core of some families. It might be difficult to raise a child that is not rooted in a similar belief system. A child from a Buddhist home will benefit from attending a facility that teaches Buddhist values. The same case applies to Christian, Hindu, and Muslim children.

Conflicts in the values taught at home and at the facility can confuse your child. If you are a deeply religious person then this should be a priority in your search for a childcare facility. Finding such a facility is highly possible in Singapore.

A good childcare has the ability to weave the various religious values to their system, and doing so ranks them high among religious families. Children trained in institutions that are religious or value-based are better adjusted emotionally and socially to their beliefs. The discipline entrenched within them helps them become successful.

Work-Based/ Co-working Facilities

Next, ChannelNewsAsia writes on how the government of Singapore understands the benefits of facilitating parents to go to work with their babies and plans to have an additional 40,000 work-place childcare facilities by the year 2022.

“The Community and Sports Facilities Scheme provides bonus gross floor area to developers that set aside space in commercial buildings for childcare centres.

The Enhanced Workplace Child Care Centre Scheme gives eligible workplace centres a furnishing and equipment grant, as well as a development grant to cover the costs of converting workspaces for childcare use.” Read more here.

If you are the kind of a parent that dreads leaving your children for a long time, then this arrangement will work for you. It provides an opportunity to work and play with your children during break hours. This arrangement has extra benefits to the parent as he/she with other parents who operate under similar circumstances.

Childcare does not have to be expensive. Co-working spaces are emerging trends whereby you can rent out a working space jointly with others.  They are a cheaper option to the formal childcare facility. The only expense you may incur is rent for space. Trehaus is a renown co-working space. It provides childcare facilities that offer educational services as well. Older children can also learn a bit of work ethics, especially if they hang around the parent’s desks and observe them at work.

Besides the co-working facilities, the government is encouraging various organizations to provide on-site childcare facilities. If you work for such an organization, you will be provided with facilities that will enable you to bring your baby to work. This will work perfectly for mothers who decide to do exclusive breastfeeding. It saves them the hustle of expressing milk and ensures that the baby takes safe milk.

In conclusion, when looking for a childcare for your child, you need to consider whether the childcare has the proper licenses to operate, and you can take into account of focused values or beliefs you want them to teach your child. With lists of such childcare centres online, it should not be hard to find one that suits your needs. One good source to understand more about this school is to look at a Chiltern House Review where you can read about this school in more detail. Lastly, co-working spaces will become increasingly available so you can worry less about sending your child to a far location from your workplace in the morning.

Preschools are designed to set up young scholars for future academic success. Preschools provide the basic foundation that helps your child succeed in the elementary school. The learning process at the preschools is very joyful and entertaining that makes the children learn all the essential skills easily.

If you want to give your child a strong base of education, you should consider the benefits of preschool in singapore to help them grow as a strong mind that can prosper in this competitive 21st century.

And if you are keen to send your child to a quality preschool, do check out this Chiltern House Review for an honest review of the school.

Following are some reasons why your child needs to attend preschool:

1. Opportunity to Grow

Preschool is usually the first experience of children where they come in contact with a teacher. In this experience, they learn different arts that help them in the later stages of their education as well as their professional life. Preschool is their opportunity to learn to share, learn to collaborate, follow instructions and use the instructions with their own creativity to complete the given project.

2. Preparation for Kindergarten

Preschool prepares the children for the bigger challenge that lies in front of them in shape of a kindergarten school. Preschools teach the initial or basic knowledge of subjects that will be taught in the kindergarten schools. However, the teaching is done in a fun environment.

3. Promotes Social Development

Some children are not very socially active and that is why they need to develop some social skills that can help them in the future. Preschools provide children the opportunity to spend some time without their parents and interact with fellow students where they not only make friends but share ideas as well. Besides the social interaction, children also become emotionally attached to each other that promotes emotional development in them and they tend to learn different behaviors.

4. Children Learn to Stay Independent

Since children are not with their parents at a preschool, they grow in confidence that they can tackle the challenges this world puts in front of them. Moreover, they learn to take care of themselves, their belongings and their fellows as well. One of the best aspects preschool is that they have set rules and timings for every activity. Children become more organized and develop rules in their lives that they follow for the rest of their lives.

5. Introduction to Digital World

Most of the children of preschool age are only aware of games and cartoons that they watch either on TV or on a computer. When they reach preschool, they are introduced to the technologies of the digital world that make them aware of the new trends that prevail in the modern era. Moreover, children learn the art of using the technology beyond just for playing games and watching shows.

These are top 5 reasons of why you need to get your child enrolled in a preschool. Preschools in Singapore provide a lot of facilities in a fun environment that prepares the children for advanced level studies and the future as well. The system of preschool education in Singapore includes all the basic things and skills that your child needs to survive in this competitive world. Not only does the preschools in Singapore provide better educational facilities but teach some other skills as well. Music is also an integral part of the curriculum in preschools in Singapore because music brings smoothness in life and teach the children to perform their tasks in a systematic way.

 

When you decide to homeschool your preschooler child, you will have to find ways to keep them from being bored and sitting idle so that you can catch up on a few pages of the book that you were reading, or else just grab a peaceful cup of coffee.

However, if you are unable to cope, or plan to return to the workforce soon, a good preschool to look for is Chiltern House preschool. They offer programmes with a focus in preparing your young child for primary school. There is linguistics, Mathematics, Science and aesthetics aspects to prepare your child all-round. If you wish to give your child that advantage for primary school, you should definitely check them here: http://www.chilternhouse.com.sg.

Next, here are a few easy and innovative activities for your child to do at home that will give you at least half an hour to catch your breath even more if the activity really catches the fancy of your child.

Busy Box: This is just a bunch of child-safe items that you can put into a box for your child to pick up examine, dump out of the box and fill it back up. It is important to make sure that there are different shapes and textures in the box so that the child will be busy for longer.

Stacking Cups: this activity can actually keep your kid busy for hours on end. Just give them a new set of small dental cups and show them how to stack it. As this is different from the usual stacking of blocks it will hold their attention for longer.

Snow Scene: with the help of play-doh and small animal figures you can make a snow scene for your child. If snow is not your scene then mix it up with green for grassland or brown for a forest scene and let your child imagine what may be going on between the animals.

Post-it Art: with the help of packets of colorful Post-its you can ask your child to create an art installation on one of the walls of their rooms. After they are done sticking the post-its they can also add colors and other finer details onto the post-its and tell you the story of what they wanted to show with the installation.

Finger Painting: this may be a messy task so it may be best for you to do this before bath time. It will help your child enhance their creativity.

High chair painting: similar to finger painting this can also be a very messy job. By using something with texture such as shaving cream or vanilla pudding your child learns sensory play and this will help develop motor skills in the child.

So there you have it. These activities are highlighted for their ability to keep children busy but at the same time instil their creativity and prepare them for learning more complex ideas in the future. Do also remember that while coming up with activities, that you should have certain learning objectives or goals in mind. If you are unsure, you can look at forums at what other parents are doing, or follow the Ministry’s official learning objectives for preschooling children.

When a child leaves home for school, he feels scared especially the first few days. This does get rather disconcerting for the parents who would like to keep him close, but they need to get used to this being a part of their normal lives.

The preschool the parents select is also equally important. The teachers should be friendly, the curriculum should be interesting and engaging, and the environment should be conducive for the child to learn.

One of the preschools to look out for is Chiltern House preschool, which offers programmes with a focus in preparing your young child for primary school. There is linguistics, Mathematics, Science and aesthetics aspects to prepare your child all-round. If you wish to give your child that advantage for primary school, you should definitely check them out.

Here are a couple of ways to help parents dispel butterflies in your child’s stomach as he ventures out towards the playgroup.

Encourage Him to Be Brave

Separation anxiety can cause a child to break out in a tantrum or cry incessantly. Parents must let him know that his feelings do matter, and a hug will help him. Though it is difficult, it is vital to encourage your little one to be brave and take this little step. By encouraging him and speaking about making friends and having fun with his peers, he may accept defeat and move on ahead, a trifle slowly at first, but after a few days he will settle in well.

Get the Routine Done Right

Being at home for a long time makes kids feel secure. Prior to the date when he will start enrolment in a preschool, it is necessary to prepare him for time away from you. In doing so, he slowly adjusts to know that while he would prefer to stay at home with Mommy, he must go out there, make friends, and learn something new. Get him to wave at you occasionally as he journeys on toward the playgroup. By doing so, he mentally realizes that he will be doing this often like a game and he will adjust.

Point Out the Positive

Try telling a child that he can play and have fun away from home and watch his face change from confused happiness and finally a burst of utmost joy. As you point out the positive in the learning curve that he will go through at the playgroup, he will be ready to try out exciting things. You can, for instance, teach him a nursery rhyme and dramatize the poem relating that there is more to learn out there. Kids are actually pretty keen on wanting to learn more and using this as a positive will prepare him for a more formal structure.

In short, care must be taken to help your child adapt to going to a preschool where he will not see you for a period of time daily. He needs to be able to adapt to this environment, otherwise he will be unable to focus during preschool, and will not take in the useful lessons there. If such a scenario happens, the amount you are spending on preschool for him is going to waste. Hence, ensure that he will be able to cope well without your presence.