Having a child grow up to become knowledgeable, benevolent as well as socially and environmentally sensible are some of the ideal traits which today’s parents hope to develop. However, parents often think twice as to whether or not their child is ‘mature’ enough to take in globally complex issues.
At what age then, will it not be too early to expose your child to more complex affairs in the world today? How long should you be keeping your child’s focus on fairytales and nursery rhymes?
At Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse, the teachers believe that children as early as 2 to 6 years old are ready to cognitively and emotively process more than what they are generalized to receive. On top of selecting the right type of news, the design of exposure and magnitude of content is key in steering a child’s natural sense of wonder towards a more cultured and global direction.
Empathising with MH370 Crisis at 6 Years Old
| The recent tragedy of missing flight MH370 may be swept and kept under the rugs by concerned parents, who are understandably unnerved by news as bizarre and devastating as such.
Zhou Laoshi, Chinese teacher of the K2 class at Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse, made a point instead to cut out the newspaper article and presented it to the kids, who were then asked questions to provoke their thoughts. This activity was planned to encourage and develop curiosity in the world – whether or not this news is explainable. A greater cause was also intended in the art of this activity plan as not only were compassion of these younglings effected, their thoughts and feelings were also translated and expressed in the form of creating art. The class put together a tribute stand, decorated with origami airplanes as well as drawings of the children’s imagination on what could have happened to the missing passengers. There were pictures of people swimming with mermaids and dolphins, people looking happy next to angels among a sea of clouds and even families reunited next to the recovered aircraft. |
Tribute stand to MH370 created by preschoolers at Kiddiwinkie Preschool. |
Notes of hope and blessings were written on the origami by the entire school. With this simple activity, a congenial disposition was fostered on a communal scale.
Understanding the Effects of Global Warming
Many of the activities formulated within the curriculum are devised with the concept of character development and inspiring creativity, which the school believes are both significant constituents of nurturing leaders for the future.
Another activity which the children at Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse partake in is called “Project Approach”. This activity involves three stages namely, ‘Provocation’, ‘Experimentation’ and ‘Representation’.
The whole idea is to provoke children’s interest in a general topic followed by narrowing in on a focused issue after determining the children’s point of curiosity. One of the topics covered was ‘Continents’, which had Antarctica winning the children’s interest. Throughout the term, various aspects of Antarctica were explored.
A mini exhibit was also introduced to depict and simulate melting glaciers and rising sea levels. This observation caught the fascination of these kids, who then requested to learn more about global warming in Antarctica. The project drew to a close with the class working on a 3D exhibit of Antarctica, using cotton, clay, paint and shredded paper.
Mini exhibition on global warming at Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse.
Nurturing Love for People and the World
Younger children in the Playgroup and Nursery level are also capable of grasping concepts and world issues in their own way. As toddlers retain information better with repetition, simpler activities such as creating different artefacts out of toilet rolls are conducted. The children attached two toilet rolls together after covering them with paint or stickers to create a pair of binoculars. This activity conditions the child to bring empty toilet rolls to school with the knowledge that they can be made to better use.
International Cuisine Day is also celebrated on a bi-monthly basis, involving both the younger and older pre-school children. This full day event is planned as an immersive experience for the kids. From song and dance, basic conversational sessions, campus-wide decorative effort, stories, visuals, food tasting and even food preparation, this event serves as a kick-start to a week-long and themed progression of lessons and activities. Countries such as Italy, France, Japan and Korea have been covered for this unique in-house festival.
Celebrating International Cuisine Day (Thailand) at Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse.
At Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse, one of the objectives underlying the strategically developed curriculum is to enable the child to effectively think from the perspective of others. This in turn helps to shape their character and thoughts, which the Vice-Principal, Miss Valerie Gan believes, is critical in early childhood development.
“We feemMl that it is important for a child to be ‘exposed’, instead of just being ‘aware’ without any avenues to enable their understanding. This will help our children appreciate the world and its people, while nurturing in them the love for lifelong learning,” Miss Valerie explained.
This article is contributed by Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse.
Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse is a premium preschool brand under Nurture Education Group. A recent winner of Best Preschool Award 2014, the school provides a caring and holistic environment to nurture interests, hone abilities and spark creativity.
Kiddiwinkie Schoolhouse is situated at two locations:
- 200 Turf Club Road Level 5 (North Tower) (S) 287994
- 420 Clemenceau Ave North #01-02 (S) 229492
Tel: 6762 8878
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kiddiwinkie.com.sg
