5 Preschool Teaching Methods In Singapore To Consider When Doing Your “Homework”

Choosing the right preschool for your child

Image credit: Mulberry Learning

As parents, we all want the best for their children. One minute, your biggest concern is whether your baby is growing well; and the next? That same fragile baby is walking, talking, and well on his/her way to preschool. Now, you’re told that the skills and habits your child picks up could very well stick around for a lifetime, and choosing the right preschool is extra critical.

But with all the options available, deciding on one can be quite a tough call to make. To make things easy, we’ve come up with a list of 5 various preschool teaching methods found across the island to help you better identify the best fit for your child.

1. Literacy approach – Immerses your child in special literary training

Image credit: Little Green House

For parents looking to give their little ones a head start in academics, a literacy approach is one way to go.

Literary-focused preschool, Little Green House, uses interactive activities like storytelling, role-playing and word games to help children develop a love for linguistics and transform them into articulate readers, confident speakers and developing writers before they enter Primary 1.

Image credit: YouTube – Little Green House Singapore

While our preschool classroom staples consisted of crayons and paper, at Little Green House, children have access to a state-of-the-art audiobook studio called The Sound Factory.

2. Habits of Mind & Reggio Emilia approach – Instilling intelligent habits in your child

If the term “Habits of Mind” rings a bell, it’s probably because it’s pretty famous for being the framework MOE adopted to groom the top 1% of students under the Gifted Education Programme in Singapore.

The latest Mulberry Learning Preschool in Shenton Way
Image credit: YouTube – Mulberry Learning

The world-renowned framework is based on 16 habits that focus on developing skillful thinking. The various habits cover everything from “Thinking Flexibly” and “Understanding With Empathy” to “Manage Impulsivity” to teach children how to respond effectively and intelligently when faced with challenging situations in and out of the classroom.

Expect your child to develop patience, resilience, and a more positive attitude toward life and its future challenges. Mulberry Learning is, at present, the only preschool in Singapore to be accredited by The Institute for Habits of Mind.

Their preschool programme includes a mixture of indoor and outdoor sensory learning activities
Image credit: YouTube – Mulberry Learning

The school combines the Habits of Mind approach with Reggio Emilia-inspired learning to offer a holistic curriculum for your child’s growth.

When you think of classrooms, you might expect to see a teacher at the front giving directions to the little ones. But in Reggio Emilia classrooms, the teachers observe your children carefully to let them explore their curiosity.

Image credit: YouTube – Mulberry Learning

The spontaneous nature of Reggio Emilia lets your child learn what they have chosen to, so it’s no wonder that this method is known for instilling a love for learning in them.

3. Montessori approach – Autonomous fluid learning

Most kids don’t have fixed seating in Montessori classrooms and usually working at the tables or on the floor
Image credit: @brightonmontessori_sg

While teachers are commonly relied upon in other preschools to “set up” and prep for each activity, the Montessori approach gives children the opportunity to do things for themselves. Child-sized sinks, tables and bookshelves encourage the little ones to take charge of duties such as putting things back where they belong or doing their own dishes.

Image credit: Brighton Montessori

We all know that a child’s attention span is almost on par with that of a goldfish. To counter this, uninterrupted 3-hour work cycles are a part of the daily curriculum to help kids overcome restlessness and hone their concentration. Don’t be surprised if your child no longer actively seeks your help for every little matter – it just means they’re learning well in school!

And instead of splitting the kids according to age, the Montessori method allows for fluid learning and relies on a buddy system to help children develop into responsible caring individuals.

4. Mandarin approach – Gives kids a head start by teaching them to be bilingual

Chengzhu Mandarin Kindergarten also incorporates Chinese cultural arts into their curriculum to make learning fun
Image credit: Chengzhu Mandarin Kindergarten 

Not everyone is a whiz at speaking Mandarin these days. Just ask your friend who struggles with ordering cai png on a daily basis. So, to give your kid a headstart when it comes to being bilingual, get them immersed in a preschool with a Mandarin approach.

Chinese Calligraphy lessons are also part of their daily activities
Image credit: Chengzhu Mandarin Kindergarten

These schools go beyond teaching junior how to speak the language, too. Rather, your child will gain a deeper appreciation of the rich Chinese culture through fun activities like clay modelling and Chinese calligraphy – a huge relief for parents who know their kids have a short attention span.

5. Play approach – A fun-loving way for kids to learn and improve motor skills

An entire school day of play is every child’s dream come true. And when are actual cognitive benefits that come with all-day play as a toddler, sending your child to a play-focused preschool like Alphabet Playhouse will make this dream an everyday reality.

Image credit: Alphabet Playhouse

Its curriculum is full of specially-designed activities like dance, cooking, and water games to keep learning experiences new and fresh for children. The school’s compound also houses a huge playground and multiple large open indoor and outdoor spaces for games like soccer.

Alphabet Playhouse’s outdoor playground
Image credit: Alphabet Playhouse

You won’t have to worry about literacy development either. Their curriculum also includes lessons to zoom in on numeracy and even a third language development too.

Deciding between methodologies and choosing a preschool

Choosing between preschools may seem like a hard task with so many choices, but there is no one that knows your child as well as you do. Observe your little one just a tad more – you might just discover where his or her strengths lie and land on the best teaching approach for them.

Getting a good foundation with Mulberry Learning

Image credit: Mulberry Learning

With all the varied benefits that come with each learning approach, it might be difficult to single out the one that’s best for your child. If you can’t settle on one, then a holistic approach might help you get the most of out your child’s preschool experience.

Mulberry Learning is the first and only preschool in Singapore that offers the Habits of Mind framework and you can trust that a preschool certified in the same framework that MOE uses in their Gifted Education Programme will give your child just the right start they need in Singapore’s competitive learning environment.

With the title of Best Reggio Emilia Preschool in Singapore under Mulberry Learning’s belt, any doubts you may harbour can be reassured.

Mulberry Learning’s Preschool in Cairnhill
Image credit: Mulberry Learning

Whether it’s exploring outside of their comfort zone or taking on new responsibilities and challenges, the 16 habits under the Habits of Mind framework will mould your child into a confident, independent and discerning individual. You can find out more about the Habits of Mind approach here.

Image credit: Mulberry Learning

Mulberry Learning’s facilities also include an indoor pool, an infant spa, and a range of creative, themed spaces such as the “Construction Piazza” and “Discovery Cove” for little ones to learn and explore.

Mulberry Learning
Address: 6A Shenton Way, #03-01/04 OUE Downtown Gallery, Singapore 068809
Find the full list of 10 centres across Singapore here
Opening hours: Mon – Fri 7AM – 7PM | Sat 7AM – 2PM | Closed on Sun
Telephone: 6653 8082 (general hotline)
Email: enquiry@mulberrylearning.com

Discover Habits of Mind and find out more about Mulberry Learning here

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This post was brought to you by Mulberry Learning.