A parent is a child’s first teacher, but learning should always expand beyond the home with the help of qualified teachers and the company of peers in the same age group. Regardless of which stage your little one is at, a quality preschool education gives your child the opportunity to blossom as a person and pick up skills necessary for life, such as basic social skills and responsibility.

If you’re still on the fence on whether preschool is necessary for your child, here are some of the reasons why we believe preschool education makes a significant impact on a child’s development.

Preschool education plays a huge part in a child’s future

A longitudinal study conducted by HighScope, which followed the lives of 2 groups of children —one entered a preschool program and the other did not— showed that by age 40, the group which experienced a preschool program:

• Had fewer teenage pregnancies
• 77% graduated from secondary school or high school
• Were more likely to have a job with higher wages
• Committed fewer crimes
• Owned a house and car

On top of that, 49% had a basic achievement by age 14, and 67% possessed an IQ level of 90+ at age 5. Granted, this project was conducted over 50 years ago, but several studies have gone on to reinforce its findings, including a 2008 study which concluded that children with an early head start to education are linked to positive cognitive development, increased wage rates and social behaviour.

Interestingly, the study also emphasised the importance of well-designed preschool education programs to reap in long term benefits, including reduced delinquency and crime in adulthood and childhood. As Singapore’s leading Pikler-RIE influenced school, we strongly believe that a high quality preschool program must encourage children to discover new knowledge from their environment, think out of the box and engage in meaningful conversations while cultivating the right moral values.

Attachment styles form early in a child’s life

You might have heard of terms like anxious attachment, avoidant attachment and insecure attachment. These are attachment styles and characterise how someone navigates their romantic relationships and adult friendships. But did you know that attachment styles form at the very beginning of your life, as early as 2-3 years of age?

According to specialists, children need stimulating but not stressful environments with the care of at least one primary caregiver to develop secure attachment styles. These individuals then go on to have normal social and emotional development and are more open to exploration and learning. If your child, for whatever reason, has had a rough start in terms of attachment style, it’s not too late. So long as they are in a nurturing, well-informed and appropriately stimulating environment, they can still work towards building a secure attachment style. A good preschool program can help with that.

Brain development is highest during the first 4 years of life

A child’s brain at 4 is like a sponge; it’s able to process and store information due to important neural paths that form. Not only are children able to learn at a rapid rate, they want and need to as well!

In order for children to learn the best, they need to have structure. Preschoolers thrive in a loving, structured environment filled with stimulating sounds, colours, textures, and a variety of activities and books. A quality preschool program helps set routine and expectations for the child, and as their little brains process these codes of familiarity, they develop a sense of security and belonging too.

One of the reasons why older children (or even adults) experience difficulty acclimating in school or the workplace is because they’ve never really learned social skills when they were younger. It is important that children are socialised by age 5. This includes playing with other children, learning how to listen, saying thank you and please, taking turns, apologising, helping others and learning compassion and empathy.

There are many rich opportunities for children to develop cognitive and social skills in a preschool environment, and it is crucial that they pick these skills up early in life.

Language is acquired, not learned

Ever wondered how to teach children something as complex as language? Well, it turns out that unlike math, spoken language is something kids acquire instead of learn. Take note that this does not include reading and writing, which are skills they’ll pick up in school as they grow older. Many linguists compare language acquisition to learning how to walk — kids eventually figure out how to walk by watching others walk and practicing on their own.

Likewise, in order for a child to master language, what they need is exposure to it. So keep talking to your little one, and engage in conversation with others in front of them. Better still, introduce them to situations where they’ll have exposure to various speech patterns and linguistic input, such as a preschool.

Got questions? Feel free to contact us!

References

1. Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool Education and Its Lasting Effects: Research and Policy Implications. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit, 15–20. https://nepc.colorado.edu/sites/default/files/PB-Barnett-EARLY-ED_FINAL.pdf
2. Gerholm, T., Kallioinen, P., Tonér, S., Frankenberg, S., Kjällander, S., Palmer, A., & Lenz-Taguchi, H. (2019). A randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of two teaching methods on preschool children’s language and communication, executive functions, socioemotional comprehension, and early math skills. BMC psychology, 7(1), 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-019-0325-9

Preschool curriculum might appear simple, but there are actually a lot of intricacies and research based studies that go into determining the right program. For example, did you know the RIE approach we follow has been tested extensively in institutions worldwide over many years? Just like other levels of education, preschool education in Singapore also closely monitors evidence and trends to ensure students remain relevant.

Whether you’re an undergraduate considering a career in early childhood education or a parent looking to send your kid to a preschool, here are some trends at the forefront of preschool education.

Integration of technology in class

As digital technology gains popularity throughout the consumer marketplace, parents, preschool students and teachers will be expected to acquire at least a basic understanding of Internet access use and methods. This demand might take flight even faster, especially with COVID-19 which required students to attend lessons digitally from home. By adopting technology, the cost of educational tools like textbooks can be greatly reduced too. While the use of technology in preschool and childcare settings may not amount to more than teaching children how to use a mouse to navigate online games, these crucial first steps will provide a foundation for them to master basic technological skills. To remain competitive in the job market, both aspiring and current teachers will be expected to at least be familiar with high-tech learning options.

But schools must also be able to tread carefully between making good use of technology for learning and being dependent on technology. The role of technology is to assist in learning activities as well as to promote an early foundation for digital literacy; traditional learning and play must still remain at the forefront.

Bigger focus on physical fitness

Over the last two decades, childhood obesity has been a persistent problem in Singapore. Studies consistently show that children with obesity are more prone to health problems later in life, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and obstructive sleep apnea. Further, obese kids are more prone to bullying, which paves the way for self esteem issues. The fight against childhood obesity must start as early as a child’s preschool years.

We foresee non-competitive and independent sport activities like swimming, dancing and even martial arts training to be part of preschool curriculums. This will allow children to get a healthy and early start in physical activity. Teachers will also be encouraged to embrace active play in and out of the classroom to supplement existing play time and recess.

We also encourage parents to recognise their role in combating childhood obesity by setting good examples in leading healthy and active lifestyles. The benefits of participating in physical fitness from young will follow our children for a long time.

Nature as best friend

Scandinavian approaches including the Forest Schools movement are starting to have an impact on preschool education. It’s no wonder why — children learn the best when placed in nature. Not only do children benefit physically from that extra movement, they also benefit intellectually as they learn important concepts in science. For instance, they learn how nature works and how their actions affect the environment.

While a Forest Schools setting may be difficult to implement in a country like Singapore, the trend of teaching in nature can still be possible in other ways, such as outdoor excursions and incorporating natural elements in the classroom.

New ways of assessing young learners

Students in primary and secondary school have been assessed on their performance through testing for years. Some of these methods may soon be put into place in preschool environments to evaluate readiness for primary school or to identify areas a child may require help in. How preschool organisations go about doing this will depend on their curriculum and approach, but we don’t foresee traditional pen and paper tests coming in. Rather than create a rat race, these tests are done more so to allow early intervention to address areas of concern. By doing so, we can close the achievement gap early and ensure that no student —including disadvantaged students from low income families— is left behind.

Demand for teachers with bachelor’s degrees

While most preschools accept applicants with a diploma in Early Childhood Education, those with a bachelor’s degree will likely have an edge due to their deeper understanding of child development and learning. If you’re interested in making a significant impact on early childhood education programs in Singapore, unlocking the right qualifications can prepare you in managing and creating programs and policies for our little learners.

End note

Do you agree with the trends mentioned above? Is there anything else you think would be commonplace in preschool education? Let us know!

References

Weihrauch-Blüher, S., & Wiegand, S. (2018). Risk Factors and Implications of Childhood Obesity. Current obesity reports, 7(4), 254–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-018-0320-0

Sobko, T., Jia, Z., & Brown, G. (2018). Measuring connectedness to nature in preschool children in an urban setting and its relation to psychological functioning. PloS one, 13(11), e0207057. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207057

As children, many of us were taught to keep quiet, quit crying or simply told that our so-called problems weren’t a big deal. But like adults, kids experience complex feelings; they get frightened, jealous, sad, worried and excited like we do. Oftentimes, we misunderstand a child’s cries as mere tantrums — but it could be his way of expressing how he feels due to a lack of words.

As parents, we should help our children manage and express their feelings in healthy and constructive ways. When we deny a child the chance to express himself, it sends across a message that his feelings are not worthy.

Through childhood, children who learn how to manage their emotions and express themselves in healthy ways are more likely to:

• Develop positive behaviours and attitudes later in life
• Display empathy
• Be supportive of others
• Perform better in school and work
• Have positive relationships with self and others
• Have good mental wellbeing
• Feel more confident and capable

What you can do to help your child express his feelings

Respond to cues
It’s hard to tell the difference between a tantrum and request in young children, when they are small and vulnerable. The best approach in my opinion is to respond whenever they call you. While our parents and those who belong to older generations believe you will spoil children if you attend to their every need, it’s not the most true. There’s a difference between acknowledging feelings and simply giving in.

If you learn to read cues and respond to them, children will notice that you are listening to them. On the contrary, children left to cry may react badly and become even more difficult as they grow older.

Label and name their feelings
Children go through a flurry of emotions which may be hard for them to identify and pinpoint. You can help by labelling those feelings and emotions for them. For example, “you are sad because mummy can’t be around”, or “it seems you are angry because someone took your favourite toy.” Using pictures, books or videos are a good way to point out various emotions. This is also a good way to explain how to deal with such feelings appropriately.

Naming feelings should come before helping kids to identify them; only when they have an emotional vocabulary then can they talk about their feelings.

Avoid suppressing or neglecting their feelings
As an adult, I’m sure you don’t like it when someone neglects or discredits your feelings — so why would you do the same to a child? Avoid saying things like, “why are you always whining, stop it” or “how dare you lose your temper with me”. This will only lead the child to believe that they are not worthy of attention, resulting in low self esteem and other developmental issues down the road.

Rather, show your little one that you’re available not just through words but also body language. Face them, maintain eye contact and get down to their level — children should at least be deserving of this. Try not to cross your arms and legs or mumble absentmindedly whenever they ask something. Stay present in the moment and respond to every question — essentially it’s like being approachable in a regular conversation with an adult.

Encourage with praise
When your child talks about their feelings or expresses themselves appropriately, reinforce it with some praise or words of encouragement. For example, it could be something as simple as saying, “thank you for letting me know how you feel”, or “mummy knows you are angry, how can we move forward from here?” This shows them that feelings are normal and they are more likely to repeat those actions.

Be a good role model
A lot of our behaviours are learned behaviours; we should know the impact of having a good (or bad) role model. Be the former for your kid. If you don’t already express your feelings appropriately in different situations, I encourage you to do so. This also includes explaining to your child the reason behind being upset with them instead of just giving the cold shoulder.  More often than not, when children have difficulty processing their emotions, chances are, their parents or close caretakers are the same way as well. So don’t be afraid to openly display affection or feelings and show your kid how to deal with them.

Some teaching points

If you’re still clueless about how to go about doing it, here are some tangible and personal tips to help children deal with their feelings in constructive and healthy ways:

• Take deep breaths
• Say what they feel instead of acting out
• Use words to describe how they’re feeling
• Ask for help or support
• Don’t be afraid to ask for hugs or cuddles when upset

It takes time and patience, but don’t give up! If you encounter any difficulty, we are here to help.

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28616996/
   Compas, B. E., Jaser, S. S., Bettis, A. H., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M. A., Dunbar, J. P., Williams, E., & Thigpen, J. C. (2017). Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological bulletin, 143(9), 939–991. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000110
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27072682/
   Mathews, B. L., Koehn, A. J., Abtahi, M. M., & Kerns, K. A. (2016). Emotional Competence and Anxiety in Childhood and Adolescence: A Meta-Analytic Review. Clinical child and family psychology review, 19(2), 162–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-016-0204-3

Whether you’re a new parent or an experienced one, you most likely must have heard of the following terms to describe parenting styles: helicopter, tiger, authoritarian, free-range… the list goes on. Each style is known for their different and unique tactics to raise kids. For example, helicopter parents hover, while free-range parents allow their children freedom with limited supervision.

While Asian countries including Singapore are best known for their authoritarian parenting style, in recent years, we’re seeing a surge in other parenting styles our forefathers would disapprove in an instant. No rules placed on children? Oh, the horror!

In my opinion, the best parenting style is a combination of all of them — because really, is it possible to use only one tactic when it comes to parenting? As parents, we should employ every tool to get through different (and difficult) situations to ensure our little ones grow up the best version of themselves.

So I’d like to think of parenting styles as puzzle pieces that fit together; they should be complementary instead of exclusive. To better understand how they can work together, here are a few popular parenting styles and how to employ them appropriately.

Helicopter Philosophy

Need I explain more? Helicopter parenting is when a parent is extremely involved and overprotective, particularly in school or extracurricular activities. Helicopter parents tend to oversee every aspect of their child’s life, to the point where the child might feel overwhelmed.

How to use it: Many shoot down the helicopter philosophy entirely, but as parents, it’s in our natural instinct to be there for our children in a heartbeat. This parenting style can come in handy when trust is broken, but the key is to always check in with friends or even teachers to ensure you are not in overzealous helicopter mode. Be careful of overzealous helicopter parenting; it can have an effect on children’s self esteem.

Free-Range Philosophy

Free-range parenting is all about giving children the freedom to function independently with limited parental supervision, in accordance to their age. It isn’t about being uninvolved, but allowing kids to build self-sufficiency and skills to be responsible adults.

How to use it: This is usually dependent on a case-by-case basis; but some safe and common ways include plenty of time for unscheduled activities and unstructured play, being in nature and allowing children to take responsibility for their tasks. Depending on age, these tasks could be anywhere from cleaning up after they eat or packing their own snacks.

Authoritarian Philosophy

Authoritarian parenting, often lumped with tiger parenting, is known for high standards and low responsiveness. Parents with this style often have very high expectations of their children, but provide very little feedback and nurturing. Punishments and threats are commonplace.

How to use it: This parenting style should be the last resort and only whipped out when everything else has failed. Most experts typically only use it when children are in a poor mood or lack sleep, and all that’s left is to leave them be till they pull themselves out of it.

Attachment Philosophy

Attachment parenting focuses on nurturing a connection between parent and child. Common characteristics include parental empathy, responsiveness and bodily closeness and touch. This philosophy believes that children with warm, intimate influence often grow up to be confident, responsive, loving and emotionally available individuals.

How to use it: Certainly skin-to-skin contact like giving regular hugs is a good way to enforce attachment parenting. Take your child’s feelings seriously, respond to tantrums with sensitivity instead of punishment, do activities together regularly and work out solutions together. But be careful not to overdo it and feel like you have to meet your child’s every request, which can be counterproductive and tiring.

Snowplow Philosophy

The snowplow parent is one who removes obstacles out of their child’s way and is often likened to helicopter parenting. But unlike the helicopter parent who micromanages out of fear, snowplow parents micromanage so that their kids can succeed. Any pain or difficulties are out of the child’s way.

How to use it: The thing about snowplow parenting is that it can be hard to avoid; we want to be there for our children so they can be successful and happy. I see it more as clearing their pathway, but only enough for them to get true. For example, if there’s a problem at school, I will bring up any concerns and reach out to the teacher for a solution. Once that contact is made and a plan is somewhat suggested, it’s up to the child to take responsibility.

Permissive Philosophy

Permissive parenting is characterised by low demands and high responsiveness. Such parents do not provide a lot of guidelines and rules on the child, tend to be very loving and do not expect the most mature behaviour from the child. A potential problem from permissive parenting is that the child may grow up without self-discipline and with an unrealistic expectation of the world.

How to use it: Permissive parenting should be used sparsely and more as a reward/special treat, like an extra hour of TV after a long week.

Young children can be a handful, especially when placed in new places and situations like preschool which requires new skills. As much as preschool is an exciting time, it can be daunting for parents who are unsure whether to push, pull or even discipline because kids at this age will be, well, kids.

But it’s crucial to identify problems early once you notice them. If left unattended, they may make preschool a horrible place to be in, and even worse, cause your child to develop behavioural problems in future. Is your kid a bully, a biter, or is maybe having issues with a classmate who has these traits?

Here are some common preschool behaviours and how to help your child.

Oral fixation

Kids lick and sometimes spit at other children out of curiosity or because they saw someone else do it. At times, they may even bite because they don’t have the words to express their frustration. This is when you need to set ground rules and let them know it’s not acceptable. Instruct children on the receiving end of the spitting or biting to play with someone else. Once the biter realises that no one wants to play with him, he will learn to stop.

It’s important to let your child know that only food should go in your mouth; a child who’s used to using his mouth to explore his environment may put unhygienic, unwanted objects like glue in his mouth. Some kids may do it for attention, but in rare instances, it can be a sign of iron deficiency or pica, an eating disorder where a child develops an appetite for unusual substances. So don’t let such behaviours pass and nip them in the bud while you can.

Bullying

Most children who are mean tend to lack empathy — instead of just plainly telling your child to stop bullying, try focusing on instilling empathy instead. Read to him books on bullying and let him practice taking the victim’s perspective — how would he feel if he was the one bullied? At the same time, you might want to examine your behaviour as a parent or caretaker or evaluate the environment at home. Many family psychotherapists I’ve spoken to have noted that bullies are often bullied at home themselves. Could your child possibly be learning this undesirable behaviour from a role model? Fix this, as bullies are at a greater risk of future problems down the road than are their victims.

On the flipside, if your child is the one getting bullied, teach him defence mechanisms to stand up for himself when the bullying happens but also identify adults in school he can go to for help.

Separation anxiety

Preschool is often a child’s first separation from home and so separation anxiety is normal. When dropping your child off, let him know that you’ll be back and that he is in safe hands. Give him something from home that he can turn to for comfort, such as a family photo or soft toy. A tip is to avoid going back once you’ve said goodbye — drop him off, say your goodbyes and leave. When you go back and forth, it’s only causing your child’s separation anxiety to worsen.

But if this separation anxiety carries on for more than a few weeks and even months, the problem could be with his environment. It would be good to communicate with a teacher or stay on during lessons to observe any unusual behaviour.

Bossiness

Some kids are natural leaders, and it’s obvious from their behaviour. But when this behaviour turns overbearing, you have to put a stop to it. Let them know the importance of letting others have a say, and that it’s important to be inclusive in school without bossing others around.

What if you have a child that’s a follower? That’s fine — honestly, we don’t give enough credit to children who can just roll with the punches. Some kids are happy just going with the flow, and that’s alright provided they don’t feel left out or end up being pushovers. Let them know that they don’t always have to play alongside the ringleader if they’re not feeling it.

Lag in learning

Granted, preschool is a time for children to develop their cognitive skills and get early access to subjects like math and science. But some preschoolers are late bloomers and may take a longer time to master skills than others. Is that something to be worried about? I wouldn’t give much thought into it; the goal of preschool is to let young children learn to love school and learn character-building skills like communication and empathy. Preschool is a unique time for children to learn softer skills. Most kids will learn to write and read once they are ready, and most of that will happen in primary school.

Are there any other problems your preschooler is dealing with? Let us know!

COVID-19 may be relatively managed in Singapore, but that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down — especially in preschools where germs and viruses are easier to spread among children. Unlike pre-virus days, we can now no longer have large communal activities like mass celebrations, students have to head straight to their classrooms upon arrival as soon as possible and meal times must now be staggered.

As we adjust to our new normal, we are challenged to seek new ways to promote the students’ learning. Some activities would require a rethink, especially those that involve physical contact. But this is an opportunity to reinvent our activities and come up with creative ways that ensure our children still get the same learning experience while social distancing.

While times have certainly changed, here’s how we can make the best out of the current situation to make learning safe and fun for children!

Helping children understand social distancing

These new changes may be confusing for preschoolers and even hard for them to adapt. Before imposing strict measures on them, it’s better to first help them understand the concept of social distancing. Instead of using the term ‘social distancing’, it might be better to refer to it as ‘physical distancing’, because we don’t want the little ones to think that they cannot be social with their friends and loved ones anymore. By now, you must have introduced phone or video calls to your preschooler; if you haven’t, it’s a good time to start. Initiating technology use would also be apt at this time as most preschools start adopting digital technology into lessons.

When talking about ‘physical distancing’ to young children, start with a general discussion about viruses and germs. Let them know that germs are so tiny and cannot be seen with your eyes, but they can make us sick if we breathe them in or touch our nose, mouth or eyes without washing our hands.

I would use this opportunity to emphasise the importance of hand washing, and to also explain that it’s hard for people to tell if they have germs, hence the need for ‘physical distancing’. Ultimately, the aim is to let preschoolers know these temporary measures are to keep the people around them safe, but make sure to do so without scaring them and allow them to ask questions along the way.

Ways to make distance learning possible in preschool

Incorporate in educational activities to explain social distancing
A fun way to do so is through games.

• Grab a ribbon or string 1m in length.
• Place it on the floor so everyone can see how long 1m is.
• Remove it and have your preschoolers guess how long 1m is.
• Once they roughly know how far 1m is, include in some games with a rule that they must stand 1m apart from each other at all times.
• At the same time, explain to them that this is the distance they should keep between them and other people for now, even outside of school.

Allow music to do the magic
Young children respond well to singing and dancing. For a child, participating in song or dance is an easy way to engage without needing to be in physical contact with others. The rules are clear and translate well even in an online format. Have dedicated time for sing-alongs or dance-alongs and play music intermittently during lessons to re-engage children.

Leverage on technology
Even if your school is not the best when it comes to tech or is not tech-driven, it’s a good time to start going digital. Lean on teachers or even families who are tech-savvy, and explore creative ways to maximise learning without compromising on play. In fact, this would be a perfect time for children to tap on their creative skills! Get them to share pictures of their favourite toy, or challenge them to build automobiles using cardboard boxes. In the event where we have to go back to at home learning (hopefully not), you’re already a step ahead of others.

Create individual spaces
In such times, activities will likely shift from groups to solo — but this doesn’t mean interaction and teamwork is not possible. You’ll first want to create a safe space for each kid — ideally one that’s uniquely his. You can do so by using furniture or tape and create designated spaces and filling each area with materials the child likes and. needs, such as books, toys, blocks, crayons and paper. Plan activities that children can do individually with some open conversation, like show and tell. Teachers should model to children how they can play individually while in their space. As much as possible, teachers must now also limit touching to essential care needs. To make up for the lack of touch, it’s important now more than ever and moving forward that teachers communicate in other ways to show children they’re still cared for.

We often hear of the importance of play in preschool. After all, children are playful by nature and having fun sets the foundation for learning. As children develop, their play takes on different meanings. For example, a 2-year-old typically plays by himself and does not develop much interest in interacting with other children. But as he hits 3 years and enters preschool, he starts to sit next to those and play with other children. By 4, this child as with other preschoolers seek out kids with similar interests and formulate ways to create elaborate play scenes. Around this age, preschoolers also start to understand the importance of empathy and the meaning of friendship.

As adults, our role is to facilitate such needs, help young children find the words to express themselves and essentially develop play for children. But considering the importance of academic success in Singapore’s environment, where does play fit in, how can we make it happen, and will play really benefit children in the years to come?

Let’s find out more.

Types of play

Children’s play can come in all shapes, sizes and forms — often they overlap, but generally these are the categories of play we believe are critical in a child’s growth.

Dramatic
This is what we call fantasy-directed play where children are allowed to be whatever they want to be, whether it’s a Disney princess or lumberjack. They play dress up in costumes, assume roles as characters, create imaginary settings, pretend to take on roles as adults and use toys to represent characters in stories.

Manipulative
Manipulative play involves handling small toys and objects such as beads, puzzles and lego bricks. Often, such play comes in the form of placing objects into containers and emptying them out and stacking things together. The key is to learn how to use their hands to manipulate objects.

Physical
Physical play involves using the whole body in activities like running, jumping and skipping to develop coordination and balance and test the limits of preschoolers’ abilities. We like including in some balls, skipping ropes, and even bikes!

Creative
Creative play is all about using art materials like paint and pencils to develop a product. But the focus should always be on the process, not the end product.

Benefits of play in a digital age

For many school-going kids, a large portion of their time outside of lessons are spent plugged into their phones and computers, given the easy accessibility to technology. This is why it’s especially important for preschoolers to have as much play as they can to develop naturally.

With that said, screen use and technology today is bound to be part of your child’s play experience. In any case, there are ways to use technology appropriately to benefit your child. But before we go into that, let’s first discuss the benefits of play in preschool.

Physical
Play allows children to develop physical skills; specifically gross and fine motor development. When kids play outdoors with the right amount of comfort and support given by adults, they push themselves to try out new challenges. Handling small objects allows children to practice using their hands and fingers, which develops their fine motor skills and ultimately builds the coordination and strength needed for writing. Tip: Design activities that allow children to physically engage and interact with both materials and other kids.

Language
Children build language skills through collaborative play — but their success depends largely on their ability to explain themselves. This is where teachers play a huge role, as they repeat and teach words about the objects children are interested in. We’ve noticed in play sessions that children tend to talk to themselves while playing with others and repeat what they hear. Don’t prevent this; you’ll find that by allowing them to express themselves freely, slowly these random sayings develop into back and forth communication.

Self-confidence
Trying to build a structure with blocks or making puzzle pieces fit is hard work for a preschooler. But it’s precisely overcoming this difficulty that helps children develop a strong sense of self-confidence. Teachers or adults should also validate these experiences by articulating and acknowledging what they observe and letting the preschooler know.

Social skills and development
Compromising, listening and negotiating are things some adults still struggle with, what more 4 and 5-year-olds — which is why these skills should never be overlooked or pushed to later in life if you want your child to grow up with healthy social and communication skills. Experiences through play in preschool help children think beyond their own needs, develop awareness of their environment and learn how to solve problems. For children who are naturally inclined to direct, play helps turn those impulses into positive leadership qualities.

How to incorporate technology into play?

Some screen use is fine, but it’s all about achieving a healthy approach and balancing it with other forms of traditional play. To help your child get the most out of technology, you can:

• Use screens together with your child
• Limit screen time
• Choose age-appropriate apps and games
• Ensure your child has healthy screen posture

Remember: always allow your preschooler opportunities to play, as they will approach learning with joy down the road!

As a parent, do you think preschool is unnecessary, and why put your little one in school when the actual learning can come later on? That’s where you’re wrong. Preschool lays the groundwork for the skills children will learn in future, and is in fact considered the most important year(s) in a child’s education.

Through things like play, song and dance, preschoolers gain skills that enable them to read, write, build math and science skills and be ready for primary school. It’s important to note that preschoolers learn the best through fun and games, and research has shown that the early development of math and literacy skills in preschool is associated with future academic success in these subjects.

If you have plans for your little one to develop important cognitive skills, do well in school and experience the joy of learning, consider placing him in preschool. Below, we review the general curriculum for preschool, including how each subject is taught and some fun teaching materials we recommend!

Reading and writing in preschool

Apart from scheduled reading time, preschoolers get to develop their literacy skills almost throughout the day through rhymes, poems and songs. These read-alouds typically concern topics across all subjects, and you’ll find that most preschool classrooms are filled with labelled pictures and signs to help kids make connections between objects and words. To gain the strength and skills to hold writing materials like pencils, preschoolers are often first taught to draw, glue and paint on their free will.

Over time, you’ll discover that the reading is directly connected to developing writing skills and vice versa.

Some common activities include:

Making character puppets
Character puppets made out of socks or paper bags are often used as tools to encourage children to read. These puppets used to act out stories.

Using a computer
Children are taught how to type out letters and names with a computer.

Spelling out their name
Often, this is done with anything from sand, paint to even cookie dough. This is what we call sensory methods for teaching words, and the key is to first familiarise your child with drawing out alphabets before progressing to writing properly with a pen or pencil.

Arts and crafts
Anything that involves drawing, painting or glueing is fair game. The more your child does these activities, the stronger his hands get!

Rhyming
Rhyming can be done in almost any way, but a fun way is to play a game and take turns saying words, making them rhyme as much as possible.

By the end of the school year, your preschooler will learn how to:

• Recite poems, songs and rhymes
• Read books
• Recognise letters, how they look like and how they sound
• Draw, paint, cut and glue
• Write letters and names

Here are also some learning materials that will make reading and writing a lot more enjoyable for your preschooler:

Sing-along books
Enter any bookstore and you’ll find a sing-along book; our personal favourite is the Baby Shark one which teaches preschoolers not only the rhythm of language but dance moves that will sharpen their motor skills.

Preschool workbook bundles
From sticker activities to wipe-clean workbooks, these workbook bundles provide everything that will keep a preschooler entertained.

Math in preschool

Apart from working with numbers, learning math in preschool is a fun amalgamation of creating and learning shapes, playing with puzzles, building blocks and using calendars. These activities entail counting and manipulating objects which help preschoolers build math skills.

Some common math activities include:

Counting in fun and active ways
Steps, stairs, food — as long as it’s countable, it’s a learning tool.

Friendly competitions
This could be sorting blocks of different colours and shapes as fast as they can, or playing games like “I Spy”.

Number books
Preschoolers make their own number books that contain drawings, magazine clippings, actual objects like buttons or photographs.

By the end of the school year, your preschooler will learn how to:

• Count
• Learn what numbers are
• Form shapes and patterns
• Measure, sort and compare objects

Science in preschool

Usually, teachers will teach specific science lessons a few times a week that cover anything from water, the weather, animals to plants and nature. These lessons are conducted via the use of books, outside explorations or demonstrations with real life objects. As preschoolers are natural scientists during this age, they pick up things pretty fast.

Common science activities taught in preschool include:

Going outside
There’s no better way to learn about science than to be surrounded by science. Children get to go on excursions to draw or write about plants, insects and nature.

Gardening
Preschoolers get to grow plants to learn the basics of how plants grow and what they need to thrive.

Cooking
They won’t get to actually whip up a dish, but preschoolers will learn what happens when things get hot or cold, how to mix ingredients and how to measure “more” or “less”.

By the end of the school year, your preschooler will learn how to:

• Play and interact with their surroundings
• Sort and organise
• Ask questions and observe

There you have it! These are just some of the things your child will benefit from attending a preschool. Of course, you can teach your kid yourself, but a preschool brings on the additional perks of trained teachers and classmates.