Category Archives: Education

Education

Infant Care Centres Vs. Home Care- Making The Right Choice

In Singapore, working parents have a few alternatives with regard to minding their child. A few of them are:

1. Pre-school cum child care centre: Children from the age of 2 months are taken into infant or child care centres that offer full day and half day programmes to take care of the child while the parents are away at work.

2. Relatives: Larger families, with grandparents or other older relatives living with the parents, can also act as care-givers for the child while the parents are away. The trust factor is the greatest advantage here, both for the parents and for the child.

3. Nanny: Parents who do not wish to leave the child in an unfamiliar setting, but do not have close family to care for the child at home, prefer to hire a nanny on the basis of word-of-mouth recommendations, or some professional service agency. It can be on a continuous, uniform basis, or on an ad-hoc, when-required basis.

Each of these options has its own set of positives and negatives. These are as follows:

Singapore infant care centre:

Pros:

1. Professional staff to care for the child.

2. Company for the child in the form of other children.

3. Safety of larger numbers, compared one-on-one exposure in at-home care.

4. Standardised and formalised education process, meaning the child is not only cared for, but also taught many age-relevant skills.

Cons:

1. Chances of frequent illnesses due to exposure to many children.

2. The child is required to adjust to unfamiliar setting and non-familiar faces.

3. Parents have to drop off and pick up the child from the Singapore infant care centre .

4. The trappings of a professional set-up mean a child may not get the same pampering that he/she may get from an at-home carer.

At home care:

Pros:

1. Highest comfort for the child as the surroundings are familiar. In case of family caring for the child, even the care-giver is familiar to the child.

2. Chances of contracting infections are less because of less exposure to other children.

3. Parents do not have to pick up and drop off the child.

4. The child get the most attention.

Cons:

1. No formalised education is imparted at home.

2. In the case of hiring a nanny, the trust factor has to be absolute, as the child is at her mercy alone.

3. It might become restrictive for the family member caring for the child, as they are fully engaged looking after the child till the parents return.

5 ways for bringing fun into the classroom

It is really tough to control a hyper-active child. Imagine the condition of the teacher who has to handle so many kids at the same time. But, teachers at preschool Singapore use various methods to bring fun into the classroom. These innovative methods try to engage the kids and make the learning fun, interesting and meaningful. Kids just love to be in the class and enjoy coming to the school.

1. Technology: Technology is used interactively for enhancing and enriching the teaching and learning experience. It gives the freedom to the child to explore and learn new things. By accelerating the learning process, the kids get motivated to unravel more interesting things. It can help in building up the problem-solving techniques and enhancing the logical thinking.

2. Experiments: Kids are made to carry out small experiments, which help them in understanding the concepts. It builds the curiosity in the child and the child tends to become more inquisitive.

3. Games: Playing games are the best way to catch the child’s attention. Obviously, the child will not want to keep studying always. With the right kind of games, the child is made to strive for success, but also to face defeats gracefully. When games are incorporated in the syllabus, the kids are encouraged to use their creativity for solving problems. And, they understand the basic rule of life, about how to learn from their mistakes. There are also some hands-on activities that help the children in understanding the concepts with the help of what they see, experience, touch and feel.

4. Loud reading: When the teachers read out loud to the class and narrate stories, along with some actions, the toddlers enjoy it a lot.

5. Music: In preschool Singapore, music is the greatest medium through which people can be connected, not to mention kids simply love music. With the help of nursery rhymes, kids develop a sense of language, memory, motor skills, social skills and emotional quotient. In fact, even the most difficult things can be taught to the kids through music.

These are some of the ways by which the classroom can be turned into fun places. The kids enjoy coming to the school and be a part of the learning and educational activities. A child’s mind is raw and can be moulded in the way we want. So, by motivating and encouraging the child, his intelligence and talent can be tapped and nurtured.