How The Singapore Kindergarten Programme Facilitates Learning

Children in Singapore join the kindergarten programme at the age of three years. The programme lasts three years. Although the kindergartens decide which of the six approved curriculums is most suitable, they all have one goal, to ensure the children are ready for primary school. 

How do the different curriculums facilitate learning in the different kindergarten schools in Singapore

Nurtures Children’s curiosity. 

Children are naturally inquisitive, and this is the trait that makes learning possible. All the kindergarten curriculums in Singapore encourage children to keep exploring in a bid to discover the world. 

The Montessori curriculum used by some kindergarten schools in Singapore practices spontaneous learning. Since children are unpredictable, this curriculum gives teachers the freedom to steer learning according to the children’s object of interest. 

For example, when children ask why plants have different smells, teachers may decide that a lesson on senses is ideal. Children learn, and at the same time, they get answers to the questions they have. 

Regio Emilia kindergarten program promotes project-based learning, while The High Scope Method emphasizes learning through interactions with the environment. 

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences focuses on multiple dimensions in learning, depending on the child’s interest. For example, a child who is curious about languages or music is given a chance to satisfy his curiosity through learning. After that, he is graded according to his performance on subjects that he is curious about. 

Encourages active learning.

The Singapore kindergarten programme encourages learning through experience and experiment. Children in kindergarten are still undergoing cognitive development. Their brain functions are still not performing optimally, so learning from experience or experiment will help them retain their memories. 

The play-based and Waldorf Steiner curriculums encourage practical activities to make learning easier for children in kindergarten. The games children play help to boost attention and memory in children. The teacher may introduce the alphabet and numbers to children as they play to help them learn faster. 

Fosters cognitive competence

Singapore is well known for its education values internationally. Many countries are trying to find ways to emulate the system of education to boost students’ performance. Kindergarten schools in Singapore don’t just focus on learning, but the kindergarten programme emphasizes cognitive development. 

Some of the cognitive skills children are expected to develop as they learn include reasoning, critical thinking, decision making, and conflict resolution. These are skills that children develop as they learn. 

For example, when they read or listen to stories, children become curious and start asking questions. Sometimes, the stories do not make sense to the child. This is a sign that he has started reasoning and thinking. These cognitive skills are essential when the child gets to primary school and starts learning more complex concepts, such as math.

The kindergarten programme is structured to prepare children for mainstream learning. So, whichever curriculum you opt for, the outcome will be the same. However, despite the curriculums sharing similar goals, the approaches vary. So, you must choose one that is most suitable for your child.

If your child is interested in different disciplines, such as languages and music, you can nurture his interests by looking at kindergarten schools in Singapore that use The Theory of Multiple Intelligences curriculum. This way, your child can take advantage of available resources that will improve his learning experience. 

Yolanda May

Yolanda May is a 47-year-old senior programmer who enjoys baking, recycling and checking news stories against Snopes. She is intelligent and caring, but can also be very cowardly and a bit untidy.