Are you looking for a preschool in Marina Square to kickstart your child’s educational journey? You’ll be glad to know there are plenty of great options to choose from in this area!
Even then, picking the right preschool for your child is still no easy task. There’s simply a lot to consider, such as the learning approach, staff qualifications, and overall learning environment.
To make things a bit easier, we’re here to share a list of key factors to look out for as you search for the perfect preschool in Marina Square for your child. This guide might also come in handy if you’re exploring options in other parts of Singapore!
1. Curriculum
Reggio Emilia and Montessori are the two most common early childhood education curricula across preschools in Singapore, but not all preschools follow them.
To give you an idea, the Reggio Emilia approach is more focused on independent learning, encouraging children to learn and explore their own interests, while Montessori emphasises collaborative learning in a structured environment.
The curriculum functions as your child’s learning blueprint in preschool, ensuring their early learning and development are shaped by proven and effective standards. A good preschool curriculum should support social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development.
That’s why it helps to understand your child’s learning style and interests. Do they enjoy playing with other children? Do they show any interest in creative activities like art or music?
2. Facilities
The preschool’s facilities play a critical role in shaping a child’s early learning and development because the environment can influence how children perceive school and learning as a whole.
When visiting a preschool, take time to observe its facilities. Are the learning spaces clean, well-maintained, and properly organised to support a variety of learning styles?
The space doesn’t need to be massive, but it should be safe, spacious, well-equipped, and child-friendly to provide a well-rounded preschool experience. There should also be ample play areas where children can move freely and engage in different activities.
3. Teaching and admin staff
It’s the teachers that carry the responsibility of shaping your child’s early learning and development, so it’s important to take time to learn more about the preschool’s teaching and administrative staff.
During your visit, observe how the teachers interact with the children, both individually and as a group. This will give you a glimpse into their teaching style and personality, which is something that technical qualifications can’t fully reveal.
A great preschool teacher should be attentive, approachable, patient, and experienced in managing young children’s emotions and behaviours.
4. Class sizes
How many students does each teacher handle in every class? As a general rule, the smaller the class size, the better, especially in preschool.
A small class size allows teachers to spend more one-on-one time with each student, making it easier for them to monitor individual progress and identify areas that need further support or improvement.
In Singapore, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) recommends a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:15 to 1:25 for preschool classes. Keep in mind that the exact ratio varies depending on the academic level.
5. Preschool community
When you pick a preschool in Marina Square, you’re not just picking a place for your child to learn, you’re picking an entire community that includes the teachers and support staff.
As a parent, you want to surround your child in a community that not only supports their early development and growth, but also supports you as a parent.
That’s why it’s important to pick a preschool that makes an effort to involve you in your child’s preschool journey. How does the preschool make an effort to build relationships with parents?
While there’s no singular way to do this, preschools typically update parents on their child’s progress via communication channels such as preschool apps, or invite them to special school events or even excursions.
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