Early Years & Preschool Years

Inquiring Through Play and Investigations

With the focus on giving children opportunities to learn through play and investigation, our Inquiring Minds curriculum taps into purposeful play during the early years and progresses to guided inquiry-based learning for the preschool years.
The inquiry-based approach encourages children to be curious and seek to explore relevant topics that are of interest to them, providing the opportunity for children to ask questions and share ideas.


Early Years (Infant Care, Playgroup & Pre-Nursery)

During the early years from Infant Care to Playgroup and Pre-Nursery, children engage in inquiry naturally through play. Play serves as a vehicle for exploration, experimentation, and discovery. By touching and feeling objects around them, interacting with peers, and exploring their environment, young children develop foundational cognitive, social, and emotional skills.

Preschool Years (Nursery to Kindergarten 2)

As children transition into the preschool years, the focus of inquiry evolves towards more structured investigations. Preschoolers demonstrate an increased capacity for focused exploration and questioning. Our educators leverage this curiosity by designing hands-on activities that encourage systematic inquiry. 

Through guided investigations, children learn to formulate questions, make predictions, gather evidence, and draw conclusions. These experiences not only deepen their understanding of specific concepts but also cultivate essential skills such as problem-solving, communication, and collaboration.
 

kiddiwinkie play and investigation

Equal focus on English & Chinese Language

We acknowledge the importance of learning Chinese while cultivating the love for the language from an early age. It is crucial to build a strong foundation to help your children to enjoy and learn the language well as they go through the mainstream education system.

With that, our curriculum is designed to be bilingual with equal focus on both English and Chinese.

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Emotional Well-Being

Caring for your children’s emotional well-being is pivotal in building their confidence and resilience.

Throughout the day, we dedicate pockets of time to introduce simple exercises that cultivate the habit of paying attention to emotional needs. This includes teaching children various strategies to find focus, calm down, show kindness and patience to themselves and others. These simple strategies will go a long way as children learn to apply them in real-life situations

 

Developmental & Learning Areas Through the Stages

Mapped to the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) and the Early Years Development Framework (EYDF), our Inquiring Minds curriculum develops skills and competencies focused on the following learning and developmental areas.

Early Years Preschool Years
Early Language Language & Literacy
Early Numeracy Numeracy
Natural Environment Discovery of the World 
Physical Development Motor Skills
Aesthetics & Creative Expression
Social & Emotional Development

Curriculum Framework

Our approach is designed to be child-centered and relatable whilst ensuring children’s involvement in the learning process. Throughout their learning, we build children’s resilience in the areas of physical, mental, and social-emotional, bringing out the best in them.

For an all-rounded learning experience, our curriculum includes the following programmes to prepare your child for the school years ahead:

Core Programmes

Playtinkers™ (Playgroup to Kindergarten 2) 

Featuring loose parts play, Playtinkers™ is a problem-based learning activity that invites children to think critically as they problem-solve creatively. In the process, our children also work on their numeracy skills by demonstrating their understanding of basic numerical concepts they have learnt. 

Playtinkers™ puts our children in scenarios that allow them to develop essential 21st century soft skills such as problem-solving, active listening, collaboration, critical thinking and decision making, all while refining their communication skills.

Specialised Programmes

The following specialised programmes are designed as an extension of our core programmes, to extend your child’s learning in a variety of key areas.

Author’s Universe™ 大作家,小读者 (Nursery to Kindergarten 2)

Designed to promote exposure to quality literature, Author’s Universe™ introduces children to authors and their storybooks of various genres, while developing key language acquisition skills in both English and Chinese languages.

Through exploration of story elements and a discovery of their own story preferences, children will try their hands at creating their own stories which will pave way towards their very own book publication at the end of the year.

Pic-a-Book 图乐窝 (Playgroup & Pre-Nursery) 

Curated specially for your young children’s literacy needs, Pic-a-Book incorporates imaginative play and storytelling from children’s point-of-view. By bringing classic story scenes alive, your young ones will get to explore verbal language through dramatisation in both English and Chinese, which expands their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Backpack Stories™ 背包旅游记 (Playgroup to Kindergarten 2) 

A multi-cultural immersion programme with elements of creative writing, Backpack Stories™ will take your children on fun “travels” around the world and expose them to various countries’ culture.

Here, your children will learn to appreciate and embrace other traditions and celebrate each country’s uniqueness. They will be encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences through age-appropriate journaling which is a building block to creative writing awareness.

文化之窗 – Chinese Cultural Immersion Programme (Playgroup to Kindergarten 2 – 
Commencing Term 2, 2022)

Conducted entirely in Chinese, this programme aims to encourage children across all levels to develop an interest in learning Chinese through exploration of the Chinese culture through art, food, festivals and more. 

Kiddi Newsroom™ 趣谈世界 (Nursery to Kindergarten 2) 

Kiddi Newsroom™ is our current affairs programme supported by Ninonews, a news and video content resource for young children. Through this programme, we aim to encourage children to build an awareness of affairs and issues happening in the community and around the world, while promoting the sharing and discussions on issues that are current, relevant and of interest to them.

Families will also be encouraged to play a part by lending a helping hand in the children’s preparation of discussions and sharing in class.

小小“悦”读家 – Chinese Reading Programme (Nursery to Kindergarten 2) 

Our in-house Chinese Reading programme builds children’s Chinese language acquisition by promoting listening and reading skills.

Activities are conducted using carefully selected Chinese readers and supported with the use of Pen Pal Whizz, an electronic Smart Reading Pen. Supplemented by reading flashcards and questions for discussions, children will have plenty of opportunities to ensure reading readiness.

Super Readers, Super Heroes (Nursery to Kindergarten 2)

Designed to build English language acquisition skills, this programme provides a solid literacy foundation by building children’s reading confidence as they progress through various reading stages. Above that, children will also explore writing through journaling, which allows them to build on their reading comprehension skills.

Embedded Enrichment

To encourage holistic development, the following selection of enrichment programmes are offered to our children.

FIITercise™

FIITercise™ is our gym and sports programme which not only introduces children to 6 different types of sports, along with fundamental movement skills, but also instills valuable character traits. By engaging in activities such as ball, sticks, and racket games, kids develop physical coordination, agility, and strength. 

Moreover, the programme emphasises positive values like sportsmanship, teamwork, and resilience. These qualities not only benefit children on the sports field but also in their everyday lives, fostering a sense of responsibility, cooperation, and perseverance.

Moving Melodies

Moving Melodies by Dance Theatre Arts is a uniquely crafted music and movement programme for children aged 1.5 to 6 years. 

Beyond music and movement, Moving Melodies is a holistic programme designed to enhance children's physical and cognitive development. By targeting the vestibular and proprioceptive systems, children improve their balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. These foundational skills not only aid in activities like dancing but also support their readiness for academic tasks such as reading and writing.

Additionally, the programme fosters a love for music and movement, promoting creativity and self-expression from a young age.

Artsy Fingers™

Artsy Fingers™ focuses on age-appropriate themes while touching on the elements of art, providing children with a creative outlet to explore their artistic talents while also learning about various art forms and styles.

By incorporating familiar songs and rhymes, children are engaged in a multisensory learning experience that enhances their cognitive development and imagination. As they progress through the programme, they are exposed to the works of famous artists, expanding their cultural knowledge and appreciation for the arts. 

Creating artworks based on different themes and concepts allows children to express themselves creatively and develop their fine motor skills.

Third Language Enrichment

At selected centres, we offer Japanese, Korean and French lessons. Conducted by native teachers, these lessons are extended to both local and international children.

Learning a third language at a young age not only enhances cognitive abilities but also promotes cultural awareness and diversity. Exposure to different languages fosters linguistic skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Moreover, it opens doors to future opportunities and cross-cultural communication, preparing children for an increasingly interconnected world.
 

Tech Crafters™

Available exclusively at our Jurong Gateway, East Coast and Mountbatten centres, Tech Crafters™ is an embedded enrichment programme that goes beyond traditional coding programmes by integrating unplugged coding activities.

Through hands-on experiences, children develop problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and creativity. By engaging in coding challenges, they learn to think systematically and analytically, laying the groundwork for future STEM learning. Moreover, the programme encourages collaboration and innovation, as children work together to solve problems and create solutions using technology. 

Overall, Tech Crafters™ equips children with essential skills for the digital age while nurturing their curiosity and ingenuity.

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