The
importance of kindergartens in a student’s life cannot be over-emphasized.
Sadly, the world is moving towards altering the tried and tested ‘play-based’
mode to the ‘learning-based’ mode which undermines the importance of play and
interactivity in these vital initiation stages of a child’s life. Children
today, are increasingly being forced to go the beaten path of literacy where
the basics of phonetics, math and reading are taking up much of the time. The
general word that is going around is that ‘there is plenty of time to play at
home’. What administrators and policy-makers at many occasions are failing to
grasp is the importance of inventive and make-believe play techniques in the
early stages of a student’s life. As the child’s first interaction with the
educational environment, kindergartens have a responsibility to carefully
review their methods and steer clear of academic pressure or judgement based on
standardized tests which follows a ‘one-size-fits-all’ mantra and ignores the
individuality and uniqueness of each child. China and Finland are among the
countries that believe in a playful kindergarten and a late entry into former
classrooms. Quite unsurprisingly, students from these countries go on to be
some of the brightest minds of the global generation. In Singapore, the
Canadian International School (CIS) has always been a stickler to the play
model and encourages long hours of teacher-student engagement in make-believe
and role playing situations that have proven to boost intellectual, cognitive
and social skills among the pupils.
So, how
can a kindergarten be the perfect learning space for children and a kickstarter
for their academic futures? Here are some pointers:
Child initiated play and experiential learning: Make time for play every school day,
both indoors, outdoors and during recess. Ensure you have variety,
inventiveness and interactivity in how play subjects are chosen. Items like
make-believe, sensory, language, construction, large and small-motor, and
mastery play have been known to be highly beneficial to overall intellectual
development of the child. Also be open and discuss about the role and
importance of play in kindergartens with the parents so that you have a support
base for policymakers and administrators.
Developmentally appropriate practices: Switch from the on-size-fits-all
module and treat each child individually with tailor made curriculum suiting
his/her intellectual, cognitive and social needs. Recognize the difference
between a fast reader and a fast painter and steer clear of standardized tests
that may designate their deviations as abnormalities and disorders. Be flexible
with teaching methods and work towards appropriate practices.
Research long term impact: Research current kindergarten
practices and their long term impact on the psychological and cognitive growth
of students. Done on a larger scale, this comparative study will be a key in
understanding which developmental practices are failing and which are
flourishing. Stick to the tested formula.
Teacher’s training: Invest in professional training and mentoring teachers on
how to encourage the spirit of play and spontaneous ideating. Prepare
coursework that supports mandatory play time every day. Teachers should be
educated on how to encourage and support play especially in children who do not
have too many opportunities at creative play or have poor self regulation
skills.
Combat the crisis: Work across boundaries and geographies to combat the shift
to learning-based kindergarten models. Build up awareness regarding the
obstacles to play such as unsafe neighbourhoods, overscheduling of children’s
lives, excessive screen time, toys linked to entertainment media, and education
that emphasizes skills, drills, and homework and undermines creativity, imagination,
and overall well-being.
Kindergartens
are the platforms to brilliant academic futures and deserve policies and
methodologies that make them effective and healthy as learning spaces. A
coordinated effort from schools, teachers, parents and administrators can make
this happen.
For
more information kindly visit kindergarten in singapore
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