What does nurturing mean to you? How would you define nurture? Through their multi-faceted and creativity-inspired curriculum, we take a look at how KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse nurtures with a difference.

A DIFFERENTIATED APPROACH

• Sensory Play: Learning Phonics through Messy Play

Learning words that begin with the sound /f/ for the Nursery Twos has turned into a tactile experience, where children have to fish for ‘treasures’ in a pool of flour and rice. At Teacher’s Val bidding to the count of 3, the children wasted no time in sinking their hands into the soft powdery concoction to search for the hidden treasures.

“Look what I found! A feather!” “Look Teacher Val, I found a fish!”

With the objects in hand, the children walk over to the box station, where they sort it according to the sound of the object. When some of the children were hesitant, Teacher Val prompts them with some help, “Can you say the name out again, and listen carefully. Does it start with the /f/ sound?”

Dipping their index fingers in paint, the children proceeded to do some finger writing on the wall. Moving on, they were given some markers to decorate their paper bag with the letter ‘f’. “Young children are oriented towards sensory experiences. Stimulating the senses helps to strengthen their learning and commits to long-term memory.” Pooja Vishindas, Principal of KiddiWinkie SchoolHouse @ The Grandstand explains.

• Concrete to Abstract

Over at the Kindergarten 2 classroom, Miss Chua is revising the concepts of ascending and descending through a series of games and activities. First, she brought in a mat with a reclining slope from the gym area. Then she got the children to ascend, and descend the ‘mountain’. Next, she played a mini-game where each child had a turn to arrange the chairs in ascending or descending order. The children then proceeded to do their own math task sheet independently. As part of its differentiated curriculum, Miss Chua also provided hands-on materials for those who finished faster and assisted those that needed more help on the concept.

CREATIVITY INSPIRED CURRICULUM

Through a series of themes for the entire academic term, KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse’s creativity-inspired curriculum and experiential-based approach ensure that learning is always fun.

Over at the Kindergarten 1 class, the theme is ‘Occupation’ and the children are doctors for the day. For their thematic lesson, they are learning how to write a prescription for their friend. This writing activity not only works on their vocabulary and spelling but also the understanding of numerical values. This is followed by social and pretend play. During this time, Miss Chua observes the children and occasionally asks them what they are doing, helping them to make the connections between what they learn in the dramatic play. “Oh, are you listening to his heartbeat? What’s that you’re using to listen to his heartbeat?”

“Our creativity inspired curriculum not only means creative in the artistic sense, but it’s also about how our teachers deliver the lessons, and the questions they ask to engage the children.” Pooja explains.

• Power of Play

Believing in the importance and need for play in their curriculum, children will have instructed and uninterrupted play here at the Dramatic Room. This time, the room has been transformed into a Pizza Parlor.

Each class will visit the dramatic room once to twice a week, one session with their own class, and the other session will be with the rest of the children, in a mixed-age group. Pooja adds, “This will give children the opportunity to have an uninterrupted play, and also the chance for them to mingle around with peers of different age groups.” Most of the props in the Dramatic Room are also hand-made using recycled materials by the children themselves. The younger age groups made their own little chef hats out of plastic bags, while the older children created their own pizza menus and even made a big oven to ‘bake’ their own pizzas. “It’s not just about beautifying the place, but what do we hope to achieve by putting this up? There is always an intention behind our decorations.” The theme for the Dramatic Expression Room is changed once in 2 months.

A multi-faceted approach and a creativity-inspired curriculum are not the only ways how KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse nurtures a difference.

Stay tuned for part II on how KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse nurtures a cosmopolitan child!

KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse is a new premium preschool located at The Grandstand, in the heart of the vibrant Bukit Timah district. The school also sports a lush, modern environment with chic facilities such as a dedicated dining zone, sheltered wading pool, dramatic expression room and an outdoor sandpit, spanned across its 14,000 square feet facilities.

To find out more, go to KiddiWinkie Schoolhouse.

Join them at their Open House on 15 and 29 April 2023, from 9am – 1pm and find out how they can bring out the best in your child.

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