by on 28/08/2017 361 2504
The children’s house (TCH) Batai is the oldest of its many centres, which was established in 1986 by the founder Nan Civel. It all started in a double story bungalow with 1 child. Through the years, it has grown in strength, size and number, and continues to provide the same quality preschool education. It is one of the undisputed leaders for Montessori education in the country.
Arriving at TCH Batai, the signature red and white theme of TCH is unmistakable. The neighbourhood is peaceful and quiet although it is situated in the city centre. As with most TCH, visitors are required to register before they are allowed onto the premises. Walking through the red gates is like entering a whole new world. A world where children are the centre of everything we do. When we entered, we saw a group of children laughing and rolling around on a gym mat prepared by the teachers.
As it turned out, it was the children’s favourite time of the day – gym class. The class was conducted by a qualified professional instructor engaged specially by TCH.
As we moved past the gym class and further into the interior we found it brightly lit and very spacious. With the laughter of the children still ringing in my ears, my heart was pleasantly calm and I started to gently sway to a melody I had heard of from days gone by.
The layout of the different environments allowed ample space for the children to move about. The child sized and children friendly furniture made my 156cm frame feel huge and with well-resourced Montessori apparatus all neatly stacked on children height shelves, TCH Batai is certainly able to deliver the quality preschool education that parents expect.
On the second floor, there are 2 classrooms for the Preparatory programme, a group of children were seen playing games among themselves in a corner while some other students were immersed in a colouring activity at one of the tables. Classes are not as rigid and the teacher to student ratio is as low as 1:3 for optimal learning. This is something that TCH emphasizes on as they believe each child should receive equal attention from their teacher.
The principal of TCH Batai is Aunty Yani. Although this is her second year as the principal of Batai, she has 11 years of teaching experience. She is very experienced with children and she believes that contrary to present day popular belief, the full Montessori method of teaching is beneficial to young children and can prepare them adequately for entry into primary school. A Montessori preschool education also helps build their confidence and creativity, which are very important qualities even after a child is all grown up. A prime example is children won’t shy away from strangers, in fact they would cheerfully greet you.
TCH prepares their own meals everyday according to a set menu developed and designed by specialist nutritionists. During festivals, children will have baking sessions to make cookies or food that are related to the festivals. Through activities like this children learn about the different cultures in our country.
Our children love these activities because it makes them feel like an adult.Aunty Yani
Other than baking, children also learn about different customs and cultures of the different races through various classroom activities, such as show & tell, role play, little chef, crafts etc. These activities enable the children to understand the world better and also learn to respect the differences.
With a proven track record of over 30 years, TCH has gained the trust and recognition of parents and is often regarded as a Montessori preschool to nurture children into compassionate and well balanced individuals who are confident, independent, socially adaptable, and above all, positive and lifelong learners. These are the qualities that give them a good head start in primary school.
TCH Batai, your happy smiles, joyous laughter and mischievous antics will forever be etched in my memory. There are no visual momentos that I can refer to but just like a baby’s footprints, the time I spent with you I will forever carry in my heart.
