What do parents these days look for in a daycare centre? What are parents’ expectations towards daycare establishments other than a place for their children to be looked after till they are done at the office and can come pick them up to go home? As a sought-after daycare and after-school care provider, aCAREdemy places great priority in wholesome and complete care for children, maximising the time spent here to great efficiency.
A recent visit to the spacious facility at SS19, Subang Jaya gave us a better understanding of why parents don’t mind forgoing other centres which may be closer and more convenient for them in favour of this one. At hand to welcome and enlighten us on what makes aCAREdemy stand out was its founder and Principal, Soo Teng.
A Haven for Children
Taking up a large double storey corner lot, aCAREdemy gives off a certain zen which is unique, quite unlike most daycare facilities with their colourful murals and logos. This calmness, we feel, goes a long way in quieting the senses and letting kids rest and refresh their bodies and minds. After all, they are growing kids and it will never do for their lives to be filled with endless stress of schooling and academic matters to the point of not being able to cope. Here, at aCAREdemy, is where things take a positive turn for children, renewing their confidence in their own natural learning abilities.
Within minutes of our interview with the passionate and cheerful founder, it was clear where she stood on her principles of how children should be cared for. Among what stands out at aCAREdemy is, a child’s school homework is used to reinforce teaching. If parents were to think about it - homework is a part of school life that children struggle with the most. No matter how well-executed the education is at school, many children either have no time to do their homework, or simply cannot understand what they’re supposed to do. This issue, in turn, if left unaddressed, has been known to spiral out of control resulting in shame, guilt and other negative consequences, along with the tendency to be left behind in one’s studies.
At aCAREdemy, children will be given time to do their homework, and will be guided wherever necessary. It has turned out to be a learning opportunity as well as a blessing like no other when they realise that with some coaching and a new mindset, they don’t have to struggle with homework anymore.
Bridging Learning Barriers
As a quality daycare provider, maximising time in the best interest of the children has always been a priority here. In this regard, aCAREdemy, through its own research, has found that language, especially for children who attended SJKC, tends to be a barrier for academic studies. It’s not hard to see why, as Soo Teng explained. One simple example is, a child who is actually good at math may still be held back, simply because he isn’t proficient enough in the language being used for that subject and hence, can’t fully comprehend the math questions. This is why literacy skills is taken seriously here with daily practice via reading time.
Contrary to your typical preschool or kindergarten systems of set learning time where a child’s learning has to take place in a cramped 4 hour window in the morning, aCAREdemy offers learning opportunities throughout the day. When children’s capabilities to learn via exposure to a loving, conducive and stimulating environment are taken into account, guidance by teachers and caregivers therein offers a complete early education experience, It’s exactly the kind of care that will allow them to fully enjoy their childhood while equipping themselves for success.
The curriculum at aCAREdemy can be summed up as Thematic and it is curated following the belief that children need to, at the end of the day, be well-prepared for a life of challenges and to succeed in this modern era of technology and fast changes. aCAREdemy stands by, and in its own way, implements Micheal Fullan’s 6C’s of Education. They are:
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Critical Thinking
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This helps the children at aCAREdemy make better sense of the lessons learnt throughout their experiences here. They are guided to analyse and filter information so that they can be applied onto their daily lives.
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Collaboration
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This skill is nurtured to help children utilise various talents and style from their peers for more fruitful group effort with amiable results.
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Communicating
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Children are always encouraged to speak their mind clearly, and in doing so, they will get to articulate their thoughts as well as communicate their needs more clearly. To further build on their communication skills, they are also taught to listen intently to instructions as well as to what others are saying.
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Creativity
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In a world that is constantly changing, this is a crucial skill to build during the childhood years, for it allows them to find different ways to look at situations and find creative ways to solve issues.
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Citizenship
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This helps the children to be more sensitive to their surroundings, the people in their lives as well as cultures and lifestyles that differ from their own, and to work seamlessly with everyone.
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Character education
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As an important part of a whole child development, building a good character is paramount and to do that, teachers and caregivers at aCAREdemy do whatever it takes to help children to see the importance of growing up to become responsible, caring and contributing citizens of their society.
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Optimising Children's Learning via Brain Gym®
Getting children to love learning is clearly prioritised at aCAREdemy, which is why all students here participate in a series of exercises targeted to stimulate the brain and help children think, concentrate, memorise and learn better. Known as Brain Gym®, these exercises were created by Paul and Gail Dennison, after concluding that when children are stressed, not in the right frame of mind, or were simply inactive the whole day, learning becomes a more difficult feat. As an International Certified Brain Gym® Movement facilitator, Soo Teng notes remarkable improvements in her students’ focus power, as well as their mental, physical and emotional readiness for learning.
These Brain Gym® movements are made up of simple, fun, yet effective movements that work wonders as a ‘pick-me-up’ before children take on any kind of activity that requires them to activate their brain. They are practised before they start on their homework, as well as during lessons in class.
Brain Gym® exercises are designed to access different parts of the brain and coordinate whole brain to whole body to optimise their learning power and ultimately, enrich their daily learning experiences. Parents of aCAREdemy students continuously acknowledge the differences this has made in their children’s attitudes towards learning, which makes it all the more worthwhile for Soo Teng to be a proud Brain Gym® Movement Facilitator. She also offers Brain Gym® 104 as well as guidance to those who are interested to be a Brain Gym® Movement Facilitator.
Dependable Daycare, Richly Conducive Environment
In line with today’s childcare needs, aCAREdemy is definitely at the forefront. It is the place parents depend on for dependable daycare, nutritious home-cooked meals as well as homework assistance and guidance. Children also get their shower time, restful nap along with beneficial outdoor activities as well as free play time. Of late, children at aCAREdemy have also started to work on their own edible garden, further enhancing their life skills in highly beneficial ways.
Apart from the above mentioned quality and features, parents who wish to enrol their children into additional enrichment programmes will be glad to know that they need not send their kids to a different location, for aCAREdemy has its own affiliated offerings in that arena too, right here at its facility.
