The past two years have not been easy for most of us, and it’s safe to say that young children have been experiencing very sad setbacks in terms of their education privileges. At Cubs Early Years (CEY) SS 19, the aim is to ensure that our nation’s youngest, brightest minds get the education they deserve, and the preschool has a really interesting and highly relevant approach to this.
Kiddy123 recently spoke to Esther Chien, the Academic Manager of Cubs Early Years SS19 recently, who agreed to share her thoughts pertaining to this.
Our approach to teaching is based on Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory which starts with our students knowing themselves and their immediate surroundings, their community, their country and finally the world they live in. The programme develops the child to deal with changes that takes places in and around them and to also understand the application of what they learn in their bubbleroom to real life. What is a bubbleroom you may ask. In today’s challenging times, the learning has been contained in a conducive environment that focus on keeping the learners safe and minimise risk and exposure to outside concerns.
Far from the common academic or teacher directed environment that has children just sitting down, paying complete attention and copying from the board, the ambiance here at Cubs Early Years SS19 is one that is charged up and it is obvious the students absolutely love being in school and the environment is fun and relaxed. The students are absorbing so much more than the parents are expecting and teachers interactions are interactive and relevant.
As stated by Ms Esther earlier on, the environment plays a major role in the student’s development. At her branch as SS19, Subang Jaya, the CEY classrooms have been designed to showcase a ‘garden feel’, with the belief that when children are exposed to elements of nature, it lends a feeling of calmness and puts them at ease, hence allowing them to have more positive interactions and more pleasant learning experiences. “That is why our SS19 classrooms have been decorated with vines, flowers, plants, etc,” she revealed, stating an example of how the students’ environment is kept highly conducive for their development.
Play to learn
While academics are important in preschool, a quality and balanced programme should give equal emphasis on play and learning through play. In most standard preschools, the concept of play is mainly seen during designated periods such as recess or group play, unlike what is seen here in Cubs Early Years. The teachers incorporate play in their lessons, during meals, etc. The general scene of students just seated and paying attention to their teacher and what is written or the board is rarely seen. An overall feeling of excitement to learn and participate is obvious.
“Our curriculum is designed to allow kids to learn the way they were naturally meant to learn, and that is through interesting and beneficial play activities. Most of the time, the students are having so much fun that they hardly even realise that they are learning crucial life skills, concepts, arithmetic, and so on!” says Ms Esther.“It is crucial that children enjoy their lessons, allowing them to relate to and remember what they have learnt. Having fun while learning is a very different experience from being disciplined to learn. Our approach and programmes are child-centred, and are designed to excite and ignite curiosity in the child’s learning experiences,” Ms Esther continued.
Trilingual immersion programme
Achieving proficiency in 3 main languages has been a debatable issue among preschool operators who offer such statements. The 3 languages in this case being English, Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin, all three of which has always struggled in achieving equal proficiency for a myriad of reasons. Here at CEY, the use of the three languages is done daily and equal emphasis is given to all three. Children are placed in the rich, conducive environment that allows them to use and develop the 3 languages at their pace.
It is also evidently clear that CEY preschools keep up with the times in terms of technology, with smart TVs being installed in each classroom. “Teachers use technology to bring the world into their classrooms. Learners experience power-point, live tours, global teaching methods via projected presentations, making full use of the convenience and benefits of modern technology,” Ms Esther informed us.
It is also useful to note that the menu served for the children at all CEY outlets, including SS 19, has been specifically designed by a qualified nutritionist. It is delicious and nutritious. Hence, parents can rest assured that when their kids are having their lunch, snacks, and tea-time menu at the preschool, they will be filling their tummies with wholesome goodness prepared specially for them!
CEY is by far a winner in the hearts of parents whose children go there, for its specially designed environment which promotes better learning among children, its caring, dedicated teachers and staff, as well as its unique programme that helps to ensure that children are fully prepared for their primary schooling experience ahead of them.
