by on 04/10/2024 7443
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Happy Days Childcare Centre, Taiping is dedicated to the goal of providing excellent early childhood education and childcare programmes to meet the needs of parents in the surrounding community. Staffed by caring teachers in a well-equipped environment, the centre strives to unfold children’s full potential with a creative curriculum guided by the teachings of Maria Montessori. Happy Days offers half-day and full-day programmes to 2- to 6-year-olds with the aim of fulfilling the following objectives:
Here, teachers understand that it’s natural for children to be curious. They want to know why the caterpillar is green, why birds can fly, and the answer to so many more other questions. This is just their brains connecting bits and pieces together to learn about how the world around them works. Curiosity is really one of the best things that children have, as it is what helps create a love of learning. Therefore, teachers at Happy Days strive to cultivate children’s own natural desire to learn rather than just filling them up with facts from a book.
Children spend time each day engaged in activities that are designed to stimulate their curiosity to learn, as well as provide the skills they need for a smooth transition to primary school. Within the prepared environment, they get to explore their own interests in the areas of language, mathematics, sensorial, science, geography, practical life, culture and more. Some examples of activities include, gardening, scooping, pouring, sorting shapes on geometric trays, counting sequence numbers, identifying patterns, learning letter recognition, reading, and early stages of writing. There are also many scheduled outdoor activity times for children to appreciate and respect nature. While everything is fun and engaging, they are carefully planned according to the stages of the child’s development.
On top of that, Happy Days Childcare Centre extends its commitment to fostering lifelong skills essential for children's future success through an innovative S.T.E.A.M. programme. Acknowledging the significance of cultivating critical thinking abilities, the teachers employ a range of teaching strategies tailored to engage children with diverse needs and interests. Within the S.T.E.A.M. programme, various activities, including the Thinking Skills Workbook, game-based learning, Music Gym and Brain Workout sessions, are integrated. These initiatives are carefully designed to nurture creativity, enhance problem-solving skills and instil a genuine love for exploration in the young learners.
Presently, Happy Days seamlessly integrates fundamental elements of the Finnish education system into its ongoing educational initiatives. The centre actively works towards promoting equality and inclusion, ensuring that every student has access to fair opportunities, and cultivating an environment of inclusivity and fairness. Additionally, Happy Days places a strong emphasis on encouraging autonomous learning and discovery. Here, students are actively involved in fostering independent thought, questioning and exploration, with teachers adopting the role of mentors. They guide students to embrace curiosity, creativity and critical thinking as part of their educational journey.
Moreover, the educational focus at Happy Days is centred on minimizing homework and exams. The emphasis is placed on completing learning tasks within the school premises, thereby fostering the development of interests and skills without over-reliance on assignments and exams. This approach aligns with the Finnish education philosophy, prioritizing a holistic learning experience.
Furthermore, Happy Days is committed to prioritizing professionalization and respect for its teachers. Teachers undergo thorough training and professional development, equipping them with the skills necessary for their role. Enjoying increased autonomy within the classroom, they can provide personalized teaching that caters to students' individual needs and interests. This approach not only enhances the overall quality of teaching but also contributes significantly to positive student outcomes, creating a nurturing and effective learning environment.
Another key feature of the childcare centre is that teachers are mindful of each child’s individual needs. First and foremost, they love and respect the child’s unique strengths and weaknesses, and allow him to progress at his own pace. After unobtrusive monitoring, teachers will gently guide him to reach his optimal potential.
At Happy Days Childcare, children follow a consistent pattern of learning time, meals, outdoor play and nap time. The predictability of the routine positively influences their discipline, independence and emotional well-being. Habits developed now will stick with them throughout their lifetime.
On the whole, the enriching learning experiences work hand-in-hand to reach children’s school readiness skills, such as letter and number formation, proper pencil grip, understanding of topics to be introduced in primary school, emotional self-regulation, problem-solving, and a confident approach to lifelong learning. This ensures children are well prepared to go to any type of primary school later.