Kinderland’s award-winning curriculum is the key factor for parents in choosing this bright and cheerful yellow-and-green preschool located in the Terasek neighbourhood. Parents have every reason to put their trust in the curriculum as it integrates the best education approaches and methodologies from the West with the values of morality and inter-personal relationships of the East. The result of almost 40 years of continuous research and development by Kinderland’s in-house team of early childhood experts, the curriculum framework encompasses creative expression, logical thinking, literacy support, dramatic play, and large group learning.
Kinderland’s thematic approach in teaching provides a gradually widening circle of learning experiences for the child. Children learn about things within their homes, then their school, and progress to the environment around them. With Kinderland’s emphasis on hands-on learning, there is never a dull moment. During each of the four terms, there is a class project, a group project, and a Home Learning Link project that allows each child to choose what he/she wants to do. Parents also get involved in these projects, which helps them to spend quality time with their children.
Said Ms Prasanna, Kinderland Bangsar’s equally bright and cheerful Principal, “All our teachers are experienced and have diplomas in early childhood care & education. We understand how young children learn. These 4 to 6-year olds need to move, play, have fun, and sufficient freedom to express themselves, not sit still for hours in a classroom environment -- especially our children from the expatriate community in Bangsar. Currently, 52% of our students are expatriates from countries such as India, Japan, Russia and Singapore. Their parents often ask me, ‘How much outdoor time will my child get?’ They don’t want their child to be indoors all the time. They know that children need to play to learn. We have ample space in our garden for sand play and water play, and even hold our Art & Craft lessons outside.”
Another reason parents in Bangsar choose Kinderland is its fun, interactive and effective methods of learning languages, i.e. English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia. Its language programmes combine storytelling, rhymes and songs, dramatisation, listening, speaking, and reading. At the same time, the children are introduced to computers when they use specially selected software that helps them learn languages and Maths. Kinderland’s Maths Alive Programme is also known for its fun and hands-on methods in introducing mathematical concepts to children.
Kinderland is the first preschool to incorporate a children’s music programme into their curriculum. Said Ms Prasanna, “We believe that the use of the keyboard and other instruments not only cultivates creative expression and musical sensitivity but it also enhances the child’s confidence and provide crucial support for the child’s brain development. For the younger children we have Music & Movement; later on, they will graduate to the keyboard.”
Another first is the introduction of higher order thinking skills into Kinderland’s syllabus since 2015 to ensure that their students are always ready when entering primary school. “This was even before the Ministry of Education had incorporated the concept into the Malaysian education system. Our students hold discussion groups where they talk about their experiences in Maths and Science. They are taught to use logical thinking in their discussions so that they learn to see things in perspective. We also have Dramatic Play where the children practise role play and speech and drama. This really helps in building their confidence and public speaking skills later on,” added Ms Prasanna.
Such a rich and holistic curriculum is indeed difficult to find. It is no wonder that today, this integrated curriculum has been successfully used not only in Malaysia but also by Kinderland’s more than 100 franchisees all over Singapore, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Cambodia.
