Precious Steps Day Care Centre, Selayang, Batu Caves

The love for early education, and the desire to provide a solid foundation for our youngest age group of children had inspired Ms Stella Yee to establish Precious Steps in her hometown of Selayang, eight years ago in 2015. Today, the kindergarten is a shining example of what little ones need in terms of early education and development to help give them a head start for their schooling journey ahead.

Right after completing her high school, the very first job Ms Stella took on was at a kindergarten. While she was there, she realised that it was her calling to teach and guide little children in their early education, and it gave her great satisfaction and joy in doing so. “I felt a great sense of satisfaction knowing that I could contribute to preparing little children for their schooling journey, and that I can make a difference in their lives,” she stated. At Precious Steps, it is compulsory for little ones to excel in the three levels of Phonics, whereby Ms Stella is adamant that their development in this particular element of early education is crucial for their future schooling success. As explained by Ms Stella, who is a mother of a four-year old daughter, the younger age group will be exposed to more play-based activities, for that is how they learn the best. Whereby, for the 5 and 6 year olds, academics will be focused on more, in preparation for primary school. The majority of Precious Steps graduates are registered for entry into Chinese primary schools.

Preparing for a more rigid SJKC syllabus

As most of the graduates of Precious Steps Selayang are set to enter the Chinese primary school of their choice, Ms Stella, via her well-planned and professionally executed programmes, dutifully takes on the tasks of ensuring that her little students are well-prepared for the somewhat tougher syllabus that awaits them when they enter Primary 1. Precious Steps is situated in a joined double story house including a corner lot, in Selayang. “We have ample space for outdoor play, which I feel is important for the physical and mental development of little children,” Ms Stella shared. She went on to explain that the outdoor area has specific sections for specific use. These include a space for free play such as cycling, running, etc, and another section for playground activities such as a slide, play house, crawling tunnel, etc.

The highlight of Precious Steps: Phonics

There are many ways to go about teaching kindergarteners what they need to know before they enter primary school. Having had close to ten years of experience in this line, Ms Stella truly feels that few come close to the importance of phonics in the education journey of kindergarten and preschool goers. “It is crucial that preschoolers excel in phonics, for when they do, they will have no issues when it comes to reading, and consequently, in writing as well,” she patiently explained. What’s more, phonics is not confined only to the English language. As Ms Stella pointed out, at Precious Steps, phonics is also practiced in teaching little ones Bahasa Melayu as well. This ultimately ensures that her students are exposed to some of the best teaching methods, and have higher chances to excel in both these languages, apart from another important language, which is Mandarin.

At Precious Steps, the curriculum for 3 and 4 year olds are prominently play-based. While they will already be introduced to phonics, there will however be no homework to bring home. This fun-filled, play-based method accommodates the fact that littles ones of that age group learn best while playing. Note too that while most of the little ones in this age group are already potty-trained, Precious Steps also accepts children who may still be in diapers, and will help in their potty-training if need be so. As they get to age 4 and 5 years, academics will be introduced and prioritised in preparation for a successful and gratifying schooling journey ahead. This will include introducing and teaching subjects such as Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, Mathematic, and Science.

Age-appropriate activities for optimum development

As an acclaimed kindergarten in Selayang, Precious Steps is known for its fun-filled activities which children enjoy and learn from, either weekly, a few times a week, or on a day-to-day basis. For the youngest age groups, the activities offered are centered on their sensorial development. Sand play, as an example, is one activity which allows them to have loads of fun as they practice and hone their motor skills. They will also be exposed to life skills activities such as folding their clothes, using child-friendly scissors for cutting, cleaning up after themselves, and so on.

Activities for the 4 year olds will help them get familiar with what they will need for entry into school later on. They will have activities to help them recognise numbers and trace them out by themselves, just as an example of many more fun and interesting academic-based activities. The lessons for 5 and 6 year olds will be based more and more on books, which ultimately helps them to build the love for learning and prepare them for a more successful schooling journey.

Teachers employed at Precious Steps undergo a three-month probation period to determine if they are the best candidates available for the job of helping to educate and mould the precious young minds of the children who attend this well-established kindergarten in Selayang. They will need to have experience working with young children, and of course, have the passion and patience that the job requires!