Tadika Daie Bestari, Mahkota Cheras

Tadika Daie Bestari, Mahkota Cheras is an award-winning kindergarten and nursery that offers a well-balanced integrated curriculum, instilled with Islamic values, for children ages 3 months and above. Founded by Ms Alia, an experienced early childhood educator, Tadika Daie Bestari received the Silver Tulip Award by the London Examinations Board in recognition of its outstanding kindergarten and childcare programmes.

What truly sets Tadika Daie Bestari apart from many other preschools in Malaysia is its educational philosophy – it does not only focus on children’s academic and intellectual growth, but also one that places equal importance in nurturing the right religious and moral values, as well as cultivating the skills necessary to help prepare for formal schooling in the future. “When we started 8 years ago, we have set a school excellence framework with a commitment to inspire students based on well-researched educational modules, well-trained professional teachers and well-designed environments.”

Operating in a multistorey shop lot, the kindergarten is a one-stop centre that provides students with a seamless transition from Nursery (3 months to 3 years old) to Kindergarten (4 to 6 years old). There is also a Transit Programme for 7- to 12-year-olds. Each programme is guided by our national early childhood and preschool curricula respectively to deliver wonderful experiences for the children.

Every day is interwoven with fun learning opportunities that are vital for children’s development. After the obligatory health and temperature checks, students usually start the school day with an assembly, prayers and some morning exercises. This is then followed by a wide variety of age-appropriate activities that allow children to explore different areas of learning – social, emotional, language, mathematics, science, creativity, physical and sensorial lessons. Teachers encourage plenty of hands-on learning to keep the children engaged and excited throughout the process. For example, children get to use all their senses as they explore different materials and carry out simple experiments; they strengthen their fine motor skills when they count cubes or sort objects; they stimulate their imagination when they role play; they learn from real world experiences when they visit places like the petting zoo, firestation and food factory.

For the older bunch, there is a designated time for them to reflect on their learning. This is essential for teachers to identify children’s strengths and assess their development. Also, when children reflect on their day, it helps them remember the lessons learned and aspire them to do certain things differently the next time; reflection builds confidence and fosters new skills which sets a strong foundation for children to be a lifelong learner.

In addition, the teachers also work on children’s self-help skills, such as dressing themselves, keeping their belongings, using the bathroom independently and taking care of their own personal hygiene; instilling good table manners is also an important aspect of learning here. On a side note, children are served healthy, well-balanced meals prepared according to the government’s guidelines of food preparation, which include typhoid vaccinations for those preparing the food.

To further enhance children’s time spent at the school, there are additional enrichment activities such as extra reading and Quran recitation, as well as Taekwondo classes taught by an external programme provider. Every year, Tadika Daie Bestari also organises parental involvement activities which consists of a fun Hari Raya gathering, sports day and graduation ceremony.

On the whole, Tadika Daie Bestari provides a high-quality setting that meets the early years needs of children and their families. Parents value the positive connections between the school and the children, as well as the open honest communications teachers have with them. It is a refreshing find to witness parents working cooperatively with the kindergarten, especially during times like now, for the children’s future.