Estimated Reading Time: 2-3 Min
Kindergarten is usually a little more social than academic and quite enjoyable from a child’s point of view. Their schedules are simple and after getting over the initial shock of leaving home and being away from parents, most look forward to coming to school. At this level, there is lots of play with academics integrated into the various toys they have access to. There is a sense of freedom in Kindergarten, where students can use the restroom, get water and move about without too many restrictions. There is generally no specified arrival time and parents are able to pick their kids up early without too much hassle. There are field trips, cultural activities, playground time to keep children engaged and excited to learn. Fun and friends are usually keywords at the Kindergarten level. Children graduate from Kindergarten and suddenly their expectation of a fun learning environment changes drastically.
Primary school is just plain different. Suddenly the schedule matters and there is a time and a place for all things. Rules are introduced from how to walk, talk, present classwork, write down homework, and even how to study. There is a huge push to conform and be like everyone else in class. Since there are several academic subjects to cover, restroom and water breaks suddenly require permission. With a jam packed school day, there isn’t as much play which suddenly tests attention span.
Most international schools and even the public schools in Singapore thrive on the idea that quantity is important. How many math concepts can you cover in a year so that the child can pass the upcoming exam. How much English can you teach so that the child is able to write compositions, answer comprehension questions and provide oral reports? All are focused on the metrics by which to assess a child’s abilities and group them accordingly.
At Kindle Kids International School (KKIS), our teachers use their experience which has taught them to expect that children will take time to adjust to a more structured environment. Moreover, our teachers also realize that while rules help to stabilize behavior and manage a child’s expectations, children will still be children. Some children will be more emotional than others. Some children will need to fidget to offset their energy bursts. Some children will rile the class to get attention. All told, our teachers take pride in being able to nurture a class amid all the various personalities and learning styles.
Fun plays an integral part in our curriculum. We wholeheartedly believe that a happy child makes the best student. Inspiring a child’s natural curiosity to learn is what drives us to find ways to teach that is both educational and fun. We want our students to never lose their instinct to ask “Why?” We know that with a little fun, anyone would be happy to learn anything. Fun is only part of the teaching strategy at Kindle Kids International School (KKIS). It is our goal to use differentiated teaching techniques to help accommodate students of multiple intelligences to maintain their natural curiosity and enthusiasm to learn.
