What’s The Best Preschool Curriculum For My Child?
What’s The Best Preschool Curriculum For My Child?
A student of Mulberry Learning developing their creative and thinking skills through play.
As a parent, choosing the best preschool for your little one can be a stressful and anxiety-ridden process. After all, your child’s early experiences would naturally impact their development later on in life. Given that we wish to ensure our child is set up for success, it is crucial to select a preschool that is best suited to their needs and personality.
One of the most important aspects you should consider when choosing any preschool is the preschool’s curriculum. An established and structured curriculum is integral towards creating a nurturing environment for any child.
There are certain key components that you should look out for in any preschool curriculum to ensure your child will thrive in the preschool environment. Specifically, you need to keep an eye out for whether the curriculum adequately prepares your child to succeed in the future. Contrary to popular belief, educating your child and preparing them for future success is not only centred on imparting knowledge; rather, it is about inculcating within them the right attitudes and habits to succeed.
One of the most important aspects you should consider when choosing any preschool is the preschool’s curriculum. An established and structured curriculum is integral towards creating a nurturing environment for any child.
There are certain key components that you should look out for in any preschool curriculum to ensure your child will thrive in the preschool environment. Specifically, you need to keep an eye out for whether the curriculum adequately prepares your child to succeed in the future. Contrary to popular belief, educating your child and preparing them for future success is not only centred on imparting knowledge; rather, it is about inculcating within them the right attitudes and habits to succeed.
According to the OECD Report on The Future of Education and Skills: Education 2030, children of today need to be ‘future-ready’ and this means developing a broad range of skills, which includes:
- Cognitive and meta-cognitive skills (e.g. critical thinking, creative thinking, learning to learn and self-regulate);
- Social and emotional skills (e.g. empathy, collaboration, and self-efficacy);
- And practical and physical skills (e.g. using new information and communication technology devices)
Let’s take a dive into the various competencies required for success, and should be included in any quality preschool curriculum!
Creative Thinking
There’s a reason why creativity was the most sought-after soft skills today.
At the heart of it, creativity is the art of finding ingenious solutions that others, at first glance, cannot see. There are a bevy of benefits associated with being a creative thinker. A creative thinker makes for a better problem-solver, allowing you to recognise patterns and solutions that may not be obvious to others. It also allows us to challenge assumptions and perceive problems from a different and new perspective.
Mulberry Learning offers a vast selection of STEAM enrichment programmes, all designed specially to nurture creative, resourceful and innovative thinkers. These programmes engage children across various diverse disciplines, such as Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics. Exposing children to multiple unique disciplines helps foster inter-disciplinary thinking, helping children to think beyond disciplinary boundaries, thereby bettering their creative thinking.
Mulberry Learning offers a vast selection of STEAM enrichment programmes, all designed specially to nurture creative, resourceful and innovative thinkers. These programmes engage children across various diverse disciplines, such as Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics. Exposing children to multiple unique disciplines helps foster inter-disciplinary thinking, helping children to think beyond disciplinary boundaries, thereby bettering their creative thinking.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to think intelligently and logically. Undoubtedly, this is a skill that, when mastered, will have a significant impact on both our daily lives and careers. Thinking astutely and critically is a much-desired skill that will help your child navigate their schooling years and life beyond that.
Critical thinkers are able to analyse information to make better decisions. They are also able to plan strategically and communicate their ideas succinctly and clearly to their target audience. There’s no wonder why, according to the World Economic Forum, critical thinking is one of the two top in-demand skills that employers commonly look for.
A Student of Mulberry Learning developing their critical thinking skills.
At Mulberry Learning, we believe that a curious and constantly questioning mind is the first step towards develop critical thinking skills. With our Reggio-inspired Project Inquiry, children are encouraged to ask questions, pose problems, and work towards developing solutions. Instead of being passive receivers of knowledge, children are active participants who lead the problem-solving process. Children are also able to conduct mini-experiments, analyse their findings, and present their observations to their peers and parents.
Continuous Learning
Continuous learning is the hunger to learn. It is an important skill that complements critical thinking. By continuously being open to learning and growing, you will grow as a thinker and as a person. This allows you to respond to and adapt well to unexpected situations, as well as spark more creative thinking to solve problems.
Here at Mulberry Learning, we create carefully designed learning environments. We believe that learning environments act as ‘the third teacher’ and are designed to create opportunities for constant learning and interaction. For instance, we have a discovery cover where children can search for clues, investigate and explore like young detectives! Our various learning environments aim to foster continuous thinking, such that our students are always growing as thinkers and persons.
Here at Mulberry Learning, we create carefully designed learning environments. We believe that learning environments act as ‘the third teacher’ and are designed to create opportunities for constant learning and interaction. For instance, we have a discovery cover where children can search for clues, investigate and explore like young detectives! Our various learning environments aim to foster continuous thinking, such that our students are always growing as thinkers and persons.
Collaboration
We live in a world where we are growing increasingly interdependent. More often than not, in the modern workplace, we will be required to work collaboratively with our team members to achieve a common goal. Collaboration greatly enhances the problem-solving process of your team, resulting in increased efficiency, creativity, innovation and success. Collaboration also encourages open communication, which is an essential skill that is becoming increasingly prized in the workforce.
Students of Mulberry Learning playing and learning together.
Mulberry Learning recognises this and expends great effort towards ensuring our students emerge as well-rounded social individuals who are able to collaborate effectively with their peers. We often integrate group projects and presentations into our Reggio-inspired Project Inquiry programmes, to ensure that every student who passes through our doors understands the value of diverse ideas and co-operation.
Commitment
Often, we struggle with following through with a certain task or responsibility. Moreover, we may give up easily when we encounter an unexpectedly difficult challenge. This is something that both children and adults struggle with. It is no wonder that many employers now prize the ability to persevere and follow through with a certain task or responsibility
We understand this. This is why at Mulberry Learning, we encourage students to develop the Habits of Mind such as persistence, so that they have grit even when the problems appear insurmountable. Rather than simply handing out answers, we encourage them to ask the right intelligent questions as they seek the solutions to problems. We also train young children to think and work independently, as compared to relying on others to resolve the issue for them.
We understand this. This is why at Mulberry Learning, we encourage students to develop the Habits of Mind such as persistence, so that they have grit even when the problems appear insurmountable. Rather than simply handing out answers, we encourage them to ask the right intelligent questions as they seek the solutions to problems. We also train young children to think and work independently, as compared to relying on others to resolve the issue for them.
Communication and Empathy
Communication skills and empathy are about being able to connect with and influence others. In this modern day and age, these competencies are becoming more difficult to master, with many children and young adults becoming siloed in their own universe, detached from society. Nonetheless, empathy is essential in helping us voice out our ideas and thoughts in a way that makes sense to others, as well as helping us understand diverse perspectives. It also helps mould children into better leaders who can empathize with their peers, thereby being able to inspire and lead them more effectively.
At Mulberry Learning, we create an open and inclusive environment that develops each child’s communication skills. Moreover, we aim to nurture values of compassion and empathy via encouraging cooperation through project work and ensuring all teachers set good role models for the children. They are trained to both guide and listen, picking up non-verbal cues to better communicate with their students.
At Mulberry Learning, we create an open and inclusive environment that develops each child’s communication skills. Moreover, we aim to nurture values of compassion and empathy via encouraging cooperation through project work and ensuring all teachers set good role models for the children. They are trained to both guide and listen, picking up non-verbal cues to better communicate with their students.
Unleashing their fullest potential
Preschools are places of learning and growth. It is a time where young children experience the world with new eyes, setting the foundations for later success in life. These core values and competencies should be included in any quality preschool curriculum, to ensure that we can unlock each child’s fullest potential.
To learn more about Mulberry’s award-winning preschool programmes, contact us today!
To learn more about Mulberry’s award-winning preschool programmes, contact us today!
Mulberry Learning prides itself on making the preschool experience both memorable and enjoyable while transforming a child into a competent explorer, an imaginative thinker, and a creative problem solver. Through our proprietary award-winning curriculum, unique Habits of Mind programme and dedicated staff who are passionate about imparting positive attitudes, Mulberry Learning holds strong in its promise to deliver a holistic education that nurtures the Future Ready Child.
A PREMIUM PRESCHOOL BRAND UNDER GLOBAL EDUHUB