LET’S COUNT: Guided by their teachers, the children learn to count with numerical toys.
EDUCATING children from an early age has proven beneficial as it gives them a head start to formal education, and at the same time, create a strong foundation for continuous learning and better enjoyment of their learning process.
Parents can enrol their children for early childhood education at the Junior Learning House (JLH) and JLH Childcare Centre on their Open Day today (Nov 20).
They can learn about the educational programmes and activities offered by these premises which pride themselves in establishing the roots of culture from early childhood education through music, culture and literacy.
According to JLH executive director of studies Dr Geraldine Law-Lee, children, for instance, may have multiple abilities albeit not necessarily in literacy as they may also excel in sports and music.
“Children these days are fast learners, being constantly exposed to the fast pace of technology,” noted Lee who has implemented an ‘east meets west’ philosophy in teaching JLH students.
“Therefore, to capture their attention, teachers must be able to gauge their interests, and approach each child from what he or she is interested in to bring out the best in them.
“Our approach towards providing the best of east and west philosophy in education and culture is carried out through fun learning and a lot of this, we do through dramatisation because we feel children learn best through visual and musical means.”
Citing some subjects as examples, Lee said students not only learned through textbooks but also social interaction.
“For subjects like science, the students rear pets such as rabbits and hamsters in the kindergarten’s garden where they get to feed their pets and learn about the animals and their habitats,” she said, adding that this practice also teaches the children to be responsible.
Other subjects such as maths are spruced with a cultural approach where learning to calculate becomes a fun process, using props such as mandarin oranges while teachers would incorporate the significance of the fruit during celebrations such as Chinese New Year.
The curriculum also comprises ballet music lessons, taught with expertise from the IMH Group of Companies. Moreover, the students are taught to learn, speak and write in English, Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin from the teachers of the Language Specialist House.
“They learn to master the language through bilingual songs and we have a lot of bumiputera students now who are very well-versed in Mandarin. Our kindergarten level of Mandarin is very high and comparable with students from Chinese primary schools,” Lee said.
On the other hand, English subjects are conducted through oral communication to enable the child to communicate with others.
“We also emphasise on moral and family values such as teaching the young children to greet people,” she added.
Meanwhile, the childcare centre allows working parents to leave their children at the centre, equipped with facilities that cater to the needs of today’s growing child.
“The children have access to a mini-library filled with children books which they can choose wherever they’re comfortable — be it inside or at the garden — or they can also use their free time to practise piano,” Lee said, adding that teachers from the IMH Group of Companies will come and help the children with their homework and music lessons.
“We also provide transportation for our students who have music or ballet lessons at IMH or the Ballet and Dance House as well as pick-up from nearby primary schools.”
The childcare centre, which started as a small group about 10 years ago, has since expanded into a one-stop facility, incorporating the significance of music and culture into literacy, numeracy, and scientific discoveries, and where parents can feel assured of leaving their children in good hands.
Lee attributes the centre’s success to the synergy among the IMH Group of Companies’ staff, saying the staff work and coordinate well together to maximise the services offered.
Both centres are open for enrollment at today’s Open Day from 10am to 3pm.
Children can take part in various programmes, including musical games, reading and an activity where they learn to follow directions at the centre’s traffic garden, using tricycles.
Teachers will be on hand to answer any queries from parents.
For further enquires, call 082-410578 or 082-255527.