PLAYGROUP (PG) Program (18-30 months)
The PLAYGROUP class for ages 18 to 30 months is the base for a sequential play- and inquiry-based learning program at Nature-based Quayside Isle Preparatory School. If your child is not quite old enough to join Toddler Program (2-3 yrs) or if you would prefer to have an abbreviated week of 3- instead of a 5-day school week, this Program is the best place to start.
Children in this class learn through authentic play and multi-sensorial activities that help them develop their socio-emotional skills as well as lay the base for further school experience. We are confident that we have developed a Playgroup/Toddler Program that can accommodate for various requests, and our qualified, dynamic Teacher will ensure that every child is being challenged adequately, based on their unique developmental stage.
The students will be exposed to all the Specialist Programs QUIPS offers to all our Programs (Mandarin, Art, Music&Movement, PE Playball, Library) as well as will experience amazing Nature-exploration experiences around Quayside Isle/ Sentosa. The Program’s main focus is on nurturing child’s independence and self-care, while developing the language and motor skills.
Low student-teacher ratio across all our Programs means all students are able to receive individualized attention and support at any point of the school day.
Toddler Program (2-3 yrs)
The Toddler class for ages 2 to 3 years is the first stage of the four of our Programs. Students in this class learn through free play and hands-on engaging activities. They will develop motor skills, language, learn to navigate peer relationships, use their imagination, make choices, and grow independent with self –care, with nurturing teachers who encourage exploratory play and communication.
The Toddler program curriculum at QUIPS is pivoted on Language Development through Language Arts. “The more words toddlers hear and the more information available for any individual word the better their brains can begin simultaneously ruling out and putting together word-object associations thus learning what’s what.” (Yu and Smith, Early Childhood Research, Indiana University)
Pre-Kindergarten Program (3-4 yrs)
The Prekindergarten class for ages 3-4 offers holistic learning where children alternate between play and teacher directed activity to achieve important milestone development in areas ranging from motor co-ordination and control to socio-emotional abilities and cognition. They are introduced to new ideas through inquiry and encouraged to use their imagination and emerging language and motor skills to investigate and problem solve. Children in this class are also taught a variety of literacy strategies including phonics and introduced to numeracy and mathematical understanding.
Kindergarten 1 Program (4-5 yrs)
The Kindergarten class for ages 4-5 will consolidate skills and begin to establish important entry level requirements for primary education, especially with regards to literacy and math. Through investigative activities, children will learn to examine, probe, ask and share what they know, building vital vocabulary and inquiry skills. While learning through play and games will continue to define how they learn, children in the Kindergarten 1 class will start working on following directions on paper-based tasks. This objective of this program is to help children refine their skills to bolster both ability and confidence as they get ready for school.
Kindergarten 2 Program(5-6 yrs)
Children in this class (ages 5-6) will learn to apply their thinking (attention) to their reasoning, to use their observations to explain and express their understanding. Goals in this class will be based on (but not limited to) entry level requirements for grade 1 in international schools. Enquiry learning will continue as integrated project work, and literacy and math will feature more prominently in the curriculum. In Literacy, children will consolidate their early training in phonics, shift to concepts in word study (patterns in word construction); and will begin to use active strategies towards effective writing processes. In math, children will focus on using numbers, including written numerals to represent quantities, solve quantitative problems, recognize cardinalities and will further explore fundamentals in spatial understanding.