First Steps
Pre-schoolers are responsive and eager to participate
Text Cindy Tong
It was N Kuah's first day on the job as a pre-school speech and drama teacher, and she was already stressed out before the day began. "I thought, what if the kids didn’t like me? What if they just continued to stare at me blankly no matter how hard I tried?"
Thinking back, however, she says: "I don't know why I even worried. The moment I broke into a silly song and dance that I had made up, they were up on their feet, singing at the top of their voices. They simply couldn't get enough."
Now a freelance teacher who conducts Letterland phonics courses for pre-schoolers in neighbourhood estates and community centres, she says the experience convinced her to retire early as an office manager and embark on a new career.
"You get to play a part in the development of a very young child. Most of the time, they are very cute. They have no inhibitions whatsoever. They love to dance and move and sing, and it makes teaching an extremely enjoyable job."
Sheila Yeo, a kindergarten teacher at Elfa's Children Place agrees wholeheartedly. "They come to school knowing nothing. So every little skill they pick up, even if it’s as simple as recognising the letters of the alphabet, brings you great satisfaction."
Recalls Kuah: "I remember teaching one boy who was faring badly in the phonics course that I taught. I tried my best, but it didn't seem like he was learning anything. All I could do was keep coaching him on the basics, and hope that he would improve with time.
"A few months later, I happened to bump into his mother in the neighbourhood, and she proudly told me that her son was now the best reader in his class. That is my proudest, most satisfying teaching experience to date."
Managing a class of screaming, hyperactive pre-schoolers does not come without its challenges. "It can be extremely tiring," says Yeo. “Their energy is boundless! My old bones can’t keep up with their bubbling childhood spirit!”
But this energy comes in useful during end-of-year concerts or performances, say teachers. "They'll put their whole heart into it," says Dorothy Yong, a teacher at Happy School House Childcare & Development. "They'll even make the costumes and stage props!"
| Aged four to six, kids are:
• Easy to please
"A few hand actions and butt wiggles is all it takes for them to have fun singing and dancing in class," says Kuah.
• Responsive to praise
"They want recognition for even the smallest achievements. It makes them feel grown up and encourages them to be good," says Kuah.
• Eager to participate
"They have just learnt to speak and have better control over their body movements, so they are very easily excitable and eager to take part in any activity," says Yeo.
• Easily distracted
"They need constant stimulation. Their attention span is still not long enough for them to focus on one activity for too long a time," says Kuah.
• Curious about their surroundings
"They want to explore the world around them. Everything seems new, and there is so much to see. Almost everything amuses them," says Yong. |
Kids are not necessarily:
• Ignorant
"I once jokingly said that if the class misbehaved, I would spank them. One girl stood up and told me that I would be sent to jail if I did! I was so shocked at what she said that I wasn’t quite sure how to react," says Kuah.
• Dependent on adults
"They can learn very fast. Their capacity for self-help is very good, especially if they have been trained from young. They can do simple things like wash their own mugs," says Yong.
• Unable to express themselves
"Their language ability might be limited, but they can still communicate basic emotions through actions. You can always tell if they are angry or happy, for example," says Yong.
• More responsive to punishment
"Positive reinforcement is always more effective. Explain calmly instead of yelling, and you may see better results," says Kuah.
• Worry-free
"They are especially scared to see their parents fight. To them, mum and dad represent a safe home, and anything that threatens to destroy that worries them a great deal," says Kuah. |
Teachers wish parents would
1. "Help your kids organise their work," says Kuah.
2. "Understand that we scold your kids only because we want to teach them discipline," says Yeo.
3. "Involve themselves in their child’s development instead of leaving everything to us and blaming us when something goes wrong," says Yong.
4. "Interact with us, so that we know what kind of family background your kid comes from. It enables us to understand your child better," says Yong.
5. "Stop being so pushy when it comes to seeing results. Education takes time. You cannot just snap your fingers and expect to see an immediate improvement," says Kuah.