Curriculum goals

Our curriculum and programmes are based on the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Framework that guides the development of quality kindergarten programmes in Singapore.

At MK, we believe preschool children are joyful, curious, active and competent learners and they play, learn and grow with others in a diverse and multi-cultural community. They are keen to make sense of the world around them, and they learn best through active learning.

We strive to make learning authentic and relevant for your child through activities with a distinctive Singapore flavour. This helps nurture your child’s:

• Confidence and social skills.
• Literacy and numeracy skills.
• Bilingualism in English and their Mother Tongue Language (i.e. Chinese, Malay and Tamil languages).

How children learn

We believe that preschool children are joyful, curious, active and competent learners and they learn, play and grow in a diverse and multi-cultural community. Preschool education should:

• Promote the joy of learning so they are excited to learn and make sense of the world around them.
• Nurture values, social and emotional competencies and learning dispositions so that they can adopt the right attitudes and behaviours to learn and live harmoniously with others.
• Encourage active learning so they can learn by experimenting and experiencing.

Values, Social and Emotional Competencies and Learning Dispositions (VSLD)

It is important to nurture values, social and emotional competencies and learning dispositions in young children. These three aspects of development are core to children’s holistic development. They set the stage for character building and lifelong learning, shaping children’s attitudes, behaviours and decisions that they make in their daily interactions.

• Values shape how children use the knowledge and skills they have learned; whether they act on when they should or need to. The core values are respect, responsibility, care and honesty.
• Social and emotional competencies complement values by providing children with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to understand themselves and to relate positively and constructively with others. These competencies include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management and responsible decision-making.
• Positive learning dispositions place children in good stead to embrace lifelong learning. These learning dispositions include perseverance, reflectiveness, appreciation, inventiveness, sense of wonder and curiosity and engagement.

Supporting your children’s learning and development

Parents play an important role in supporting your child’s development in their preschool years and helping them to transit well into primary school. They can:

• Pay equal attention to your child’s cognitive and non-cognitive development
• Collaborate with your children preschool and primary school teachers to develop in your child a positive attitude towards learning
• Encourage your child to explore and ask questions to enrich their learning experiences beyond school

Family-Based Learning Activities (FBLA)

In place of giving workbooks or worksheets as homework, we encourage family-based learning activities that you and your child can engage in together. This will help you bond with your child and share the joy of their growth and learning.