Parents play an integral role in finding the right school for their child’s early education, and along with their support and guidance, children can start their learning journey.
You are the first and most influential teachers and therefore you have the key to unlock your child's potential, shaping their minds, and nurturing their spirits.
As per research, parents who are active in their child's learning perform better in academic achievement, have stronger social-emotional skills, and showcase confidence. Also, as per the study by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia, children with Parental engagement in learning are more likely to progress to higher levels of education and have successful futures.
Did you know your interactions, conversations, and shared experiences have an extraordinary impact on your child's early learning? So, it is necessary to create a positive impact as it lays the foundation for their cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Yes, every simple thing like a bedtime story, peek-a-boo game, and every moment of connection contributes to their intellect and well-being.
If you're ready to embark on this transformative journey of co-creating your child's educational experience, or even searching for a school for Kindergarten Admission then do not miss this article because you will discover myriad ways to empower your child's early learning.
The Malaysian early education system, also known as the "Tadika" or "Taska" system, lays the groundwork for a child's formal education. Here's an overview of the Malaysian preschool education system.
There Are Two Main Types Of Preschool Institutions in Malaysia
● Nurseries (TASKA): They cater to children from birth to four years old providing a safe and nurturing environment to explore, play, and develop social and emotional skills.
● Kindergartens (TADIKA or TABIKA): It is for children from four to six years old, focusing on preparing them for primary school by introducing them to basic literacy, numeracy, and other academic concepts.
● National Preschools are managed by the Department of Community Development which follows the National Pre-School Curriculum focusing on early childhood development, including language skills, basic mathematics, social interaction, and motor skills.
● Government-aided preschools are supported by government funding.
● International Preschools are run by private institutions which follow international curricula such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, or the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) focusing on holistic development through play-based learning.
● Local Private Preschools may cater to specific languages or cultural backgrounds.
● Preschool admission criteria are 3 to 6 years.
● Preschool in Malaysia has stages, such as pre-nursery, nursery, and kindergarten, depending on the different age groups and developmental milestones.
Understanding the details will empower parents to make informed decisions regarding their child's early education.
Nurturing a child's mind is essential in the formative years as they are like a garden which requires careful attention, patience, and the right conditions for growth.
Early childhood education is like fertile soil, providing the nourishment and support necessary for young minds to blossom. Let’s understand how it helps children.
● Foundation for Lifelong Learning
Early childhood education in Malaysia (birth to 8 years) is a crucial period where children's cognitive abilities, social-emotional skills, and self-esteem are shaped. Providing them with the right education at this stage plays a significant role in harnessing this developmental window, laying a solid foundation for lifelong learning.
● Holistic Development
Through play-based learning, the school focuses on holistic development i.e. cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development which equips them with essential skills helping them to become well-rounded individuals.
● Nurturing Social-Emotional Skills
The education here is not about academic preparation; it’s about developing children's emotional intelligence. Children learn to express their feelings by seeing and interacting with peers and educators. They also learn to manage their emotions, nurturing their EQ, which is a crucial skill for positive mental health and well-being.
● Improved Self-Esteem and Confidence
The supportive environment where children feel valued and encouraged to explore their interests boosts their confidence, empowering children to believe in their abilities.
● Investing in Malaysia's Future
By providing children with a strong foundation for learning and development, we are equipping the citizens of tomorrow with the skills and knowledge needed to contribute to the nation's economic and social progress.
● School Readiness
It also prepares students with essential foundational skills like literacy and pre-reading skills, basic numeracy, social interaction, and communication, which are needed for a smooth transition to primary school. It develops a positive attitude towards learning that prepares them for the academic rigor of formal schooling.
● Language and Communication
The diverse cultural landscape of Malaysia emphasizes multilingualism in their early years of education to foster proficiency in Bahasa Malay, English, and other languages. Strong language skills at an early age lay a robust foundation for effective communication and future academic achievements.
Early learning in Malaysia isn't just about preparing children for school; it's about laying a solid foundation for lifelong learning and success. So parents must understand this significance and actively participate in and support their child's early education journey.
Parents play an indispensable role in shaping your child’s educational journey. Therefore your involvement and support can profoundly impact their learning, growth, and overall well-being.
Here are some effective tips and strategies you can follow.
1. Cultivate a Love for Learning: Create an environment that encourages curiosity and exploration. Engage them in stimulating activities like reading books together, exploring nature or doing simple experiments.
2. Embrace Play-Based Learning: Children learn through play so give them age-appropriate toys, materials, and opportunities for open-ended, unstructured playtime where they can explore and use their imagination, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
3. Establish a Dedicated Learning Space: Design a dedicated learning space which is free from distractions and clutter, access to required materials, books and learning materials is necessary to develop learning habits.
4. Set Routines and Expectations: Creating consistent routines for wake-up and bedtime, homework, study time, and playtime helps in establishing habits. Routines help children develop time management skills.
5. Communicate Effectively: Engage in regular conversation and ask them about their day and activities to help them express themselves freely. Listen to them attentively and offer support and encouragement.
6. Attend Parent-Teacher meetings: Actively participate in parent-teacher meetings to stay informed about your child's progress, challenges, and areas for improvement along with school upcoming events and activities. Building a positive relationship with your child's teachers helps in providing the right education.
7. Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle: Promote healthy lifestyles as it will directly impact their studies. Providing them with a balanced diet, regular simple exercise, and adequate sleep will enhance focus, concentration, and overall well-being.
8. Limit Screen Time: Limit screen time so that they can have a balance between digital and real-world activities. Engage them in alternative forms of entertainment, such as reading, playing outside, or DIY creative crafts.
9. Celebrate Achievements and Encourage Effort: Appreciate and celebrate your child's achievements, praise their effort and willingness to learn, rather than just focusing on outcomes.
10. Seek Professional Support: Don't hesitate to seek teachers or professional support such as counselors, psychologists, and educational specialists if you have concerns about your child's learning or behavior as they can provide valuable guidance and support.
● Embrace your child's curiosity by answering their questions or providing them with activities to explore.
● Set aside time for reading, and exploring diverse books and stories together to expand their imagination and vocabulary.
● Engage in conversations, storytelling and more such activity to develop language skills.
● Provide age-appropriate educational resources that supplement learning in a fun and interactive manner.
● Let your child make age-appropriate choices such as clothes to wear, things to buy during shopping etc., build independence and decision-making skills.
● Lead by Example, let your child see you engaging in your learning or hobbies will help them learn from you.
Let’s understand how Parental involvement in education helps exhibit a range of positive outcomes:-
● Improved academic achievement: Parents who take active participation in their children's learning helps children develop essential study habits, and strong and a positive attitude towards learning which results in higher grades, better test scores, and greater academic achievements.
● Enhanced social-emotional development: Parents who provide a supportive learning environment at home help children communicate their feelings and emotions. Seeing their parents model positive behaviours helps them develop strong social-emotional foundations resulting in enhanced self-confidence, self-regulation, empathy, and resilience.
● Improved attendance and behaviour: Parental involvement helps children contribute to better attendance and behaviour in school. Knowing that their parents are aware of their academic progress and school life, they behave with responsibility.
Here is how parents can take involvement in their child's education.
● By creating a positive learning environment at home with dedicated space, and limiting their screen time.
● Knowing about the child's progress, attending parent-teacher meetings and conveying concerns with teachers.
● Participating in school events, being a volunteer, or assisting with extracurricular activities.
● Guiding them with homework, and strategies for study, providing them with activities at home that reinforce classroom learning.
● By taking them to museums, nature walks, or doing creative hands-on activities, etc.
To promote parental involvement, schools should implement various strategies:
● By ensuring that all school information and communications are available in multiple languages so that every parent can be updated with everything.
● Schools should make sure that working parents cannot take frequent holidays from work so they should schedule meetings which are convenient as per their timings so that they can participate.
● Parents should be given the right training or workshop or sessions on effective parenting strategies, and homework support.
● School should provide opportunities for parents to participate in various activities.
Global Indian International School (GIIS) in Malaysia actively supports parents' involvement in the children's learning process by implementing a comprehensive approach to fostering parent-teacher partnerships and empowering them.
● Parent-Teacher Communication and Collaboration
The school has transparent communication between parents and teachers. They regularly update parents about the meetings, newsletters and upcoming events. They have a separate online parent portal which helps them to be informed about their child's progress, challenges, and achievements.
Various educational articles and parenting tips are updated regularly. Teachers themselves encourage parents to share their concerns and learning preferences, which helps them to address every child’s learning needs.
● Parent Workshops and Training
GIIS International School organizes regular workshops and training sessions for parents, which help parents get valuable knowledge and skills to support their child's learning. They conduct sessions covering various topics such as school system, effective parenting strategies, homework support, understanding child development, etc.
● Parent Volunteer Opportunities
Parents are given opportunities to participate in classroom activities, assist with school events or children’s extracurricular activities, etc. Such opportunities provide parents with firsthand insights into the school environment and allow them to contribute directly to their child's learning experience.
● Special Events and Parent Engagement Programs
GIIS organizes special events throughout the year such as family fun days, cultural celebrations, and social gatherings to strengthen the parent-teacher connection.
● Open-Door Policy and Supportive Environment
GIIS maintains an open-door policy where they welcome parents to approach teachers and administrators with any questions or concerns.
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Dear parents, remember that you are the first and most influential teacher in your child's life, so support them, believe in their potential and let them explore. With every step you take, you are helping them in shaping their future, empowering them to become lifelong learners, compassionate individuals, and responsible members of society.
Parents face these challenges in Early childhood development in Malaysia:-
● Finding time for active involvement in their child's education while managing work and family responsibilities.
● Some parents find it difficult to communicate with teachers or understand due to language barriers.
● Having limited access to quality education programs or resources, or professional guidance due to socioeconomic factors.
Parents can support bilingual or multilingual education by:
● Exposing children to multiple languages at home.
● Communicating in 2 or more languages regularly.
● By providing books and media in many languages.
● Enroll them to classes or school where they get to interact and learn from native speakers.
● Enrolling them to schools that offer multilingual programs.
Parents can effectively communicate with teachers by:
● Regularly attending scheduled meetings to discuss their concerns, and learning needs.
● Communicating through email, phone calls, or written notes to seek clarification.
● Improved academic and social-emotional development, enhanced self-esteem, and confidence.
● Good parent-child relationships, regular progress tracking, and enhanced parenting skills.
Top ten great features of Kuala Lumpur International Schools
Top ten great features of Kuala Lumpur International Schools
Gross Family Income RM 120K to RM 250K
Malaysia is a country filled with diverse cultures, delectable foods and an accomplished education system.
Malaysia is a country filled with diverse cultures, delectable foods and an accomplished education system.
There are plenty of scholarships available for children.
There are plenty of scholarships available for children.
Are you thinking of sending your toddler to a kindergarten school?
Are you thinking of sending your toddler to a kindergarten school?
If your child is an athlete in an international school, you would be a proud parent.
If your child is an athlete in an international school, you would be a proud parent.
Quoting Swami Vivekanand, ‘Education is the manifestation of perfection, already existing in a man’- since birth every child has certain qualities within him/her and with right education and nurturing
Quoting Swami Vivekanand, ‘Education is the manifestation of perfection, already existing in a man’- since birth every child has certain qualities within him/her and with right education and nurturing
