For ads - focus issue -- April 28
For ads - focus issue -- April 28
Tutor Time: Where beautiful minds and hearts are affectionately molded and nurtured
How do they do that? One of the treasured assets used by Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten is their curriculum, known as P.R.E.P. (Planned Readiness Education Program), which is prepared through intensive research by early childhood experts from Tutor Time's headquarters in Florida, USA and follows the guidelines and recommendations of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Established in 1980, with 250 centers around the world, this fastest-growing preschool franchiser provides each center with its comprehensive and updated monthly curriculum containing, among other things, appropriate materials for understanding basic math, science, language, arts and crafts.
Using the Tutor Time Math Magic approach, children can easily learn about numbers, shapes and counting. Through Tutor Time Phonics Express, which includes special books, cassettes and songbooks, they are introduced to the important connection between oral language and the written word.
The Tutor Time Handwriting Helpers stimulate children's ability in learning to write through specific exercises that aid small-muscle development in their hands and fingers.
In Social Studies, children learn about themselves and others. A study of likenesses and differences among children and the world is highlighted. The Science provides them opportunities to discover and explore nature and the world. Music and Movement lets them use gross motor skills in rhythmic ways. Self-help Skills and Hygiene enables them to deal with daily tasks, such as hand-washing, bathroom routines, tying shoelaces etc.
Etiquette is certainly another important area at this stage of growth. Here, words like "please, thank you, you're welcome and excuse me" become the children's daily vocabulary.
Believing that children should be exposed to the world of tomorrow, Tutor Time also makes computer learning available using age-appropriate software.
On the physical facilities, next to the two spacious playgrounds -- one for preschoolers and the other for toddlers -- each center has a unique child-sized town, called Tutor Town/ Village. This is where its Grocery Store, Post Office, Repair Shop etc. provide them with opportunities to explore role play in order to better understand themselves and their community.
In these colorful and cheery surroundings, learning is dotted all over with fun and laughter. Love and concern for the emotional, intellectual, social and physical needs of each child is the main focus of Tutor Time centers, provided through the teachers, who, obviously, are the next vital asset to mention.
Apart from their verifiable formal backgrounds in early childhood education and teaching experience, the professional teachers are chosen based on another essentially relevant quality: their warmth. To reach their full potential, they are also involved in ongoing training, related seminars and workshops.
Security and safety are also a major concern at Tutor Time. Children are only released to those individuals listed on the child's records by the enrolling parent. A special password has to be entered into the computer before such a release is made. Security cameras are everywhere, including in the classrooms. In addition, an electronic access system at the entrance allows only authorized individuals to enter the building.
Another exclusive electronic security system, Safe N Sound, also keeps track of each child's medical information, such as allergies etc.
The latest for Indonesia, Tutor Time is introducing a Kideowatch.com service, whereby parents can watch their children over the Internet. They are issued a user name and password that provides them access to their child's classroom in a safe and secure manner. This service also gives them the school's news, events, photos, menu and calendar as well as information on children health and education.
"Ours is the first franchisee of Tutor Time in Indonesia ... it was opened in 1996," said Melania Hamdan, director of the preschool, located on Jl. Kemang Utara 56, South Jakarta. Today there are four others in various parts of Jakarta and one in Bandung, while another in North Jakarta, in the Pluit area, will be opened in May 2002.
On her office walls were the "Award for Excellence" the center has won from Tutor Time headquarters for three consecutive years since 1998. She stressed that they were not easy to get.
Indeed it is not, because the annual evaluation team scrutinizes everything, from each single physical facility, the teachers' performance, up to the results of annual parents' survey. Plus, if there is any major complaint from them. Only when everything is close to "zero error" level, is a center recognized as a suitable winner of the coveted award.
This only goes to show how seriously the people at Tutor Time centers regard their beautiful little ones.