Preparing children to enter the real world

Preparing children to enter the real world

Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta

"Twinkle-twinkle little star how I wonder what you are. Up
above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky...", sang four
children as they came out of the elevator at Tutor Time Pondok
Indah.

The children were about to enter the "village" room where they
would learn socio-dramatic play.

According to Cynthia Moeljono, school coordinator of Tutor
Time Pondok Indah, children can learn how to relate with others
through playing. "They learn by process. Perhaps they do not know
the English but slowly as the teacher teaches them through
gestures, mimicking, and realia, they can acquire the language
skills," she said.

Cynthia said that sometimes the teachers should use persuasion
in handling aggressive children who bully others so that they can
get rid of such bad habits. "While at the same time, we should
also encourage shy children to mingle with others," she said.

There is no doubt that preschool has a significant role in
fostering a child's physical, emotional, social, cognitive and
spiritual growth. Therefore many parents, especially those living
in Jakarta send their young children to preschools, particularly
those with an international curriculum.

Through its curriculum called PREP (Planned Readiness
Education Program), Tutor Time in Indonesia offers learning
materials that match a child's readiness to gain knowledge. The
curriculum is updated every month, covering knowledge in math,
science, language, arts and crafts, and hands-on computer
learning.

Although each of the preschools has a different curriculum,
they share the same goal: to encourage children to have
initiative, a desire for independence, and feelings of trust and
positive self-esteem. In a safe and healthy environment, young
children learn through "free play" (both indoors and outdoors),
peer group involvement, and independent as well as socially
oriented activities.

Teachers play a significant role in assisting preschool
children to absorb knowledge during "play". At Tutor Time, a
teacher usually asks children to sing each time they move from
one room to another so that the children will not realize that
they are entering another stage of learning in a different room.

"A teacher should act as the children's partner so that they
can be independent or self-reliant persons. We teach them to
always plan ahead what they want to do, and then review it again
after they are done with their activities," said Anastasya
Meilani Modjo, 27, who has taught preschoolers for two years.

Anastasya, who teaches at High Scope Preschool in Kelapa
Gading, said that she would never forget an experience when her
students dressed her up with helmet, apron, goggles, bracelet,
necklaces, and ribbons on her hair. They also asked her to hold a
steering wheel.

"Suddenly one of the children asked for some milk. So, I
walked out the door to get it. I felt so embarrassed at the time
because there was a mother who stared at me in astonishment. But
since the children were so enthusiastic, I consider that
"humiliation" as part of their learning," she said.

Currently, High Scope Preschool offers preschool classes for
children of aged 30 months to four years. The classes start at
8:30 a.m. and end at 11:30 p.m, from Monday through Friday. The
daily schedule is divided into outside time, greeting time,
planning time, work time, clean up time, recall time, snack time,
large group time, small group time and time to go home.

Parents who would like to send their young children to the
High Scope Preschool will need to pay an enrollment fee of Rp 8
million and a tuition fee of Rp 4 million per term that lasts for
three months.

All payments are nonrefundable and should be made in cash or
by check. The payment covers activities, special events and
facilities such as daily snacks, classes, toys, materials, books,
field trips, school facilities (swimming pool, playground, multi-
purpose hall, etc.), parents workshop, babysitter workshops,
special events (costume party, multicultural party, and
graduation party.

The teaching method that the High Scope uses is active
learning and the curriculum is developed through continuous study
and research. High Scope teaches children to perceive the
complexity of problems that exist and try to solve them. The
acceptance that they can solve their problems will benefit them
in the long term.

Meanwhile, Pondok Indah Montessori Preschool offers a creative
learning atmosphere for children aged between one-and-a-half
years to three-and-a-half years. The program is based on the
Developmental Theory of Education which states that there are
sequential stages in a child's physical, social, mental and
emotional growth and development. Starting the daily activity at
8:30 a.m., the children learn to use outdoor play equipment and
indoor educational toys such as puzzles, blocks, etc. After that,
they put the toys away, wash up and have a cool drink of water.

During singing time or story-telling, the children sing songs,
recite nursery rhymes, and learn special educational songs and
listen to educational story books. They also play games that are
related with numbers, colors, shapes, size relationships, and
other important cognitive skills.

Good table manners and informal conversation are encouraged
during lunchtime. After washing up, children sit at the tables to
eat their lunches brought from home or a complimentary snack from
school that serves a different menu every day. Children are also
given "rest time", a quiet time where each child will sit on a
mat to look at books, children's magazines or listen to music and
songs.

During the show-and-tell session, the teacher will encourage
children to explore their language skills. The child may bring
items from home to talk about with his or her group. Children can
also use crayon or scissors when it is time for table activities.
Usually at the end of the week, children would bring home their
coloring, cutting, pasting activities, and other work when
finished.

Most preschools aim to foster the creativity and imagination
of the children. Some of them even provide activities for muscle
building. In Pondok Indah Montessori Preschool, the children can
take karate classes every Thursday in the first and the fourth
week of the month and go swimming with a special instructor every
Friday.

The admission fee for Pondok Indah Montessori Preschool is Rp
4 million. For children who are one-and-a-half-years old, they
only go to school every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30
a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The weekly tuition fee is Rp 500,000. For
children aged two to three-and-a-half years who go to school from
Monday to Friday, the fee is Rp 850,000 a week.

The fee covers basic tuition, arts and crafts, snacks, and
additional fees for field trips. If a student takes temporary
leave, his or her place will not be held unless the full monthly
fee is paid in advance. The school also offers air-conditioned
school buses covering some areas of Jakarta for a reasonable
monthly rate.