~Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten

~Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten Nurturing children's unique potential

All children come into this world with multiple intelligences and unique potential. However, without an environment conducive to learning, those gifts could not be properly recognized and nurtured.

Tutor Time International Preschool and Kindergarten, servicing children aged 1 to 6 years old and operating under license from Tutor Time USA, is the first preschool in Indonesia that is implementing a curriculum which is designed specifically to develop the different intelligences within every child.

This Tutor Time LifeSmart curriculum was developed by a team of early childhood education experts in the USA.

There are eight "Smarts" that are addressed by the curriculum that include Word Smart, Math Smart, Design Smart, Music Smart, Body Smart, Nature Smart, People Smart and Me Smart. All learning centers at Tutor Time are designed around these eight "Smarts".

Each encourages children to do self-directed investigations that develop cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills of each child.

"We are trying to set the trend of children to be life-long learners and self-directed so they will be actively seeking out and pursuing their own knowledge, while learning new things, finding out how things work. This is something that parents have to plan earlier and Tutor Time tries to cater the needs," says Lana Kristine F. Flores, Staff Development Specialist at Tutor Time.

Since not every child has the same level of interest and ability as others, Tutor Time provides an environment that addresses all of a child's individual differences and at the same time develops the child's potential. "So it is a very customized program looking at the needs of the children, developing their interests and at the same time seeing how we can improve more in other LifeSmart areas," says Lana Kristine.

LifeSmart requires teachers to motivate children to develop other "Smart" areas that they have. Teachers ask the students to go to one center, closely monitor the children's behavior, assess their areas of interest and see how they can improve them. They help to develop learning in different styles, different strengths and different ways.

The teachers also motivate children to explore their creativity through art, such as drawing clown faces without giving an example to them. Then they appreciate the children's work by displaying them on the board and praising them.

Assessment does not come with numbers. Teachers just observe whether the children can perform specific skills and try to improve areas that the children still lack.

"Frustration levels are not too high when you know children's development, age-appropriate activities, what development- appropriate activities can be given to them, based on their present level. And just move gradually from one level to another," Lana Kristine adds.

Tutor Time also encourages parents to be part of the learning process. Parents or family members are sometimes invited to be in the classroom or school's event to build partnership between teachers and parents.

The biggest challenge for parents and teachers is to remove the roadblocks that keep those gifts from being recognized and nurtured.

But, with the involvement of parents, and with its proper teaching strategies and experienced teachers, Tutor Time is sure those barriers can be overcome.

For more information, please call us or visit our website www.tutortime.com