~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