Aurora Early Years, Mutiara Damansara

No other preschool captures the sheer joy and passion for learning the way Aurora Early Years does. Taking its name from the Latin word for “dawn” – a magical time when light begins to spread across the sky, revealing a world full of hopeful beginnings and new opportunities – Aurora Early Years strives to make the first six years of children’s lives the best ones that parents could wish for. Children who spend their early years here will find themselves optimising their full potential in a home away from away that is illuminated with hope and joy.

It is often said that there is a school that suits the needs of every child, and Aurora Early Years is an excellent demonstration of that. With a humble handful of students and an intimate community of families, the preschool reaps the benefits of its size. Learning always starts where the child is. Be it a child who is motivated but lack social skills or one who is physically nimble but weak in reading, the teachers here treat each child as an individual. They are aware that every child has hidden talents and unique needs which require a dynamic, stimulating environment to develop. Therefore, teacher-to-child ratios are kept low in order for children to participate, grow out of their shells and progress with confidence.

While teachers focus on the children’s “here-and-now” journey, they still keep sight of the future and follow a bespoke curriculum that helps students cultivate skills vital to their success in primary school and beyond. The curriculum framework incorporates the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with a number of teachers lending their knowledge in other well-researched pedagogies, such as Montessori and Reggio Emilia, to the team.

Aurora Early Years offers programmes for children aged 18 months onwards: Playschool Programme (18 months to 3 years), Preschool Programme (3.5 to 6 years), Flexible Childcare Packages (18 months to 8 years), and a Special Needs Programme in the works. Befitting its holistic approach to learning, each programme is thus designed to nurture all aspects of children’s development through broad areas of learning, including Language and Literacy, Mathematics and Logic, Arts and Creativity, Music and Movement, Robotics and Coding, Science, Physical Education, and Humanities and Life Skills.

Once children join the school, their days will be filled with exciting discoveries and adventures. Given children’s natural curiosity to explore their environment, the teachers are sure to keep things interesting with an array of hands-on activities such as games, stories, role play, songs, purposeful play and exercises that will stimulate all senses. Children also get to practise basic math and logic through Aurora’s proprietary Early Learning Activity Books, as well as early reading through their Adik Cerdik series. In addition, children are encouraged to stretch their thinking and work together to solve problems on the Smart Board. When learning is integrated into such fun, diverse experiences, children will be driven by their interests to participate, and they can easily retain knowledge without feeling like it is a chore. The next thing they know, they will be armed with a solid foundation, the adaptability, and a strong love of learning that will see them through their schooling journey and life as a whole.

It takes more than just the right curriculum for children to flourish. “We put a lot of thought and care into everything we do at Aurora Early Years, from purpose-built facilities to a bespoke curriculum, and above all, ensuring that every child is loved and safe while in our care,” says Ms Eznyeta Izhar, a teacher at Aurora Early Years. Surely, at the heart of the school are values underpinned by care, courage, connection, compassion and communication to nurture kind, empathetic children who are able to achieve academic success while also being socially conscious.

Aurora Early Years is not just a preschool, it is a community of students, teachers and families working harmoniously together to ensure children are supported in every way to succeed during their early years of development. The school values open communication between its teachers and parents via School2Me – an app which helps both parties track the progress and activities of each child – to promote a responsive and caring environment. This positive school climate is one of the most important cornerstones of an Aurora education that not only helps children thrive but also makes them happy and excited to return to the school the very next day!