Khalifah Intelek, Kangar Perlis

Khalifah Intelek, Kangar Perlis offers a play-based curriculum for children aged 4 to 6 years to learn and grow together. Established in 2008, the kindergarten promotes a safe and caring child-centred environment where children have the opportunity to develop their intellectual, social, emotional and physical selves. With a strong belief that play is a critical part of early childhood development, teachers here use this as the main medium to help children build a solid foundation for the future, while having lots of fun along the way.

The programmes at Khalifah Intelek are based entirely on the principles of learning through play, as play is one of the most important ways in which children gain essential knowledge and skills. For this reason, teachers carefully design many opportunities that promote play-based experiences and hands-on learning throughout the daily schedule. For most of the day, children get to explore the environment, both indoors and outdoors, and work on projects with friends in small groups. There are many “stations” inside the kindergarten, such as arts and craft, science and sensory areas, where children can move between. The materials in these areas are changed often to keep learning fun.

We don’t just sit down and teach by rote or repetition. Since children are naturally motivated to play, we build on this, and introduce concepts of letter recognition, mathematics, languages, science, etc. through short, interactive activities that keep children engaged in the learning process,” explains Ms. Afirah. “Through play, children make sense of the world around them and understand the meaning of how things work.

Every day at Khalifah Intelek is not only enjoyable but also conducive in helping children develop holistically. As children learn through play, they become deeply involved, usually combining mental, physical and verbal engagement. Unlike traditional teaching approaches, play also fosters imagination and creativity, which in turn boasts children’s problem-solving skills. Play-based activities also allow children to express their ideas and communicate with friends, nurturing better social interaction abilities. Through constant interaction, children are bound to grow up with more respect for each other and better self-confidence.

Another aspect that sets Khalifah Intelek apart from most other kindergartens is that teachers adopt a child-centred approach to education. Children are encouraged to take learning in their own hands, rather than being prompted by teachers’ instructions only. Here, children have a voice to be themselves and belief in the things that they can achieve. Teachers act as a guide while children take responsibility in choosing what they will learn. When children can be active participants in their own learning, it makes the overall experience more meaningful and pleasurable.

On the whole, Khalifah Intelek utilises a play-based approach to pull together the logical and creative parts of children’s brains to help them build a strong foundation to be able to thrive in primary school and life. They also aim to retain children’s natural curiosity and to never lose the excitement of learning something new. And all these things are achieved by making learning fun for the little ones through play.