Little Creche Preschool, Subang Jaya

Founded by Ms Lianne Chan, Little Creche Subang Jaya is all set to become a sought-after preschool and childcare centre in the Klang Valley. It is the latest of three branches, the other two being situated in Bukit Jalil. Kiddy123 recently took the opportunity to speak to the founder and her sister Lishanne to learn more about this preschool which many families have come to know and love.

Little Creche is far from the standard preschool we know all too well of, where students are fed information by merely listening to their teacher who stands by the writing board. Everything about this preschool is unique, including its name, which holds the meaning of a nursery, or a place to care for little ones while their parents are at work. The teaching approach adopted by Little Creche is also quite special, and is exceptionally relevant in delivering the learning needs of young ones today.

Embracing hands-on, experiential learning

“We believe that the traditional preschool style of teaching, where the teachers speak at the front of the class and the students just listen and absorb the information, is outdated. Instead, our focus is on child-led activities and experiential learning, which allows little ones to experience and understand certain activities themselves before proceeding to learn more about it,” Lishanne shared. This means that little ones get to experience learning and acquire their knowledge in hands-on ways, helping them with reasoning, critical thinking, analytical skills as well as problem-solving skills.

While academics is given due attention to help the little learners prepare for their primary school, there is also a lot of focus on character building to help ensure that these bright young ones grow and develop into well-mannered, kind, and emphatic individuals who know the values of compassion and selflessness. Other than being directly guided in these virtues by their teachers and staff, the activities curated for them also helps to instill great values into them alongside building good life habits and practices.

Both Ms Lianne and Ms Lishanne echoed the need for today’s young children to be more exposed to beneficial life practices, such as reading a book, for example. At Little Creche, it doesn’t matter if a child is still too young to read; the teachers will still hold up books for them to practice flipping through. Eventually, they will build a love for books and ask for one on their own. This is, of course, just one example of how Little Creche veers away from the traditional model of nursery care and preschool teaching, opting instead to leverage more on the true learning needs that matter to children today. Ultimately, the preschool aims to help little ones grow and develop into exemplary young people with amiable visions who are ready to take on the challenges their respective future holds.

Age-appropriate learning

Designating the little ones to their age-appropriate, small sized classes help them learn and develop at a comfortable pace. Little ones between the ages of 18 months and 3 years, for example, are grouped into Playgroup 1, where they will build and fine tune important motor skills. They will also have ample opportunity to work on their hand-eye coordination through curated activities.

Playgroup 2 caters for littles ones who are 3 years old, helping them with their gross motor skills as well as their communication skills. In this learning group, children are also guided to become better listeners and to follow instructions. Littles ones also will learn how to express their thoughts and communicate their needs.

Little Creche’s Pre-Kindergarten learning group is where 4-year-olds begin their basic academic syllabus. It’s also where they will get to sharpen their communication and social skills.

Kindergarten 1 is the class for 5-year-olds to be introduced to Pre-Primary learning programmes. Children will also start to work on their concentration, coordination, and problem-solving skills. They also learn to become more independent by performing simple tasks.

Children who are 6 years of age will be placed in Kindergarten 2, where they will be prepared for learning in a more structured classroom environment. Little Creche’s teaching methodologies are still practiced though, ensuring that lessons are kept fun and interesting, with minimal homework and without being overly academic.

Classrooms at Little Creche are kept small and manageable, allowing teachers to effectively deliver the curriculum and offer more personalised attention for the full benefit of their students.

Genuinely caring teachers who love their job

As we already know, a preschool may have the finest curriculum and top-notch facilities, but without great teachers, it won’t amount to much. Here at Little Creche, due attention is paid not just on the qualifications of teachers employed, but also their qualities they possess, such as a caring attitude, an amiable personality, and the passion to educate our youngest, brightest age groups. Teachers are also kept up to date with the latest teaching methodologies through thorough training and regular performance assessments.

Facilities to be reckoned with

Hydroponic garden being constructed, swimming pool, music room, kitchen, pantry, dining area, outdoor playground, outdoor fishpond, outdoor gardening, provisions for outdoor messy play, play gym, and more. One really outstanding feature of Little Creche has to be its special forest resource library. It is essentially a place where the little learners have kept the items they have collected from ‘nature’ such as leaves, twigs, flowers, rocks, etc. These items can be retrieved later for their arts and crafts lessons! Didn’t we say it was special?