by on 20/02/2020 7121
What does the term pitter patter remind you of? For most of us, it probably brings to mind the image of little ones actively at play, happily learning, exploring, tinkering or perhaps getting into a bit of mischief here and there.
For many, Pitter Patter Early Learning Centre and Childcare is best known as the place where they can feel assured that their children from age 8 months to 6 years will be given a holistic trilingual (English, Mandarin and Bahasa) Play Based learning environment, that prepares them for any primary education choice of SK, SJKC or International School.
Pitter Patter was established in 2016 at Pacific Place, Ara Damansara, and is now located in a 2-storey spacious learning environment at D12-11 Dana 1 Commercial Centre at Ara Damansara.
Being a highly accountable and passionate individual when it comes to her obligations towards her Centre, especially towards her students as well as her educators, principal Cynthia, a mother of two, absolutely needed to be involved with all that is going on in her Centre. Hence, she made the difficult decision of consolidating her two Centres to one. This way “I get to see all my children everyday!” says Cynthia.
It can be said that the set-up of Pitter Patter itself speaks volume of Cynthia’s views above, and we meant that quite literally! As you enter Pitter Patter, at whichever angle you stand, you will be able to have a clear view of all the children. They have their respective learning areas, yet are not cut off from other classes. It is open and spacious, and they clearly get to integrate, learn and explore freely.
“Space is very important to us as we believe active children are happy children, and happy children learn the best, and are able to absorb information with ease and confidence. Active children learn to take risks and believe in their actions and ability and with that they will also be socially aware of their actions, people around them and their well-being”
“We believe that empowering our children with the self-confidence of “I Can” from a young toddler age will help create children’s self believe that they are capable of so many things as long as they give it a try” Cynthia continues.
Stepping into the Centre will definitely give you the true picture of how kids here enjoy their classes. We could not help but observe that every child seemed to be immersed into their lessons, with one group singing their version of the alphabet song at the top of their voice in glee. They were headed by an educator who seemed no less enthusiastic about singing along, with her head thrown back and all!
“Many are fearful with the term Play Based Learning” says Cynthia. Parents find themselves feeling very conflicted between the choices of ensuring their child has a happy place to learn, and caving in to the pressure of society to push their children academically with homework and rote learning so that they do not fall behind or be unprepared for primary school. Pitter Patter strives to give just the perfect balance for children. Children learn best when they get to tinker, explore, make mistakes and try again, in a safe place. Here at the School, educators and parents all play a crucial part in the children’s development and learning.
To quote the mom of a Pitter Patter Kindergarten Graduate Student’s who has been at Pitter Patter for 2 and a half years, “He didn’t want to leave at our first visit to Pitter Patter, and he wished School was open everyday even on Saturday and Sundays. At Graduation, he wrote “This School is amazing!”
A Thematic creative learning environment is carried out at Pitter Patter, where Cynthia and her team will discuss a theme before coming up with one together. The theme will take into consideration the educators’ observation on the children’s current topic of interest and also world topics. “We've had themes such as Sustainability, Space, as well as Ocean and Us, and the children get to connect them with related field trips for a more out-of-classroom experience and hands on learning. Field trips can be impromptu in a sense that whenever we come across something intriguing, and it can potentially expose our children to the different cultures and lessons of the world, we go for it!” Cynthia explains.
Infant Program. The programs at Pitter Patter are according to age groups, beginning from their Infant Program, for babies from the age of 8 months old onward. The program caters for the innate sensitivity babies have towards their environment, the very thing that makes them absorb and learn about everything that goes on around them. Even at this tender age, space to move around is a must, together with appropriate learning toys, and of course, the constant attention of loving caregivers.
Pre-Nursery Program. Pitter Patter’s Pre-Nursery class starts from 18 months up to 3 years old and focuses on children’s tendency towards play-inquiry, phonics and language awareness. Their learning environment matters, and here, they have access to the materials and resources they need to thrive cognitively while being exposed to subjects such as Math, Science, Knowledge of the World, Creative Arts and Mandarin. Through this ideal environment, little learners will be able to make connections and take in new concepts with ease while enjoying their days as children should, with fun and laughter. Lessons are kept interactive and interesting to keep little minds fascinated and thirsty to learn more.
Kindergarten Program. The Kindergarten program is for children between the ages of 4-6 years. As they gear up for primary school life, children at Pitter Patter are encouraged to seek understanding of the subjects they are taking in instead of merely memorising facts. They learn how to make sense of the information they gather along the way, and this is when they acquire better thinking as well as problem solving skills that will take them far in their schooling life and beyond. Cynthia is adamant that children will always need to see and feel this spaciousness to learn, grow and develop. “You simply cannot achieve the same results in closed, confined classrooms.”
Cynthia’s background and qualifications include a Bachelor of Psychology from Bemidji State University in the USA. However, it was a Montessori practical training in Houston Texas that provided her the real hands on experience with infants and toddlers, after which she received her Montessori Infant Toddler Training Cert in 2008. The very next year, she pursued her love for working with children by joining Speech and Drama School, Julia Gabriel in Kuala Lumpur. Cynthia has also managed The Curious Academy (a well-known enrichment programme that centres around the early childhood teaching philosophy of Glenn Doman), and has also worked with the Australian Hi-5 education facilitators, assisting in the setting up of its learning curriculum.
After all the aforementioned experiences, Cynthia’s unwavering love for early childhood education prompted her to set up the Pitter Patter Preschool, a holistic trilingual learning environment that prepares a child for the 21st Century education.
All educators at Pitter Patter are degree graduates from a variety of fields such as social work, Islamic early education, nursing, psychology and of course, early childhood education as well. “When you work with children, team dynamics and support are KEYS to a fun, safe and great working and learning environment for both children and educators. All our interview candidates will spend time with my existing team and I get my team’s input on the candidates before moving forward together. This way we all get a say and contribute to the growth of Pitter Patter and together we create a great working environment. We are all very close and supportive of one another and I’m very blessed to have such committed and long-term educators in my team”
If you’re wondering what happens during a tantrum or a breakdown, there are no timeouts or other forms of ‘punishments’ carried out. “I don’t feel it’s the best way to handle things with children. Shunning a child away when they need you the most, is just not the right way to help them regulate their emotions and feelings. Instead, I’d rather sit with a child who is having a difficult time, and wait for him or her to calm down and then we can calmly talk about whatever that made them sad, upset or frustrated. This is what I teach my educators to do too in situations such as these and it seems to work the best each time,” Cynthia revealed.
One notable difference you’d surely notice about the little ones here at Pitter Patter is that they are not in uniforms! Cynthia admits that this principle of hers has gotten mixed reactions among parents but at the end, she is convinced that children too need to be given choices in their lives - and one of them, surely, should be what they want to wear each day!
“Not having uniform does not mean that a child is learning less or is not learning at all. They’ll have plenty of time to conform to the rules of uniform and such when they enter formal schooling, but while they’re here, why not let them show off their personal style in clothing choices and while they’re at it, perhaps they can even learn how to pick suitable clothes to put on? From where I’m standing, it’s also such a joy to hear a little one say to his or her friend, “Hey, I like what you’re wearing,” or, “You look really nice!” the cheerful and youthful principal concluded with a smile.
It’s evident that Pitter Patter has set itself apart when it comes to providing a wonderful space for children to learn, play and ask questions. It’s also refreshing to find that there are individuals such as Cynthia who still sees the value of basic requirements such as space, active learning, and the importance of freedom and play in early childhood development.
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