“Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.” ~ Jess Lair, a former Montana State University professor.
The above quote indeed describes the significance of early education in children’s life. It is the best time to cultivate children’s broad spectrum of intelligence for the life-long benefits. It is the time when they socialize with their peers, receive humane treatment from their parents and educators, and don’t feel pressured to learn. Moreover, early childhood programs increase the likelihood of children graduating from high school, attending college, and becoming responsible young adults.
With the same thought, Emile Preschool aims to discover children’s potential and nurture them to their fullest of the various intelligence with the provision of quality learning experiences, exploration, engagement, environment, and empowerment.
With proven principles of teaching, the Preschool’s programs promote children’s various intelligence, including language and literacy, logical-mathematical, scientific, social understanding, art, body-kinetic, collaborative, and intrapersonal self-understanding.
A Versatile Management
Emile Preschool was established by NUS (Singapore National University) and former NTU (Nanyang Technological University) professors in 2017.
The Preschool’s founder, Dr. Pei-Wen Tzuo, holds a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education from Indiana University, Bloomington, in the US. She was a former assistant professor at the Nanyang Technology University (NTU) in Singapore and has served there for the last ten years. She has completed several early childhood education studies and has received over $2.54 million in research grants from MOE, NTU, and Singapore Millennium Foundation as a principal or co-investigator.
The Co-founder, Dr. Ke-Wei Huang, holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and an M.B.A. in Finance from National Taiwan University. He also received his M.Sc., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in Information Systems from the Stern School of Business at New York University. At present, Dr. Huang is a tenured associate professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and has won four awards for the same.
The Preschool’s Principal, Ms. Reina Tan holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the National Institute of Singapore, a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College Boston, and a Diploma of Leadership and Merit in Early Childhood Education from Ngee Ann Polytechnic Singapore.
She decided to join Emile Preschool after working as a lecturer in Early Childhood Education at a local polytechnic, educating the next generation of preschool teachers. Before that, she was one of the principals at the local kindergarten and led her team to win the Early
Childhood Innovation Award (Commendation) for a project that was carried out with the children.
Ms. Tan is a firm believer in preschools being children’s first experience away from their parents and home settings. She asserts, “At Emile Preschool, everyone is capable and competent; discoveries begin at Emile every day. We understand how young children develop and learn best. My team of passionate teachers promotes children’s development in language & literacy, numeracy, social & emotional, aesthetics, and creative expressions, motor skills, as well as the discovery of the world.”
Robust Three E-Pillars
Experiences, Exploration, and Engagement
With Experiences, Exploration, and Engagement at the core, the school creates learning experiences that are interactive and integrated. The programs include a balance of both teacher-guided and child-initiated activities that are engaging, explorative, and innovative. Every child’s enhanced learning experiences are built on the continuity between prior, current, and future learning.
Environment
At Emile, the learning environment allows a child to make self- discoveries through a supply of suitably selected learning tools and materials. Herein, teachers are the co-investigators in motivating and supporting every child’s active investigation of the learning environment.
Empowerment
Forming a strong partnership with parents, the school empowers every child’s potential by incorporating and cultivating his/her various intelligence. Children grow holistically in a collaboration between school, parents, and community.
Core Values
Research-Proven Approaches
The founders being university professors-research finders in neuroscience, psychology, education-foster in thinking, resolving problems, acquisition of knowledge, and building a strong motivation for learning from an early age.
Multiple Giftedness & Intelligence
The Preschool identifies, enhances, and nurtures all children’s abilities and gifts from their early years, using a range of research opportunities to build trust and improve their learning motivation.
Organic & Healthy Meals
Providing various well-balanced meals approved by a professional nutritionist for the children to thrive and grow.
A Safe & Conducive Environment
Counting environment as the third teacher, Emile provides an organized and inclusive classroom atmosphere and implement high-quality and trustworthy learning resources to open the first productive path to the future of children.
The Core Philosophy
With the belief that every child is a capable and competent learner, the school follows each child’s lead and ignites his/her inner spirit of learning. It lays the foundation of motivation in striving for learning excellence and attention to every child’s social and emotional needs, which lead to the success of character development.
The school adopts the philosophy of development and learning by constructivism and believes that each child can construct knowledge by engaging with the organized environment, the various types of materials, and the different people in the community.
The Preschool serves children via:
• Drawing upon the position of the Piagetian perspectives
• Adopting Vygotsky’s theory
• Believing in Dewey’s elaboration
• Translating Dewey’s beliefs
• Loving and transforming Montessori’s belief
• Adhering to Developmentally Appropriate Practices
• Integrated learning of the elements between Reggio Emilia and the project Approach
About the Curriculum and Learning Activities
The programs at Emile provide an array of learning opportunities in the fields of English language and literacy, Chinese language and literacy, speech and theatre, gymnastics, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and gifted education for children. The specialty of the big central stage at the Preschool trains future leaders by being subjected to insightful lessons in voice, acting, and achievement of various kinds. As a result, children’s confidence and speech and presenting skills have been nurtured and improved from a young age.
Through the specialty of STEAM and leadership programs, Emile:
• Cultivates children’s engaging minds in curiosity and striving for finding out answers
• Nurtures children’s independent ability to have various life-related skills
• Ensures children’s acquisition of concept and knowledge
• Promotes children’s thinking and innovation abilities
• Fosters children’s compassion to other people and the environment
Industry’s Trust
Emile Preschool believes in and advocates for Equality, Empowerment of children as Meaning Makers, Character Development, and Making Innovation for the environment. As such, the Preschool has won numerous awards. Some of these include:
• Winner of the ‘Research-Proven Effective Learning Programme’ by Young Parents Magazine for SG Parents’ Choice-2017-18
• Featured as ‘15 Spoil-Market Preschools in Singapore To Sign Your Child Up For In Advance’ by The Smart Local’
• Awarded as Top SME 500 Singapore company for 2019-2020 by Association of Trade & Commerce (Singapore)
• Featured as the 17 most acclaimed, best preschools in Singapore 2020
Future Sneak Peak
Moving forwards, the school envisions two routes to instil educational excellence in children. The first being the expansion to the upstairs of the building as there are more kids keen to enroll at Emile Preschool. Secondly, in terms of Syllabi, the Preschool plans to include more enrichment programs, such as the third language into the current bilingual program. Visit http://emilepreschool.com/wp/ to know more.
