YCIS Educators Series - Early Childhood Education: A different voyage of learning, self-discovery and exploration

YCIS is proud to present an educational webinar that we partnered with SCMP, as part of our YCIS Educators series. Let’s hear from our Co-Principal and Educators, on the importance of play-based and child-centred learning to young children’s holistic development.

In the new era, early childhood education requires more interactive teaching and learning, as well as the use of technology. Children’s natural curiosity, learning and exploration, positive identity and character are effectively developed through play-based and child-centred learning environments.

In this video, you will gain a deeper understanding of:

• 21st Century Skills: YCIS equips children with critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills, with different means of technology. Our young learners have high adaptability to new technologies and challenges. 
  
  
• Education in the New Era: YCIS sees children as creative and engaged learners, pedagogies are no longer examination-driven. A play-based and child-centred approach combined with new technologies equips children for the future digital world’s challenges.
  
  
• Play-Based Learning: “Play” inspires children’s potential, liberates young children’s curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Learning is initiated and led by children on what interests them, while teachers support children’s play, and extend their learning.
  
  
• Importance of Play: When children play, they engage as scientists, mathematicians, problem solvers, etc. An uninterrupted play encourages children to learn and enable them to extend learning.
  
  
• Structured Play: Play supported by adults to extend learning. Under a play-based programme led by children, teachers strategically create opportunities for children to develop different skills by asking intentional questions to extend learning, broaden thinking, and help children become open-minded in their ideas.
  
  
• Unstructured Play: Play that is motivated by children’s interests and where children define and set rules for the plays. That is how teachers observe what children are interested in and what areas they can further develop skills and knowledge.
  
  
• E-Learning at YCIS: Children establish confidence and relationships over YCIS’s e-learning programme. Strong and close teacher-parent communications are also achieved. For example, the whiteboard function of Zoom helps develop early writing skills and attract children’s engagement. Voice notes and other functions also stimulate children’s curiosity and build close peer relationships.
  
  
• Home-School Partnership: The constant collaboration between school and families is essential in supporting young children. For example, YCIS provide webinars and blogs to help parents in their children’s home learning. The YCIS school app also facilitates home-school communications.
  
  
• Play-Based Learning at Home: Use as many open-ended materials as you can find that stimulate children’s creativity and critical thinking skills and help explore their ideas. For instance, a simple sensory game with dry oatmeal, paintbrushes and an old shower curtain would be great.