Shaws Winning Play-based Preschool Curriculum

Learn why Shaws unique play-based system works for your child from 18 months to 6 years!

What is a Play-Based Curriculum for Preschool

Curious to know how a successful Play-Based Curriculum for a preschool works?

The secret lies in our ShawsPlay Curriculum! We mix in a little bit of inquiry-based learning, a healthy dose of play, and a whole lot of fun, giving your children the freedom to explore and learn on their own.

So what’s the secret?

It’s simple—when learning becomes enjoyable, children naturally develop a thirst for knowledge, often without realising that they are actively learning. As a result, they grow into confident, resilient individuals fully prepared to tackle the challenges of the world.

And the best part? They’ll be academically prepared while learning important skills for life — all while playing in our fun and stimulating preschool environment.

Features of Shaws’ Play-Based Core Curriculum

The aim of the Shaws’ Play-Based Curriculum is to prepare children academically while equipping them with important life skills. With this in mind, our curriculum focuses on three key components: making learning fun through play-based learning; building essential life skills; and cultivating executive functions. Learn what these are here.

Play-Based Learning

Can your kids have fun while they learn? Yes they can, and they should! At Shaws, your kids will explore, create, and discover new things on their own terms. It’s a great way to boost creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving skills, all while having a blast.

Essential Life Skills

Essential life skills like communication, self-care, problem-solving and social skills are important building blocks to becoming successful adults. They help your child navigate the world and build a strong foundation for their future.

Executive Function

At Shaws, we develop your children’s executive functions skills through fun, interactive activities. These help our preschoolers to develop focus, self-control, time management, planning and other higher functioning skills that serve them well for years to come.

The 5 Major Learning Areas in ShawsPlay Curriculum

Our play-based preschool curriculum has two main objectives: academics and essential life skills. We cover the basics like ABCs and 123s while teaching resilience, kindness, self-care, and social interaction. Our curriculum provides a solid academic foundation and practical skills to navigate the world. Our ShawsPlay curriculum integrates the 5 major learning areas with inquiry-based learning, offering diverse learning experiences. This builds a strong academic foundation and fosters important life skills like resilience, kindness, and self-regulation. These skills are essential for navigating daily life.

Literacy

Our progressive English classes build strong reading and writing skills by K2, while our bilingual curriculum fosters a love for Mandarin.

Here, literacy is part of our children’s everyday life — witness the delight in their eyes as they document the growth of their caterpillar, or marvel at how mushrooms grow in the dark.

Mathematics

Can your preschooler have fun with numbers? At Shaws, we place your child in real-life scenarios to learn and apply basic maths concepts through play!

Through play, the children understand maths concepts, and not rote learn them. This strong foundation takes them through the primary school years and beyond.

Science (and the world around us)

Our play-based science curriculum sparks curiosity and nurtures young minds. Through hands-on activities, experiments, and games, we foster a love for science and encourage critical thinking. Children explore, question, and make discoveries, developing problem-solving skills.

Arts and Creativity

At Shaws, we celebrate arts and creativity by encouraging self-expression and imagination. Children explore and engage in diverse art forms that encourage unique ideas and creative thinking. With the freedom to experiment while letting their imaginations soar, we nurture in them a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

Sports

Children learn best through active play. We partner with Shaws Little League to provide sports coaching twice a week to teach your child sports skills while nurturing intrinsic values like teamwork, resilience, communication and discipline in a safe, fun and educational environment.

Features of Our Progressive Play-Based Curriculum

Our progressive ShawsPlay curriculum seamlessly progresses from Pre-Nursery to Kindergarten, supported by dedicated teachers who help our children thrive through age-appropriate activities.

Alongside this scaffolded approach, our curriculum incorporates elements such as Sensory Play, Water Play, Code Play, S.T.E.A.M, Messy Play, and outdoor learning. Such enriching experiences enhances children’s learning, fosters their holistic development, and prepares them for a successful educational journey.

Got a question about our ShawsPlay Curriculum? Our team is more than happy to provide you with more information and answer any questions.

ShawsPlay Club

Our ShawsPlay Curriculum further includes ShawsPlay Club – a holistic learning syllabus designed to equip your child with vital life skills. Your children will cook like little chefs, create works of art (Shaws Art), pick up specialised sports, participate in speech and drama, learn to swim (Serangoon Campuses), develop programming skills (Code Play) and much more! Have a look at its components below.

Outdoor Learning

At Shaws, we are blessed with wonderful outdoor environments where our children can thrive. Our outdoor gardens, herb gardens, butterfly gardens and playgrounds encourage our kids to independently develop their literacy, social and cognitive skills.

S.T.E.A.M

S.T.E.A.M stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. Integrated into our play-based curriculum. S.T.E.A.M. encourages your child to ask questions like a Scientist, build like a Technologist, solve problems like an Engineer, create and express like an Artist and analyse like a Mathematician!

Earth Ambassadors

Protecting the Earth is a responsibility that transcends age; every child at Shaws is an Earth ambassador. Your child will learn about environmental concepts such as conservation through our inquiry-based units of study each term and apply them.

Sports-based Play

Replace screen time with outdoor playtime! Yes, more sports! Expert coaches from Shaws Little League will help your child love sports like soccer, rugby, basketball, baseball, hockey, volleyball, golf and athletics.

Code Play

Our in-house play-based coding programme actively engages your child with problem-solving games. We use screen-free tech toys such as wonderbug, bee bot and dash. No screen time is involved for the N2 and K1 children, with limited exposure for K2.

Sensory Play

Heighten your child’s five senses through our sensory play programme! They will be exposed to activities that stimulate their senses. This helps them to develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, linguistically, creatively, and physically as they explore the world.

Water Play/ Messy Play

Let’s get dirty! Our children enjoy learning with water, mud and paints. Through these activities, they learn motor skills, literacy skills, mathematics skills and so much more.

PS — Our children look forward to these daily activities; they are all included in the school fees, with no additional cost!

Got a question about our ShawsPlay Curriculum? Our team is more than happy to provide you with more information and answer any questions.

Why Play Based Learning?

There is an enormous amount of research that says children learn best through play. And Shaws has applied play-based learning to shape young minds for the past 35 years, continuously improving our ShawsPlay curriculum while we do so. With over thousands of graduates that have left our doors, we take pride in the positive impact our curriculum has made on the development and achievements of our Shaws children.

Our play-based curriculum encourages critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills while encouraging self-paced learning, interest exploration, and confidence-building for your child. Have a look at some of these benefits below.

Raise Confidence

Shaws children are known for being confident children. They are not afraid to try new things, and are not afraid to fail. Through carefully planned activities in the classroom, and on the sports field, they are encouraged to strive higher and empowered to go further, boosting their courage and initiative.

Build Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Play offers opportunities for your child to encounter, explore and overcome obstacles. This is because they have to figure things out for themselves, and keep trying until they get the answer. Carrying out simple tasks like using building blocks to complex ones like researching a topic in a group sharpens their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Improve Knowledge Retention

Confucius once said, “I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.” Studies have shown a correlation between hands-on learning and the ability to recall the teaching. Our play-based curriculum ensures your child will understand concepts from a fundamental level rather than memorize them. This gives them a strong foundation for later education, particularly in maths.

Foster Teamwork

In our play-based setting, children have the opportunity to work with their peers towards a shared objective. This promotes the development of critical qualities of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Social Intelligence, including patience, emotional self-management, persistence, and effective communication.

Develop Motivation and Grit

Resilience is the ability to bounce back after setbacks. Through play-based activities, children are encouraged to figure things out. If they don’t get it the first time, they have to keep trying. Over time, they will build up their grit, determination and resilience.

Develop Love for Learning

We cultivate a love for learning through our carefully designed curriculum, nurturing curiosity while sparking joy. Through play, exploration, and hands-on experiences, we create a supportive environment where children embrace challenges and explore their interests. Our focus on developing a love for learning empowers lifelong learners on a journey of endless growth.

Got a question about our ShawsPlay Curriculum — be it on our methods of teaching or any others? Our Curriculum Specialists are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

How Shaws’ Play-Based Curriculum Works

In our play-based curriculum, we use a variety of methods to facilitate learning and engagement.

Inside the classroom, we create a stimulating environment where children can explore, discover, and interact with educational materials. They develop essential social and cognitive skills through interactive lessons and group activities.

Beyond the classroom, we embrace the power of outdoor learning, providing opportunities for children to connect with nature, engage in physical activities, and experience the world around them firsthand.

Additionally, we emphasise hands-on experiential learning, allowing children to actively participate in experiments, projects, and practical tasks. This approach fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

By combining in-class learning, outdoor exploration, and hands-on experiences, we create a well-rounded and dynamic learning environment that nurtures the holistic development of each child.

Key Pillars of Shaws’ Play-Based Curriculum

Curious to know what your children will learn at Shaws? Here’s a sample of what they’ll learn at different ages.

18 months to 3 years old

At Shaws, your children at this early age will be exposed to letters and their associated sounds in a fun way through LetterLand, rhymes, games and other play-led learning activities. Your children will also start to acquire pre-reading, pre-writing and problem-solving skills.

3 years old to 5 years old

Your children at this age are ready for a more complex understanding of numbers. They will learn sounds, word families and consonant blends under our phonics programme and embark on creative writing. In-depth Mother tongue lessons are also introduced, with basic writing skills. Learning experiences outside the school environment will also be introduced through excursions.

5 years old to 6 years old

Being more mature and a faster learner, your children are now introduced to concepts like division, multiplication, story sums, compositions, penmanship and reading at a higher level. Beyond that, they will work on projects and be equipped with more advanced life skills classes to prepare them for further education and life in general.

Starting preschool is a pretty big deal for both your child and you. To help you and your child to prepare for this big and new step, download our Shaws Preschool guide for parents.

Take a Sneak Peek Into Our Play-Based Facilities and Curriculum

Curious to know what our play-based campuses look like? Watch our videos to find out.

Nutritional Yummy Diets that Your Kids Will Love

Your child needs the right nutritionally balanced diet to thrive. To ensure that, all our meals are cooked in-house in our Shaws Kitchen. The kitchen is led by Head Cook, Aunty Yan, who has provided supervision over the production of food in Shaws for over 20 years.

No processed food

No pork

No beef

Vegetarian and No-Salt options are available upon request

Nutritionally balanced

Parents are welcome to pack your own food for your child.

What A Day is Like in Shaws

Curious to know what a day is like in a preschool with a play based curriculum? Check out our program calendar below!

Time: 8:30am to 5:30pm (We are open from 7am to 7pm)

Meals Provided: Morning snack + Lunch + Afternoon Snack (Breakfast served for children who arrive before 8am)

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
8:00am – 8:30am Outdoor Play Outdoor Play Outdoor Play Outdoor Play Outdoor Play
8:30am – 9:00am Morning Circle & Show and tell Morning Circle & Newsboard Morning Circle & Topical Discussions Morning Circle & Topical Discussions Morning Circle & Sensory Activities
9:00am – 9:20am Morning Snack
9:20am – 10:30am Letterland / Literacy (English) Literacy / Readers / Spelling (English) Mathematics Inquiry-Based Curriculum (English) Inquiry-Based Curriculum (English)
10:30am – 11:00am Shaws Little League Sport Outdoor Play Shaw Little League Sport Outdoor Play / Water Play Outdoor Play
11:00am – 11:20am Music Drama Music Drama Music
11:20am – 12:30pm Inquiry-Based Curriculum (Chinese) Inquiry-Based Curriculum (Chinese) Language & Literacy (Chinese) Language & Literacy (Chinese) Language & Literacy (Chinese)
12:30pm – 12:40pm Music & Movement
12:40pm – 1:30pm Lunch & Quiet time
1:30pm – 2:00pm Outdoor Play
2:00pm – 3:00pm SHAWS PLAY CLUB
(exciting activities lanned for your child – ask us for more details)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Afternoon Snack
3:30pm – 4:30pm S.T.E.A.M Fun with Chinese Literacy & Practical Life Fun with Chinese Maths
4:30pm – 5:30pm Outdoor Play
5:30pm – 7:00pm Indoor Play
MONDAY
8:00am – 8:30am Outdoor Play
8:30am – 9:00am Morning Circle & Show and tell
9:00am – 9:20am Morning Snack
9:20am – 10:30am Letterland / Literacy (English)
10:30am – 11:00am Shaws Little League Sport
11:00am – 11:20am Music
11:20am – 12:30pm Inquiry-Based Curriculum (Chinese)
12:30pm – 12:40pm Music & Movement
12:40pm – 1:30pm Lunch & Quiet time
1:30pm – 2:00pm Outdoor Play
2:00pm – 3:00pm SHAWS PLAY CLUB
(exciting activities lanned for your child – ask us for more details)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Afternoon Snack
3:30pm – 4:30pm S.T.E.A.M
4:30pm – 5:30pm Outdoor Play
5:30pm – 7:00pm Indoor Play
TUESDAY
8:00am – 8:30am Outdoor Play
8:30am – 9:00am Morning Circle & Newsboard
9:00am – 9:20am Morning Snack
9:20am – 10:30am Literacy / Readers / Spelling (English)
10:30am – 11:00am Outdoor Play
11:00am – 11:20am Drama
11:20am – 12:30pm Inquiry-Based Curriculum (Chinese)
12:30pm – 12:40pm Music & Movement
12:40pm – 1:30pm Lunch & Quiet time
1:30pm – 2:00pm Outdoor Play
2:00pm – 3:00pm SHAWS PLAY CLUB
(exciting activities lanned for your child – ask us for more details)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Afternoon Snack
3:30pm – 4:30pm Fun with Chinese
4:30pm – 5:30pm Outdoor Play
5:30pm – 7:00pm Indoor Play
WEDNESDAY
8:00am – 8:30am Outdoor Play
8:30am – 9:00am Morning Circle & Topical Discussions
9:00am – 9:20am Morning Snack
9:20am – 10:30am Mathematics
10:30am – 11:00am Shaw Little League Sport
11:00am – 11:20am Music
11:20am – 12:30pm Language & Literacy (Chinese)
12:30pm – 12:40pm Music & Movement
12:40pm – 1:30pm Lunch & Quiet time
1:30pm – 2:00pm Outdoor Play
2:00pm – 3:00pm SHAWS PLAY CLUB
(exciting activities lanned for your child – ask us for more details)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Afternoon Snack
3:30pm – 4:30pm Literacy & Practical Life
4:30pm – 5:30pm Outdoor Play
5:30pm – 7:00pm Indoor Play
THURSDAY
8:00am – 8:30am Outdoor Play
8:30am – 9:00am Morning Circle & Topical Discussions
9:00am – 9:20am Morning Snack
9:20am – 10:30am Inquiry-Based Curriculum (English)
10:30am – 11:00am Outdoor Play / Water Play
11:00am – 11:20am Drama
11:20am – 12:30pm Language & Literacy (Chinese)
12:30pm – 12:40pm Music & Movement
12:40pm – 1:30pm Lunch & Quiet time
1:30pm – 2:00pm Outdoor Play
2:00pm – 3:00pm SHAWS PLAY CLUB
(exciting activities lanned for your child – ask us for more details)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Afternoon Snack
3:30pm – 4:30pm Fun with Chinese
4:30pm – 5:30pm Outdoor Play
5:30pm – 7:00pm Indoor Play
FRIDAY
8:00am – 8:30am Outdoor Play
8:30am – 9:00am Morning Circle & Sensory Activities
9:00am – 9:20am Morning Snack
9:20am – 10:30am Inquiry-Based Curriculum (English)
10:30am – 11:00am Outdoor Play
11:00am – 11:20am Music
11:20am – 12:30pm Language & Literacy (Chinese)
12:30pm – 12:40pm Music & Movement
12:40pm – 1:30pm Lunch & Quiet time
1:30pm – 2:00pm Outdoor Play
2:00pm – 3:00pm SHAWS PLAY CLUB
(exciting activities lanned for your child – ask us for more details)
3:00pm – 3:30pm Afternoon Snack
3:30pm – 4:30pm Maths
4:30pm – 5:30pm Outdoor Play
5:30pm – 7:00pm Indoor Play

* Actual program varies for different campuses and age groups.
* Please request for a detailed timetable from the school.

Get The Latest Parents Tips and Resources

Sign up for an individualised tour in one of our learning through play preschools.

Submit An Enquiry

Our team is here to provide you with more information and answer any questions that you may have. Leave us a message in the form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.


Tweet
Share
Share
Pin