Play Based Curriculum: Your Child’s Passport To Fun And Learning

For 18 months to 6 years old

Curriculum Overview

Our curriculum is one of the few play based curriculums in Singapore. We recognise that play is one of the most effective approaches for preschool children to learn and retain knowledge.

Benefits Of A Play Based Learning Curriculum

Raise Confidence: Your child’s confidence will be boosted when he is able to accomplish games during our play time. We progressively increase the difficulty of the activities to empower them and recognise every child’s progress to encourage them further.

Build Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills: Play provides many opportunities for your child to encounter, explore and solve obstacles. From tasks like building blocks to more complex ones such as performing a drama piece, your child will be put in scenarios to sharpen his 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.”. This idea has been proven by studies that have shown the correlation of hands-on learning and one’s ability to recall what he has learnt. Our play based curriculum ensures that your child will be doing rather than merely listening in his early childhood education at Shaws.

Groom Teamwork: Through our playgroups, your child will learn to work together with others to achieve a common goal. In doing so, they will pick up essential team skills such as patience, emotional self-regulation, perseverance and communication.

Develop Motivation: Innately, children love to play. By leveraging on this yearning and structuring the learning environment to focus on topics that they are interested in, your child will be highly motivated and actively involved in his own learning.

Core Curriculum

Literacy

We are known for our strong literacy program. Here at Shaws, we bring stories to life to ignite a sense of wonder, excitement and laughter to the children. There is never a dull moment in our reading and writing lessons. Through our progressive classes, your child will be able to read and write by K2.

Mathematics

We take a play based approach towards teaching maths. Your child will be placed in real life scenarios to learn and apply the basic math concepts. They will also be taught the reasons behind the math concepts. Shaws children have shown strong understanding of concepts compared to their peers.

Bilingualism

We know the importance of Mandarin so we introduce it to your child early in preschool where their potential to learn and absorb is enormous. Our team of qualified and professional Mandarin language teachers will provide your child with a strong foundation in the language to prepare him/her for primary school.

Sport

We provide sports coaching twice a week to teach your child new skills and nurture intrinsic values such as teamwork, resilience, communication, and discipline. Together with our partner Shaws Little League, your child will train and compete with other children in a safe, fun, and educational environment.

Curriculum Highlights

Code Play

We have developed a new program to teach your child how to code. It is a play based approach where we first engage them in problem solving games using fun and interesting tech toys such as wonderbug, bee bot, and dash. There will be no screen time involved for the N2 and K1 children and limited exposure for K2.

Earth Ambassadors

We believe that protecting our earth is a responsibility that transcends age. That is why at Shaws, every child is an earth ambassador. Earth-saving efforts and ideas pervade our yearly themes. Your child will learn about environmental concepts such as conservation through our inquiry-based units of study each term.

Sensory Play

In our sensory play programme, your children will be exposed to activities that will stimulate their senses to help them develop socially, emotionally, cognitively, linguistically, creatively and physically. We will heighten your children’s five senses, enabling them in exploring the world around them better.

S.T.E.A.M

S.T.E.A.M stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. The program will be integrated into our play based curriculum to enable 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.

Skills & Attributes Of A Shaws Learner

Our play based curriculum in Singapore goes beyond merely teaching your child head knowledge. We focus on equipping your child with life skills critical for success. Skills that will enable them to learn on their own rather than being spoon-fed. Skills that will make your child an overcomer rather that quitter in the face of setbacks. If these skills and attributes resonate with you, then our play based curriculum is definitely for you.

18 months to 3 years old

We expose children at this age to letters and their associated sounds in a fun way through Letter Land, rhymes, games and other activities where they learn through play. We also introduce pre-reading skills, pre-writing skills and problem solving skills to children of this age.

3 years old to 5 years old

At this age, we start to provide your child with a more complex understanding of numbers. They will also embark on creative writing and our phonics programme to learn sounds, word families and consonant blends. Our mother tongue lessons will go into more in-depth spoken and basic writing skills. And we will bring learning experiences outside the school environment through our excursions.

5 years old to 6 years old

Children at this stage are faster learners and more mature. Division, multiplication, penmanship, story sums, compositions and reading are carried out at a higher level. We also start to introduce project work and life skills classes to prepare them for further education and life in general.

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
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	Morning Circle	Morning Circle	Morning Circle and Storytime	Morning Circle and Storytime
9.00am – 9.10am	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack
9.10am – 10.10am	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum
10.10am – 10.50am	Shaws Little League Sport	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play or Water Play	Shaws Little League Sport	Outdoor Play
10.50am – 11.20am	Music	CodePlay	Drama	Music	Drama
11.20am – 12.20pm	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum
12.20pm – 12.45pm	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement
12.45pm – 1.00pm	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1.00pm – 1.30pm	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time
1.30pm – 2.00pm	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play
2.00pm – 3.00pm	Little Chefs	Art Club	Our Environment or Kids & Cash	Drama Club	Chinese Culture Club
3.00pm – 3.30pm	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack
3.30pm – 4.30pm	Chinese Music and Dance	Fun with Maths	Science and Cookery	Literacy and Practical Life	Chinese Speech and Drama
4.30pm – 5.30pm	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play
5.30pm – 7.00pm	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play

Time: 8.30am to 12.45pm
Meals Provided: Morning 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	Morning Circle	Morning Circle	Morning Circle and Storytime	Morning Circle and Storytime
9.00am – 9.10am	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack
9.10am – 10.10am	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum
10.10am – 10.50am	Shaws Little League Sport	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play or Water Play	Shaws Little League Sport	Outdoor Play
10.50am – 11.20am	Music	CodePlay	Drama	Music	Drama
11.20am – 12.20pm	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum
12.20pm – 12.35pm	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
12.35pm – 12.45pm	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement

Time: 8.30am to 3.20pm
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	Morning Circle	Morning Circle	Morning Circle and Storytime	Morning Circle and Storytime
9.00am – 9.10am	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack	Morning Snack
9.10am – 10.10am	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum	English Curriculum
10.10am – 10.50am	Shaws Little League Sport	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play or Water Play	Shaws Little League Sport	Outdoor Play
10.50am – 11.20am	Music	CodePlay	Drama	Music	Drama
11.20am – 12.20pm	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum	Chinese Language Curriculum
12.20pm – 12.45pm	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement	Closing Circle & Music and Movement
12.45pm – 1.00pm	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1.00pm – 1.30pm	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time	Shower and Quiet Time
1.30pm – 2.00pm	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play
2.00pm – 3.00pm	Little Chefs	Art Club	Our Environment or Kids & Cash	Drama Club	Chinese Culture Club
3.00pm – 3.30pm	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack

Time: 2.00pm to 5.30pm
Meals Provided: Afternoon Snack

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
2.00pm – 3.00pm	Little Chefs	Art Club	Our Environment or Kids & Cash	Drama Club	Chinese Culture Club
3.00pm – 3.30pm	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack	Afternoon Snack
3.30pm – 4.30pm	Chinese Music and Dance	Fun with Maths	Science and Cookery	Literacy and Practical Life	Chinese Speech and Drama
4.30pm – 5.30pm	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play	Outdoor Play
5.30pm – 7.00pm	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play	Indoor Free Play

2 Full days and 3 Half Days. Choices of the days must be fixed.

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

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Food

All meals are cooked in-house in our Shaws Kitchen. The kitchen is led by Head Cook, Aunty Alice, 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

Our Parents' Testimonials

We love the school's belief that life is an educational adventure, beyond just text books, and children learn more outdoors than indoors. We also really like the school campus - the beautiful quirky building and the playground. The teachers that Qaveri has had through the years have been outstanding. They’ve been equal partners with us (the parents) in developing our child into this well-rounded young lady she is today. We are also so pleased with the parents' community that has formed over the years.

Raj and Polly (Mountbatten Campus)
Parents of Qaveri

A few of our friends send their kids to Shaws and have only good things to say about this brand. We love that Shaws encourage outdoor play; kids in Singapore spend too much time being cooped up at home! Little League is also a big plus for us because Adam gets a gentle introduction to different forms of sports. Adam also looks forward to water play every Wednesday and show and tell every Monday. Lastly, the teachers are amazing! They are very approachable and know Adam very well. I am awed by how much energy they have.

Nabil and Priscilla (Lorong Chuan Campus)
Parents of Adam

We chose Shaws because their play based learning approach was inline with how we wanted to expose our child to education at an early age. We love that our son gets to do things like the evening play at the mud kitchen, something that we ourselves enjoyed as kids. Kobe loves Tuesdays because of Shaws Little League!

Arvind and Marina (Mountbatten Campus)
Parents of Kobe

We got a really positive vibe when we visited the school. The Lorong Chuan branch had just opened when we visited and only had a handful of students. But it already felt like a genuinely happy place, with kind, enthusiastic and warm teachers. It also ticked all the boxes for us, with a play-based curriculum, equal emphasis on English and Mandarin, good class sizes and lots of outdoor time. We are thrilled by how much Ellie loves going to school – she’s always upset when she’s ill and has to stay home. She loves her friends, her teachers and her coaches, and always runs off to play as soon as we get to school. She particularly looks forward to water play, sports and after-school swimming lessons.

Ben and Jolene (Lorong Chuan Campus)
Parents of Ellie

Children learn through play. Hands on education. The school focuses on the children’s interests. Bilingual school. Larger than average outside open play area. Multicultural environment. These are some of the reasons why we chose Shaws to be the preschool for our children. Our daughters love the variety of activities that the school has. Especially the show and tell and dress ups.

Marta and Jordi (Mountbatten Campus)
Parents of Martina and Mariona

The school was recommended to us by multiple parents when we moved to Singapore 2 years ago. The happy environment left deep impressions on our minds when we first visited the school. The teachers were friendly and lively! The way we saw them interacting with the young kids felt just right. We placed ourselves on the waitlist and were thrilled when we did get the slot! The school's focus on character based alphabets, the reputation of being the first play based preschool in Singapore and the actual attention to sports outside the classroom clinched it for us. Our child has been going there for close to a year now and we're pleased to see his growth and his happy face while going in! They love the show and tell sessions and sports time.

Megha and Avijit (Mountbatten Campus)
Parents of Abir

We liked that Shaws is truly a play based preschool. The small size of the Katong campus made it feel more intimate and this allowed us to get to know most of the teachers and children. We really like the sense of community that has been built at Shaws. We have a lovely community of staff, children and parents at Shaws and we are very grateful for them being present in our parenting journey. Thomas enjoys being with the teachers and learning from them because they are so caring and nurturing.

Chris and Rhonda (Katong Campus)
Parents of Thomas

I like how Shaws has a very homely feel. The school compound is in a house with an inviting garden and space for kids to run and play in the fresh air. The staff are also friendly, nurturing and invested in my children. Curriculum-wise, I like how there is a right balance between academia and sports, and encouraging the kids without mollycoddling them. My children enjoy the learning games, sports and cookery classes. They have grown close to their classmates and I feel that that can only happen in an environment which they feel happy and safe in.

Karen (Braddell Heights Campus)
Parents of Rebecca and Ben

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