In order to enrol a child in a playgroup programme, it is not as simple as ABC - go to the school, register and sending and fetching the child from school. First and foremost, we as parents need to consider the following factors:
1. The reason for putting a child in a programme
2. The importance of enrolling the child in the programme
3. The type of programme that match the reason and importance
4. The location
5. The fees
6. The budget
7. Choice of programme/s that fits in the budget, location and reason.
With the above factors, let us look into what we intend to enrol ibn in:
1. Reason - Ibn verbal limitation and with some peers around him can expedite his limitation/s. According to the SLT, we are looking out for more sounds from him as a first steps to talking. In addition, it will help him develop social skills with others besides the family members. The output will show a vast difference from programme to programme.
2. Programme - Tumble Tots, Apple Tree, LittleSteps Playgroup Programmes. Out of these 3, Tumble Tots has a high rank for quality based on their success rate as mentioned by the principal.
3. Location - From nearest to furthest (LittleSteps, Tumble Tots, Apple Tree. We intend to either choose LittleSteps or Tumble Tots)
4. Fees - The most expensive to the affordable (Tumble Tots, Apple Tree, LittleSteps)
5. Budget - As long as the amount of Child Development Bonus of bint can cover the preschool education of both our children
6. I chose Tumble Tots due to its quality and so much matches the reason for putting ibn in school - allowing him to make more sounds as they adopts Letterland, a UK programme that emphasizes on the sounds of alphabet using characters rather than being able to recognise the letters in the alphabet. In addition, the location is neither far nor near, allowing me to so some physical walk daily. Despite the preference, we cannot use Child Development Account (CDA) for payment of fees :(. If we were to put ibn at Tumble Tots, it will be out of budget. Insya Allah the money from the CDA will be used for a quality early learning centre when ibn and bint turn 4 years which covers both ukhrawi and duniawi.
I am positive that ibn will eventually talk like other kids, now that he has produced more sounds and trying to say words and I really mean complicated, bombastic ones like "delivery van" and "big rig". Hence I decide that even if we were to put him in any other programme besides Tumble Tots, he will still be exposed to social skills, thus developing his verbal skills and at the same time overcoming stranger anxiety. Just the difference in quality output.
Ultimate decision will be in 2 weeks time - before November comes.
Dear readers, do put in your opinion if you are in our shoes. Thank you.
Ummu Mukhtaar
1 comment:
im not so sure about this cos its not time yet for me to be thinking abt Little Habib's school.
But what i know is Ive always wanted to put him in a early learning centre which focus on both duniawi and ukhrawi eh Yasmine@Frankels, Masjid Siglap play group and Masjis Aleem Siddiques playgroup.
its not that near as in walking distance, but both my Fathers have volunteered to fetch him to and fro.
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