Month: March 2021

Selecting the right school for your child can be challenging at the best of times, but if you live in a new city or country, the task can be made doubly difficult. You may need the school to be close to where you work, near transportation links such as the BTS or MRT, or perhaps you have other restrictions such as needing some requiring additional support for your child. These are all significant factors to consider before you have even considered the budget and language! As the leading international kindergarten in Bangkok, we appreciate parents’ problems when selecting a school for their child. We always take the time to meet parents in person and discuss what they want for their child and hope to allay any fears on concerns that they may have. Hopefully, if you are currently searching for a school for your child, this guide will give you a few pointers regarding the things you need to consider when making your choice. Location Bangkok is a sprawling city, and while transport links such as the BTS, MTR and even the expressways are excellent, central Bangkok can be incredibly congested. From our experience, we have found that parents usually want their child to attend a school that is relatively close to where they live or work and can be easily accessed and the start and end of the school day. You may have a radius from your home in mind, or you might want a school close to one of the mass transit stations. Whatever your criteria are, you should draw up a list of all the matching schools. The elimination process Some lists can contain literally dozens of options depending on how broad or narrow your criterion was. Of course, some of these schools won’t be appropriate due to the language or curriculum, while others may not have the facilities you feel would suit your child. While we always try to avoid the topic of cost, some schools may be beyond your means financially while others may not be to the standard that you require. There are many reasons why you may feel that some schools aren’t appropriate, and often gut feeling plays a part. Ideally, it would help if you tried to draw up a shortlist of three to five schools. Do your research Once you have drawn up your shortlist, it is worth starting your due diligence with most information readily available online. You may be looking to find out factual information such as exam grades, teacher turnover, and cost, but it is subjective information that you are trying to find out more often than not. For instance, are pupils and teachers happy at the school, are the facilities of a good standard, what is their attitude toward discipline and what is the communication like between the school and parents? These are all things that most parents want to know before they select which school their child should attend. One way to find out more subjective information is by talking to other parent and generally listening to word of mouth. Parents are usually quite happy to discuss their feelings about the school, and while you can expect that some views will be polarised, if you speak to a handful of individuals, you should get an accurate picture of what school life will be like. Once you have started to build up this picture, you can probably begin to draw up a final shortlist. Arrange a visit We would always recommend that you visit all of the schools that you are considering. Some parents prefer to go alone while others will take their son or daughter with them. Of course, this is down to personal preference, but for older children, we would recommend that they come along as their feedback could be vital. When you are at the school, you should visit at least one of the classrooms to get an impression of what lessons will be like. How many children are in the class, are there any teaching assistants present and are the children participating and interested in the lesson? If all of these questions are answered favourably, it is a very positive sign. Observing a break time will also give you a good indication of what life will be like. How do the children get on and play together, is there a strong adult presence watching the children and are there any organised activities they can take part in? Again, if the children appear happy, this would suggest that the same will be the case for your child. Facilities and school activities For younger children, particularly those of kindergarten age, the facilities and school activities will be important. Much of your child’s learning at this young age will be through play, so are there things that would grab your child’s interest. What equipment is available in the play areas and do the children go on any trips may be things you wish to consider. Engaging with a child and making learning fun is crucial at a young age and can influence their future attitude toward school. Generally, schools with better facilities and arrange more activities both in and out of regular school time help pupils develop emotionally and academically – things that will stand them in good stead for the future. Of course, the people in the school are the most important factor, but facilities and activities come a very close second. Parental involvement and flexibility Most parents want to play an active role in their child’s schooling, and most learning establishments actively encourage this. However, if a school tends to resist parental involvement, it may be a cause for concern. There should also be a fair amount of flexibility, especially for younger pupils. You will probably get a “vibe” for the school’s attitude when you visit, but it is worth discussing with other parents to get their opinions. Did you find our article interesting? We hope this article gave you some ideas about what

Communication skills are something that we all need throughout our lives, and as parents, helping our child develop these skills can be one of the most enjoyable experiences. Children learn by watching, absorbing and copying things that happen around them even from a very young age. It may be things that you say, something that you do or daily occurrences that they become familiar with. Even before a child can talk, they will communicate with you through their actions and as a parent, you quickly learn to understand them. As one of the top kindergartens in Bangkok, we appreciate the importance of excellent communication skills and encourage our pupils to communicate with their peers, teachers and others around them. We organise activities that involve communication and are designed to capture a student’s imagination and make learning fun. Of course, we appreciate that some children are more confident and outgoing than others and never make individuals feel pressured or uneasy communicating. If you would like to encourage your child to improve their communication skills, here are ten ideas that might help. 1. Talking about their day Often one of the easiest things to discuss with your child is what they have done at kindergarten or school. Inevitably, some children will be more forthcoming than others, but it is worth persevering with as you will find out more about your son or daughter’s friends and things they like or don’t like doing. These are other topics of conversation that you can have at another time and refer back to. If your child is particularly enthusiastic about something, you should try to keep them talking about it as long as possible, showing interest and asking questions. 2. Showing an interest in what they want to talk about One of the best ways to communicate with your child is to show an interest in something they are doing or want to talk about. Asking lots of questions is a great way to keep them talking but make sure that you listen to the answers. Children can pick up from an early age when someone isn’t listening, and just like adults, they find this frustrating and may result in them becoming more withdrawn. 3. Discussing what they have eaten Another non-intrusive topic of conversation is food. Most children have very clear ideas about the types of food that they like or don’t like. A good time to have this discussion would be around meal times as they will see the relevance, so they are perhaps more willing to talk. If they are preoccupied or distracted by something else such as watching TV or playing, this, like any other topic, could be quite challenging. 4. Classmates and teachers From a young age, children will start to develop opinions about their peers and teachers and are usually more than happy to share these opinions. It should be noted that kids do frequently fall out, so you shouldn’t become too concerned if they have fallen out with their “best” friend. Instead, listen to what they have to say and discuss things from the other person’s perspective. It can help them to develop emotionally, but it will also encourage prolonged communication. 5. Judging their emotions and feelings Talking about feelings can be quite difficult, and it can be even harder for children when they can’t communicate their emotions effectively. As a parent, you should recognise a noticeable change and try to talk about it with your child. It will probably involve asking lots of questions, but it can have endless benefits if they can engage with you. Care should be taken not to push some topics too much, and the timing of entering into these discussions is vital. 6. Reading stories together We often hear parents say that reading books to children is old fashioned, but we still believe that it plays a vital role in improving a child’s communication skills and developing their imagination. A skilled storyteller can bring a book to life, and your child can become encapsulated by the story. You must show enthusiasm when reading the story and avoid speaking in a monotone voice. Encourage your child to use their imagination and ask them their thoughts on key parts of the story. 7. Watch TV or play games together While reading is more beneficial, watching TV or playing games together certainly has its place. It is a way of bonding, and they will see that you share a common interest. Again, asking questions will be central to how successful this approach is, and if you are playing games, you should make sure you are enthusiastic but don’t get too competitive! 8. Visit the park Doing anything together is a fantastic way to build a bond with your child, which will always lead to naturally increased communication levels. One of the easiest things to do together is to visit the park as you will always see something new. Being outdoors is healthy for children, and the change of scenery will give you both something different to talk about, which will help extend their vocabulary – something that can be hard at home. 9. Scrapbook of their life Most children enjoy crafts, and creating a scrapbook of their life will help their communication skills whilst also giving something that they can look back on throughout their lives. The scrapbook can also be frequently referred back to, and you can discuss items or memories contained within it. It is an excellent tool to help with communication skills, especially among younger children. 10. Involve them in family discussions Although there are many topics that you wouldn’t discuss with children, there are equally as many which you can. Places to go or things to do can help them feel more involved and help boost their self-confidence and communication skills. It is something that works better with slightly older children but can be beneficial for all age groups. Did you find our article interesting? We hope this article gave you some