Inspire a world of good - Wheelock College
Research work with NIE (2019-2020)
Policies and Leadership in Early Childhood Education - Building the foundation of a successful mentoring program
Role: Researcher and Writer
Findings have stated that mentors may encounter barriers due to the many different roles they have with the mentees. Hence, it is crucial to select mentors and align mentees to ensure effective working relationships. For example, factors like age, gender, culture, race, language, and communication styles between the mentor and mentee working with each other.
Integrative Project - Effectiveness of Transition Program from Preschool to Primary School
Role: Researcher and Writer
The significance of this study contributes to investigate the role of the home-school-community nexus in the transition from preschool to primary school. This study contributes to the research database on home-school-community transition practices in the following ways: it adopts a mixed-method design, substantiating qualitative data through surveys and questionnaires. Focus group discussion and interviews will be conducted to construct a deeper understanding of the experience of the participants and interpret the meaning as well. Ultimately, this study aims to further encourage and advocate for high-quality practices of care and education in the early years.
Role: Researcher and Writer
Publications with AECES - Thirty Million Word Gap (Sept 2015)
Role: Researcher and Writer
Media Appearances
Featured in ECDA 2020 (#SGPreschoolsUnited)
Featured in ECDA's Beanstalk (April to June 2015)
Represented Lien Foundation on 938Live in April 2014
Synopsis: My experiences with children from disadvantaged families, literacy activities that promote language acquisition and development and having powerful interactions to promote early literacy
Represented Wheelock College Singapore (SIT) on 938Live in Oct 2014, Pictured with Ms Lavina Chong
Synopsis: Education, Discipline and inculcate a love for learning since young
Synopsis: My experiences with children from disadvantaged families, literacy activities that promote language acquisition and development and having powerful interactions to promote early literacy
Synopsis: Education, Discipline and inculcate a love for learning since young
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| Host for Dr Rebecca Bull's NIE SKIP Project (2015) |
Community Service
SuperHero Me Project [Lien Foundation] 2015
"Our children today are growing up amid rising expectations and complexity. Success is no longer dependent only on grades. What they need is a stronger sense of self. To know who they are, and where they want to go. Or, in other words, to find the superhero in themselves". - Mr Lee Poh Wah Description of the project
Superhero Me is a social initiative by Lien Foundation, in collaboration with In Merry Motion and Logue, held at the Plaza at the National Library Board in late June 2015. It is a value-based craft + play event as we advocate for play for children. Basically, we are telling children that superheros are making the world a better place and there is a superhero within us. We can make the world a better place by being resilient, kind, grateful, patient and respectful to one another.
Superhero Me is a social initiative by Lien Foundation, in collaboration with In Merry Motion and Logue, held at the Plaza at the National Library Board in late June 2015. It is a value-based craft + play event as we advocate for play for children. Basically, we are telling children that superheros are making the world a better place and there is a superhero within us. We can make the world a better place by being resilient, kind, grateful, patient and respectful to one another.
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| Sharing of the five values |
My Reflections
Play is the work of children, consisting of activities performed for self-amusement that have behavioural, social, and psychomotor rewards that come from within the individual child. It is both enjoyable and spontaneous. I strongly believe that early childhood educators in Singapore should implement child-directed play rather than teacher-directed play in preschools because play is critical to the overall well-being and holistic development of children. After all, children are "experts in their own play" (Kuh, 2014, p. 113). As educators, we have important roles to play. we have to be able to discern between what we can compromise and what we cannot. As an educator, are we going to sacrifice children's interest of learning because of external factors such as time consuming and lack of resources?
To end it off, I would like to quote Rita Pierson, "we are educators, we are born to make a difference." So, educators, children need you to be their champion. Show them that you will not give up on creating meaningful learning experiences for them, even if there are circumstances that restricts you.
References
Kuh, L. P. (2014). Thinking critically about environments for young children: Bridging theory and practice. New York: Teachers College Press.
Circle of Care Project 2014
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Literacy Activities with Circle of Care (Lien Foundation)
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Description of project
Circle of Care is a pilot model of childcare where educators, social workers, educational therapists and health professional to look after children's development in an integrated way. Accordingly to Mr Lee Poh Wah, CEO of Lien Foundation, "children are raised in poverty often lag behind their peers in social and intellectual development as they do not have equal access to the educational and developmental resources" (Lien Foundation, 2013, p. 1). Furthermore, under the supervision of Dr Khoo Kim Choo, an early childhood education pioneer and specialist, my colleague and myself created mini curriculum unit to improve children's language and literacy development and acquisition. Our mini curriculum units consists of good literature, phonics, music, drama. Activities were conducted in both large- and small-group.
My Reflections
Firstly, I truly learnt that children with diverse learning needs learn best in small groups and the role of teachers in facilitating in learning is vital. This is evident when we categorised children into small groups of five to six accordingly to their learning needs. We modified each lesson plan accordingly to the children's needs, interests and build natural conversations with them. Also, we read good books to children each lesson and performed descriptive vocabulary to inspire critical thinking and role modelling. I strongly believe that quality teaching happens through sensitivity, care and low teacher-child ratio.
Next, I learnt about the importance of parental involvement as a key component in the community of care around the child. To be honest, I am humbled by my teaching experiences with children from Care Corner, it taught us the relationship between family's wellbeing and the child's development. It impacted me to build strong, trusting relationships with parents. I believe in promoting a home-school partnership through take-home kits for each term, weekly updates in communication book and exchange of important information of the child regularly.
Lastly, learning environments are social environments and learners are highly complex beings whose emotions interact with their learning in powerful ways. Therefore, my team and I created a new, developmentally appropriate language and literacy corner to rejuvenate their classroom and to make them feel good about their classrooms.
All in all, our work aims to promote a leveled-playing field for children who are at-risk and to integrate them into the primary schools effectively.
Lastly, learning environments are social environments and learners are highly complex beings whose emotions interact with their learning in powerful ways. Therefore, my team and I created a new, developmentally appropriate language and literacy corner to rejuvenate their classroom and to make them feel good about their classrooms.
All in all, our work aims to promote a leveled-playing field for children who are at-risk and to integrate them into the primary schools effectively.
Lien Foundation. (2013). Circle of Care Singapore’s first ever holistic childcare and preschool education model that combines social work, learning support, health services and parental involvement . Retrieved from http://www.lienfoundation.org/pdf/news/2013/Circle of Care Press Release Final 23 Feb.pdf