At La Petite Ecole, the child is at the core of the learning process. To create ideal conditions for learning, this bilingual preschool offers tips & advice to parents through a weekly newsletter on specific aspects of child development and general well-being.
We all know that it takes a village to raise a child, so in order to better equip the community surrounding the child, La Petite Ecole organises regular Parents’ Coffee Talks on various topics and trains the entire pedagogical team all year long. Better understanding the child and his neurological, physical and emotional development is a prerequisite to effectively helping him grow into a happy individual.
How to guide the children in their discovery of the world without holding them back?
When a parent guides his child, awakening him to the world around, to its beauty, encouraging him to explore and discover, the parent also helps promote his pleasure to live and grow.
To instill in the child the desire to live by making him discover exciting aspects of life is a priceless treasure in his present and future life.
The child will then know how to live life with happiness by giving it sense despite any hardships.
The role of the adult is to guide, not to hinder, this precious power of life. This power disconcerts and frequently confuses, which then instills fear in the adult, and causes one to hold the child back.
Out of fear, many adults tell their child from a very young age: “Do not go. It’s dangerous”, “Be careful, you’ll fall!”. The curious child who wishes to explore would then be inhibited by the adult’s fear and eventually becomes a person with many fears.
On the contrary, if the adult tells him: “You can see it’s slippery, so go ahead but be careful”,
the child would be encouraged to undertake and overcome his fears, while being cautious. The words “go” and “pay attention”guide and support the child in his desire to explore by himself, excites him to discover and experience, while raising his awareness of the potential dangers.
Encouraging discovery from an early age helps the child become a thriving and enterprising adult.
From Maria Raphel Lamrani Alaoui
School Principal in Singapore and Pedagogical Director of the group La Petite Ecole
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Our recommended read to go further (FR): “Pour une enfance heureuse” by Dr Catherine Gueguen, Pediatrician (2015)
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La Petite Ecole Singapore
contact.singapore@lapetiteecole.asia / +65 6464 5134
