Pay more for pre-schools to get more?

Experts say elite schools offer marginal benefits over mainstream ones that have all the basics covered.

She could have easily afforded to send her daughter to a well-known pre-school costing $800 a month.

But senior corporate communications manager Karyn Low picked a pre-school in the heartland instead.

The fee: Just close to $300 a month after subsidy.

The 41-year-old enrolled her four-year-old daughter at My First Skool at the Bukit Batok Community Centre, a 10-minute walk from her flat.

Ms Low also has a 14-year-old son and a 22-month-old daughter.

"Paying less for a pre-school education doesn't mean its quality of education is any poorer than one that charges exorbitant fees," Ms Low said. "I've met the teachers and I find that they treat the students with a lot of love, care and concern. I am happy with the progress that my daughter is making."

She feels that sending a child to an elite pre-school doesn't mean that parents can wash their hands off their children's early learning.

"As parents, we have to play our part in educating our children. Not just reading and writing, but also about values and ethics," she said.

Not all mothers are as practical-minded as Ms Low. Earlier this week, parents queued overnight outside Nanyang Kindergarten, just to get their children on the waiting list for the 2013 intake.

It appears that they are willing to shell out $20,000 a year - the cost of a university education - on their children's pre-school learning.

Madam Tay Tse Ting, 35, enrolled her daughters, aged four and five, at the Montessori for Children. Her two-year-old son is in day care.

The homemaker pays about $5,000 per four-month term for each child for the extended programme, which runs from 8.15am to 3.30pm on weekdays.

She said that she likes the Montessori curriculum because "it allows our kids to grow and develop as an individual at their own pace".

But child development and early childhood experts here and abroad warn that parents who splurge on pre-school education for their kids may be wasting their money.

While pre-school is important to a child's development, high-end schools offer marginal benefits over mainstream ones that have all the basics covered.

A leading US expert, Dr Steve Barnett, told The New Paper in an e-mail interview: "Pre-schools vary dramatically in their goals and in their effectiveness... More spending is not a guarantee of more quality."

Instead, the co-director of the National Institute For Early Education Research (NIEER) said parents must assess for the best experience for their children.

"Reasonably effective pre-school programmes should be available along a fairly wide price range, with the differences being roughly comparable to the differences among cars.

Small differences

"Once you are buying a reasonably good car, the differences in performance from spending additional money maybe relatively small," he said.

Dr Barnett stressed that parents play a much bigger role on the child's development than the pre-school.

"But if the parents are already doing everything they can, then pre-school is the next most important investment," he said.

Other experts believe that reputation makes a difference - but up to a point.

In an e-mail reply, Dr Lawrence Schweinhart, president of the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation based in the US, said: "Higher-priced programmes can be of higher quality because they have more money to spend on quality.

"But it is also possible for programme providers to charge more without spending the additional dollars on characteristics of quality."

Singapore psychologist Mona Seet of Mind Matters Psychology Practice believes that there are benefits in attending a reputable pre-school.

But she cautioned that parents should not choose a pre-school based solely on reputation.

"A reputable pre-school that cannot match the child's needs may cause more harm than benefit," Ms Seet said.

Nevertheless, pre-school is crucial to the development of a child, the experts said.

Dr Barnett said: "Pre-school impacts cognitive and socio-emotional development.

"A strong pre-school programme can set a child on a self-reinforcing path of academic and social success. This pays off as an adult in higher earnings and a more successful personal life and better health."

Ms Seet said a child's learning at pre-school age "builds the foundation and equips the child with the necessary skills for more advanced learning in the schooling years".

She added: "The child may not consciously remember what has been taught, but the skills and concepts taught to them at this stage shapes their development and prepares them for more challenges later in life."

The experts also agree that quality of teachers and curriculum are the top considerations when choosing a pre-school. Other things include the teacher-student ratio, school environment and parent-teacher communication.

This article was first published in The New Paper

Ok, coming from Daddy and Mummy who sends me to MindChamps, this article may sound a little out of place, but Daddy believes that sending kids to pre-school is almost a given fact for parents now, since most Singaporeans can no longer afford the luxury of a single working parent with a full time mummy looking after plus educating the kids. So for those making a choice now and it is still not too late, Daddy says 'save your money and go spend it on something else more meaningful'

Mama's friends gathering

The festive season is always a good time to catch up with old friends and Mama's friends made a trip down to see her and of course Didi and me.

Playing with Claire

Presents!

Didi got a big play pen :)

'Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,
one fell down and broke his head,
mama called the doctor and the doctor said
no more monkeys jumping on the bed!'

Mama likes to sing this song with me and realising that our beds were not the best place for Didi to crawl and explore, Mama got Didi a big play pen that can fill both of us and still have room for lots of toys :)

We're so happy, thanks mama

Playtime Part II

Now Di Di is big enough to play in my bed too, hmm he seems to be eyeing my toys.. its ok, I am a nice Jie Jie and we would share all our toys as we grow up ok?

Playtime

My Didi is so cute right, he is also using a pacifier like me, but I am a big girl now and big girl don't use pacifiers anymore so Didi cannot use too haha

Happy Birthday to Me!

Daddy has been really busy over October and no photos and no posts but the house renovation is mainly completed and I have settled in my new house just in time for my birthday party! I am two years old today but when asked how old? I say 'Tuesday!' and everybody laughs..

There were balloons and goodie bags, a smiley face birthday cake (from ecreative) which I chose myself, and lots of presents for me! Thank you everybody!

I love fruits

I love eating all kinds of fruits and Papa says that's good! So apart from the 'common' apples and orangesPapa also exposes me to all sorts of other fruits, including some 'superfruits' which are supposed to have greater health benefits than other fruits. To Papa, 'superfruits' are just another marketing ploy to make people buy more such exotic fruits and at higher prices. Papa have never heard of any fruit being bad for anybody (except maybe durians and jackfruit, but that's a matter of taste) so, Papa believes in a varied diet of fruits and without saying one type of fruit is 'super' and another is 'not-so-super', it is good to know some fun facts about certain types of fruits and how fruits are good for you.


Kiwi: A single kiwi is said to supply more than the normal daily adult requirement of vitamin C.


Goji Berries (Wolfberries): It contains carotenoids that act as antioxidants to protect the retina of the eye.


Cranberries: It contains antioxidants(proanthocyanidins) that prevents or treats urinary tract infections. Also has anti-cancer properties


Avocado: It contains healthy monounsaturated fat, which has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.


Blueberry: It is said to be an anti-ageing superstar that is loaded with antioxidants to improve vision and brain function.


Dates: Rich source of Vitamin C, nutrients and energy. Also contains mineral such as iron, copper and magnesium, which boosts the immune system and promotes hair growth.

Making me and Didi hungry already...