Fly on the Wall:
What exactly do preschoolers get up to all day? Teacher HANNAH CONNERS and her preschool students at Singapore American School explain.
Preschool life at SAS
8am: Arrival
“We say good morning and hello to our friends,” says Sara. As the buses arrive at Singapore American School, preschool children are greeted by their friends and teachers. Some children wait at the door to welcome friends, while others explore the classroom for something new to discover: a recycled space rocket, a rainbow beaming from a light projector, even a family of snails.
8.05am: Connection time
“Everybody comes to connection time,” says Loki. Thirty-two children, two teachers and two assistants come together to plan the day’s learning. They share stories, photos and videos and artefacts from the previous day, before planning their next project, be it launching a message-filled rocket or designing a rain robot to catch and reuse rainwater.
9.15am: Snack time
“We sit by our friends for a snack,” says Bekah. Outdoor snack time is a time for making connections. Children share stories from home, talk about school and ask questions about the world around them.
9.45am: Outdoor learning
“We like the slide and the bikes,” says Sasha with a smile. The outdoor learning environment welcomes big body movement and collaboration. Children build castles, ride bikes, cross the wobbly bridge, scale the climbing wall, dig for treasure in the sandpit and swing across the monkey bars.
10.15am: Story time
“We relax. We sit down. I bring a book,” says Xavi. The children cool down with water and their favourite books, like The Gruffalo and Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Some bring a special book from home to share with friends.
10.45am: Exploring time
“We are making a rain robot!” says Cheo excitedly. Preschool is rich with possibilities. Children paint on the giant tiled wall, join a clay workshop, build obstacle courses or erupt baking soda volcanoes. Others climb into the loft, retell stories with puppets or simply snuggle on the sofa with their favourite book.
12pm: Lunch
“We eat together. I like to sit with my friends,” says Raaghav. The children can have a picnic or sit with friends at tables as they eat lunch with their teachers.
12.25pm: Move and Groove
“I practice my moves!” says Felix as he grooves! Daily movement class is an opportunity for rhythmic activities and dramatic enactment, music and dance, games and guided discovery. Physical literacy and building a love for physical activity is paramount.
12.45pm: Chinese
“I sing songs with the food names in Chinese,” says Ziyi. Each day, children learn Chinese through songs, stories and practical experiences to develop spoken language skills and cultural competency.
1.05pm: Library on Wednesdays
“You get some books to take home,” says Liam. The library is a source of much joy, as the children share stories and borrow books to take home.
1.20pm: Goodbyes
“We say goodbye, and we walk to the bus,” says Grant. It’s time to depart, some children by bus and others with parents picking them up. Everyone heads home, eager to return the next day to see what new discoveries await.
The Singapore American School is at 40 Woodlands Street 41; note that schedules and timings can vary from day to day. 6363 3403 | sas.edu.sg