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Putrajaya
may still be a new township, but that does not stop the largest chain of child
enrichment centres in the country, Smart Reader Kids® to
set up another centre in that new community. Established in May 2002, Smart
Reader Kids® Putrajaya has over 100 students under its care and owns the
reputation as one of the most prominent preschools in Putrajaya.
“Putrajaya is a huge neighborhood and there is a unique closeness among
the community. Though there are many other preschools around the area, we are
very happy that Smart Reader Kids® is the top preference among parents.
Word-of-mouth spreads and we have been receiving positive comments from the
parents about the Smart Reader Kids® programme, its Creative Teaching
Methodology and its environment,” said Normala Mohd Nasir, principal
of Smart Reader Kids® Putrajaya, who always has a strong passion in
caring and educating the young.
According to Normala, Early Childhood Education is an interesting field and
it also promises an exciting lifetime career. She also said that this is one
of the best careers for a woman, where there is a balance of time spent for
family and career.
“I always enjoy the moments being with the children. Everyday is a different
day at the centre. Each day is filled with fun and laughter. It makes us feel
younger as we constantly communicate with the kids at their level. I do not
experience much stress in dealing with the children. I believe that understanding
and responding to the children’s feelings and behaviour is the key to
open up their little minds and help them to realise their potential,” added
Normala, who attributes the success of the centre to all her dedicated teachers
and supportive parents.
Two six-year old students from Smart Reader Kids® Putrajaya came along
for this interview session. They share similar views and fun experiences of
growing up together with Smart Reader Kids® despite their differences
in background.
"...I believe that understanding and responding to
the children’s feelings
and behaviour is the key to open up their little minds and help them to realise
their potential."Sharing the same ambition of becoming a doctor
and the same interest in Mathematics, Shailinder Singh Mann and Nur Farah Shazana
bt Rashidi enjoy learning and mix well with other children in school. During
the interview, both children responded well and are able to converse fluently
in English and Bahasa Melayu. Shailinder, who likes reading, is very disciplined
and more focused academically. Nur Farah, on the other hand, is very active
and more extrovert as she enjoys stage performances, such as singing and dancing.
According to Noor Jan Mohamed Khan, supervisor of Smart Reader Kids® Putrajaya,
both children are always cheerful and she has no problems handling them in
school.
Parents nowadays are willing to send their children for preschool learning
because they feel that instead of leaving their children at home, it is more
beneficial to allow them to mingle around with other children in school where
they can play and learn in groups with proper guidance from qualified preschool
teachers. It is only through sending them to kindergarten that their social
skill and self-confidence can be cultivated and enhanced at an early age.
“We used to have a hyperactive child with us. As long as we understand
them and give them proper care and attention, there should not be much difficulty
in dealing with such kids. We had close rapport with the parents, which makes
it even easier to better understand and educate the child. The Smart Reader® Creative
Teaching Methodology actually helps this hyperactive child to learn well and
express better. The interactive activities in class further encourages him
to communicate with the other children,” relates Normala.
Normala also expressed that her personal satisfaction comes from her students’ progress
and achievements in every way. She is happy to know that most of her students
perform well in primary schools.
When asked on her future plans, Normala said that she would like to open another
Smart Reader Kids® centre to spread the Smart Reader Kids® fun
learning experience to other children. She hopes to combine both the childcare
and preschool programmes in one building - a one-stop centre equipped with
all sorts of facilities catered for the children.
Normala also expressed satisfaction with the ‘Smart’ Bacaan programme,
which introduces and provides a comprehensive and systematic Bahasa Melayu
reading programme. This programme, which uses the phonetic method, is arranged
into 6 different levels to match the children’s different levels of understanding,
learning, and development of the language. Similar to the Smart Reader® English
programme, ‘Smart’ Bacaan also adopts the Smart Reader® Creative
Teaching Methodology to ensure the young students understand lessons better
and at the same time, enjoy the programme. The main objective of the ‘Smart’ Bacaan
programme is to enhance the children’s reading skill, vocabulary and
their understanding of words, sentences and texts in Bahasa Melayu.
For more information, please call Smart Reader Kids® Putrajaya at 03-
8888 5767, Smart Line at 03- 2300 2555 or visit our website at www.smartreader.com.my.
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