"I Don't Want To Go To School!" - How Playgroup Can Help

"Salam Teacher Effa.  Good news! Wafeeq will start kindergarten this April.  Alhamdulillah, he is no longer afraid of going to school.  Thank you!"

Wafeeq was once enrolled to a kindergarten near his house. But it only lasted for a few days.  He was not cooperating and was not happy there.   The mother called me up and asked for my opinion.

I suggested her to come for our ALIMKids Playgroup trial session.  During the session, he refused to participate in some of the activities.   Since I already knew of his situation, I did not force or push him to participate. I let him explore by himself and let him feel comfortable to be in the class. After the 1st session, he wanted to attend the next class. So, the mother decided to enroll him and his sister in my playgroup.

Alhamdulillah he improved a lot!  And this is the latest update from his mother. This is what we want.

Playgroups are not just about learning "academic" skills, but more importantly they learn social skills and this builds up their self-confidence.    Playgroups allow the children to explore their interest in a way that is fun and engaging.  Having the mother along also helps them feel secure and provides the mother an exclusive bonding time with the child.

Start with enrolling the children into ALIMKids Playgroup, then, insya Allah, the child will have no fear of going to kindergarten.

Teacher Effa with the children at ALIMKids Playgroup

Love,
Teacher Effa
ALIMKids Playgroup Instructor

Membina Keyakinan Diri Melalui ALIMKids Playgroup

Semalam berjumpa dengan seorang ibu. Dia ada anak berusia tiga tahun. Anaknya tinggal dengan Bibik semasa dia pergi kerja. Saya tanya, macam mana pergaulan anak dengan orang luar? Ibu itu berkata dia risau sbb anaknya amat pemalu bila berjumpa dengan orang yg tidak dikenali.

Saya cadangkan sertai ALIMKids Playgroup sbb anak-anak walaupun akan bergaul dgn rakan-rakan yg baru, mereka masih ada ibu bersama mereka semasa sessi playgroup, jadi mereka lebih yakin dan tidak merasakan mereka ditinggalkan berseorangan dengan orang yg tidak mereka kenali. Suasana ini membina keyakinan mereka untuk bermain sambil belajar bersama rakan sebaya yang lain.

Suasana di ALIMKids Playgroup - Ibu & Anak bermain bersama

Di sini saya kongsikan pengalaman beberapa orang ibu yg mempunyai anak yg pemalu berubah menjadi lebih yakin setelah menyertai playgroup.

- Fazriani Md Nor:
Imran menyertai ALIMKids Playgroup semasa berusia 4 tahun. Pada mulanya, dia menangis tak berenti sampai teacher Aisha terpaksa bawa dia keluar dan peluk dia sehingga berhenti menangis. Tetapi, setelah beberapa minggu, ayah dia cuma hantar ke kelas dan dia akan masuk tanpa perlu ditemanai ayahnya ataupun saya.

- Nur Zarizah Abdullah:
Saiyidah Nafisah…ingat…sampai modul 4 baru boleh ikut semua pergerakan tanpa segan silu…masa tu dia 2 tahun…tapi sekarang… perkembangan mindanya sangat memberansangkan…bukan sahaja mudah untuk diajar dan dibentuk…tapi sangat cepat dalam pelajaran… dia dapat membina logiknya dengan mudah…dah boleh membaca bahasa melayu bahasa inggeris dan sudah membaca Qiraati 4 diusia 4 tahun…saya memang berterima kasih dengan ALIMKids Playgroup.

- Yez Yusof :
Anak saudara saya, Iman semasa 2+ tahun dia cukup malas nak cakap sampai kami risau kemungkinan dia ada masalah percakapan. Kami daftarkan dia ke kelas ALIMKids Playgroup tahun lepas dan sekarang dia cakap tak berhenti-henti dan menyanyi juga.

Di atas: Iman, anak saudara Yez Yusuf

Jika anda risau anak anda pemalu atau takut dengan orang, cuba bawa dia ke playgroup kami untuk membiasakan diri bersama rakan sebaya dalam suasana yang ceria dan menyeronokan.

Tel: 03 8024 8864 (HQ) untuk info lanjut

Copyright Content: ALIM Consultancy & Resources 2012

Learning by Playing

A good article on why you should encourage PLAY in your children's activities:

Encourage Activity

It might look like just child's play, but toddlers are hard at work learning important physical skills as they gain muscle control, balance, and coordination. Each new skill lets them progress to the next one, building on a foundation that leads to more complicated physical tasks, such as jumping rope, kicking a ball on the run, or turning a cartwheel.

Toddlers always want to do more, which can motivate them to keep trying until they acquire a new skill, no matter what it takes.

Take advantage of your toddler's natural desire to keep moving. Even at this early age, kids establish patterns of activity that carry through the rest of childhood. So an active toddler is likely to remain active later.

Developing Skills

Playing and learning are completely natural for toddlers, so mastering the skills below should be fun and games for them. Parents should give toddlers many opportunities to practice their developing skills while providing supervision so they stay safe while they learn.

In addition to these physical accomplishments, toddlers are developing in other ways. Provide opportunities for yours to explore, ask questions, use his or her imagination, and practice fine motor skills, such as stacking blocks or coloring.

Older Toddler Skills (24-36 months)

• balances 1 to 2 seconds on one foot
• climbs well
• bends over easily without falling
• runs well
• kicks ball forward
• both feet on step, up and down stairs
• starts to pedal tricycle
• throws ball over head

How Much Activity Is Enough?

For children 12-36 months old, current National Association for Sports and Physical Education (NASPE) guidelines recommend this much daily activity:

• at least 30 minutes of structured physical activity (adult-led)
• at least 60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play)

As a general rule, toddlers shouldn't be inactive for more than 1 hour at a time, except for sleeping. That's a lot of work for parents and caregivers, but a lot of much-needed activity for toddlers.
Encourage your toddler to be active, and remember how much he or she is learning along the way.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2008

Also shared by Azurah here