Kate is halfway through her term at Gymnademics, which they have so generously sponsored us.
Here’s 6 reasons why we love this early childhood enrichment centre.
1) Physical component
I strongly feel that children should be allowed to do a lot of physical activity such as walking, running, climbing, balancing, and rolling from as young as possible. This will go a long way in aiding them to be more coordinated, and have better motor skills in future. And by allowing them to participate in rough and tumble activities, they will be less afraid of trying out new physical challenges as they grow up.
2) Musical component
Music can aid in brain functioning and learning to beat to the rhythm of music is important. Singing along will also help in language skills.
3) Holistic approach
Besides having a very strong physical component, they have the music component and the Glenn Doman intellectual component, so the body is developed as a whole.
4) Small class size
I like that they keep the classes small at a maximum of 9 children per class, because at this age, any more than that might be hard to control and could also be too stimulating or intimidating for the young child.
5) Attentive and caring staff
What really stands out at this centre is that the teachers put the kids first and really try to get to know the kids. When they are introducing an activity to the toddlers and Kate wanders around, they can remember who hasn’t been shown and they will seek out that child and present it to him or her. And last week, I called in at the last minute to say I wasn’t turning up as I was still unable to walk and they showed a lot of concern.
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| Very friendly teachers |
6) Reasonable replacement policy
Some parents forget to ask about this when they sign up, then when they have to miss some classes, they realise that it cannot be made up, so that means money down the drain. Here, they have a very reasonable make-up policy whereby parents have 14 weeks to complete the 10 sessions, so there’s a buffer just in case the child falls ill or something crops up. At this age, the kids are still quite unpredictable with illnesses, especially if they are also starting childcare or pre-nursery.
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| Ring, ring |
She is even able to follow what teacher Aly is doing and will clap her hands at the right time!
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| Enjoying herself! |
One thing she’s still not too keen on doing is the trapeze. The other kids absolutely love it and will squeal with delight. However, she prefers to watch and cheer them on as we all count “1,2,3,4,5!” And she will shout very loudly at the 5!
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| “That doesn’t look very safe to me” |
Today’s activity out of the mystery box is to teach them about table setting. The theme this week is “Our daily routine” where they will learn about sequencing and their routine.
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| “Eh, how come there’s no food?” |
We ended with a goodbye song where the kids are supposed to shake their tambourine but Kate is more interested in trying to get both her feet into it than to shake it to the beat. Oh well.
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| “Look at me!” |
Sane tip: For the first few lessons, I had to keep carrying her back into the centre where the action was happening. She didn’t quite understand what was happening and was busy exploring the whole studio. Now, she more or less knows where she’s supposed to go and what she’s supposed to do, although she’s still the top wanderer. Progress! Yay.
Save tip: The fees are $698 for a term of 10 sessions, but I’ll have to say that it is definitely value for money. The amount of background ie. the philosophy and the preparations, and the sheer number of activities they run through, plus follow up information for parents to re-enforce at home makes this a top-notch program for toddlers. Weekday classes are slightly cheaper at $658 per term*.
Parents can also try out a 4-session package for $298 (weekends) / $278 (weekdays) if they are not sure if their child will like it. However, the 4 sessions have to be completed over 4 straight weeks.
*Registration fee of $68 applies for all packages
For a glimpse of her first lesson, click here.
Gymnademics
Safra Toa Payoh
293 Toa Payoh Lorong 6
#02-01
Singapore 319387
Tel: 62590307
Disclaimer: Gymnademics has sponsored Kate a term of classes. All opinions are my own.