Kindergarten

Language of instruction

Our youngest learners in Nursery* (2 years of age) enjoy a unique bilingual environment with an English speaking teacher, and two Chinese speaking teaching assistants. Both languages are integrated into classroom activities, preparing children for our Pre-Kindergarten (3 years of age) dual language immersion model.

In Pre-Kindergarten, morning classes are conducted entirely in either English or Chinese, while afternoon classes are conducted in English only (providing full day students with a dual language immersion model where desired). From the age of four, students can either enter our English immersion programme with daily French or Chinese lessons, or our bilingual programme where students learn equally in both Chinese and English.

From August 2020, pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) will be offered as a full day programme only. Lakeside campus will offer a choice of Pre-K programmes: either English or Chinese-English bilingual, while the Tanjong Katong Pre-K programme will be offered in English only. 

An international curriculum

As one of Singapore's leading private kindergartens, we offer an engaging inquiry, play-based teaching approach grounded in research and best practice. Extensive studies show hands-on exploration solidifies concepts and understanding more concretely than rote learning.

Our Nursery programme is PYP inspired, and children learn as they engage in both teacher-guided and child-initiated exploratory, investigative and imaginative play. Our nursery curriculum focuses on developing children’s fundamental social, literacy and numeracy skills, as well as their fine and gross motor skills.

As children move into Pre-Kindergarten, they engage in topic-based learning commonly referred to as the Unit of Inquiry (UOI), and different subject areas are integrated as they explore a particular concept or topic. Students have dedicated literacy and numeracy lessons, and specialist teachers for Chinese and French. Physical education, art, music and drama are delivered by either a specialist or the homeroom teacher. Where possible, learning in these specialist areas links back to the overarching topic. Science and social studies are learnt exclusively in the context of the UOI.

Our STEAM programme supports students’ natural curiosity and creativity. Our kindergarten  students learn how to make connections across subject areas as they invent, analyse and explore concepts in STEAM.

Our Tanjong Katong (TK) Campus located in the east of Singapore, is smaller and more intimate and accommodates students 2 to 12 years of age. Classrooms for our youngest learners are warm, colourful, spacious and grouped together, ensuring a strong sense of community. Each classroom has direct access to our newly built Outdoor Discovery Centre. Other learning spaces include a library, amphitheatre, and STEAM makerspace.

About CIS’ Outdoor Discovery Centres

Our Outdoor Discovery Centres are used as an extension of our indoor classrooms and support learning in ways that extend far beyond a traditional playground. Our students love everything about these centres but some of the extra special features include a play fort, sound and herb garden, mud kitchen, natural tunnel, bike track and quiet and peaceful places for reflection.

Through playing with mud, water, sand and loose objects such as sticks, stones, mesh and rope, our students engage in imaginative and creative thinking while solving problems. They learn to calculate, measure, invent, estimate, specify, analyse, hypothesise and test theories, thereby developing their thinking, communication and research skills.

Our early-years teachers are passionate about the children in their care, and work to ensure they feel safe, valued, secure and happy in both our schools. In nursery and pre-kindergarten, parents are welcome to stay for the daily settling-in activities, allowing their child to adjust to the concept of separation and school life.

Our teachers communicate with parents every Friday via My.CIS (our parent portal) and we share important information through our advisories and weekly newsletters. Coffee mornings, assemblies, parent seminars and hands-on workshops are hosted regularly, while parent-teacher conferences are held three times a year to discuss each child’s progress. Student learning is documented in portfolios, and we issue detailed reports twice a year.

Our open door policy ensures parents are always able to meet with their child’s teachers at a mutually convenient time to discuss any concerns, ideas or questions they may have.