September 2011

by Muneerah Bee Mohamad Iqbal
UPCOMING EVENTS AND CONFERENCES
Leadership Forum 2011: Policies that
Support Practice: Enhancing the Wellbeing for Young Children
Date: 27 Aug 2011, Saturday
Venue: Creative Technology Auditorium
The Association for Early Childhood Educators, Singapore (AECES)
and Creative O Preschoolers’ Bay are jointly organising a Leadership
Forum for early childhood administrators, principals, supervisors,
senior teachers, trainers, consultants and concerned parents. The
objective of this forum is to highlight policies in Early Childhood
Education from different countries that impact practice and provide
a platform for advocacy and dialogue on positive outcomes for all
children. The forum will be bilingual (Mandarin and English) with
simultaneous interpretation. For further information or enquiries,
please go to http://www.aeces.org/leadershipforum, or call AECES
at 6281 4989/ 6764 5528, or email info@aeces.org.
MCYS Child Care Seminar 2011
Date: 29 Sep 2011, Thursday
Venue: Suntec Singapore International Convention and
Exhibition Centre
The theme for this year’s Child Care Seminar is “Celebrating
Opportunities: Raising Professionalism in Early Years Development”.
Among the topics featured will be a special focus on the early
years, critical inquiry and reflective practices, leadership and good
employment practices, professional development and community
partnerships and more. As a prelude to the seminar, there will
be a 2-day pre-seminar Learning Journey to various educational
settings and community agencies culminating in Learning Circles,
for participants to share their experiences with and learn from one
another.
The MCYS Child Care Awards will also be held in conjunction with
the Child Care Seminar to honour and recognise the contributions of
outstanding child care teachers, leaders, employers and innovative
practices in child care centres.
For more information about the seminar and the Child Care Awards,
please go to www.childcarelink.gov.sg and www.cdn.gov.sg.
NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo
Date: 2-5 Nov 2011
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
Website: http://www.naeyc.org/conference/
Spotlight on Action Research:
The Impact of Background
Music in Developing
Toddlers’ Language and
Literacy Skills
by Kinderland Educare Services
Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early
Childhood Development
Date: 8 – 10 Nov 2011
Venue: NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018989
The Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) will
be organizing a conference on “Early Experiences Matter: Policies
and practices for ensuring holistic development for very young
children.” Please go to www.arnec.net/singaporeconference 2011
for more information.
Zero to Three 26th National Training
Institute
Date: 9-11 Dec 2011 (Pre-institute starts on 8 Dec 2011)
Location: Washington D.C., USA
Website: http://www.zttnticonference.org/
Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Major-General (NS) Chan Chun Sing receiving a
token of appreciation from the students.
On 1 June 2011, the teachers and students
at NTUC First Campus Co-operative
Limited’s My First Skool at Block 192
along Toa Payoh Lorong 4 welcomed a
special guest to the child care centre. Acting
Minister for Community Development,
Youth and Sports Major-General Chan Chun
Sing paid the centre a visit in the afternoon
and took his time to speak to the students,
teachers and parents there.
“I’m most impressed by
the passion of the teachers
here. As you can see, the
environment that they are
working in required a lot of
patience, innovation and
drive…I would want to affirm
the good work that they have
done over all these years.”
upgrade itself so that we can get a higher
standard of teaching and care for the people
who subscribe to the service.
To attract quality manpower into the
sector, Minister Chan will explore looking
at alternative ways and new sources of
manpower such as employing part-time
educators “to be the auxiliary help”. This
has been the practice for NTUC First
Campus which has a pool of about 300
relief teachers who have been trained and
Acknowledging the manpower challenges
Acting Minister for Community
carefully selected. The other strategy is
in the Early Childhood Care and Education
Development, Youth and Sports
sector, Minister Chan shared that his Major-General (NS) Chan Chun Sing encouraging those making a mid-career
switch to join the child care profession. NTUC
Ministry together with the rest of the
First Campus Chief Executive Officer Chan
Government will be looking into addressing
Tee Seng said: “I think we have been able to attract a group
the challenge in attracting quality teachers and caregivers
of mid-careerists in their late 20s and early 30s who realized
in the sector.
later in life that they actually wanted to do something different
and more meaningful. So we hope to be able to continue to
He said: “We will be giving out more than 800 training
attract that pool of people.”
awards and scholarships over the next few years to upgrade
the skills of the teachers and the caregivers in this sector.
First published in NTUC This Week, 10/6/2011 issue, by NTUC
At the same time, we will be spending $12-$15 million on
Media Co-operative Ltd. Reproduced with permission.
training in the next two to three years to help the sector
Contact Us
We would love to hear from you! If you have any feedback or wish to contribute to this newsletter, please email us at
MCYS_CDN@mcys.gov.sg, or visit our website at www.cdn.gov.sg.
Editorial Team: Dr Chan Lin Ho, Dr Khoo Kim Choo (Advisor), Ms Angela Anthony, Ms Maria Mahat, Ms Michelle Inami
In Kinderland’s curriculum, music has
always played an important role. In fact,
several studies from overseas have
shown that music can be a very powerful
vehicle in steering children’s development
(Parr, Radford and Snyder, 1998; Feeney,
Christensen and Moravcik, 2006; Raisner,
2002; Clouser, 2001).
Background of research project
In 2009, eighteen K1 children from two
child care centres participated in a study
- “The Impact of Music on Language and
Literacy in Preschoolers”. The research
findings revealed that children in the
experimental group performed better in
Inside
:: A Boost for the Early Childhood
Profession
:: Supporting Teacher Quality, Innovation and Research in
Child Care Centres
:: The PlayDome with Playeum
:: Training Courses
:: Upcoming Events & Conferences
word recognition, expressive language as
well as in attempts to illustrate stories when
there was background music.
The research team decided to investigate
if similar favourable outcomes could be
obtained with toddlers, whose verbal
language skills were still developing. Hence,
in 2010, a group of teachers, principals and
the Kinderland Educare Services’ (KES)
curriculum team conceived a research plan
to find out the role of background music in
enhancing the development of language and
literacy skills in toddlers.
A publication of the Child Development Network, Child Care Division of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
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Issue 04/ Jul - Sep 2011
What was the study about?
As music is a non-verbal and symbolic
language that children enjoy from a very
young age, music-related language activities
may offer a bridge from musical to verbal
language. The study aimed to examine the
role of background music in enhancing the
development of language and literacy skills
in toddlers. It looked at how a storyline with
background music may help to promote
listening and speaking skills.
The research was conducted over a
period of six months, with nine weeks of
intervention in two Kinderland child care
centres. Teachers from each centre with a
Ministry of Community Development,
Youth and Sports
Researchers (standing from L to R): Rosliena Rosli, Noor Iza Bte Mohalal,
Careen Ang Pei Ping and Susan Tan. (Seated): Dr Agnes Chang, Mentor
and Principal and Academic Director, KLC School of Education
group of 10 toddlers, aged between 29 months and 34 months,
participated in this study.
There were two groups – the experimental group and the control
group. Toddlers from both groups were told four stories. The
experimental group had background music as accompaniment,
while the control group had none.
Challenges and Concerns
Teachers were initially apprehensive about the word ‘research’
as they were uncertain about what it entailed. They were also
concerned about the additional workload and of being unable to
cover the core curriculum, as they were worried that the research
activities would intrude into curriculum hours. Teachers also
questioned the value of conducting such research.
“There were occasions when we ‘fumbled’ and
‘trembled’. But we decided to encourage each
other to strive on and my, were we glad that
we finally completed the research, and with
such positive outcomes!”
Action Plan
After considering all those fears and concerns, the research
team came up with the following plan:
• Engaged an advisor, Professor Agnes Chang, to conduct an
in-house workshop on action research
• Staff were grouped into smaller teams based on topics of
interest upon completion of the workshop and had at least
three follow-up sessions with Dr Agnes Chang
• Regular mentoring by Dr Carol Loy, KES’ head of curriculum
and Dr Agnes Chang, to ensure that their research plan and
data collection were on track
• Included the intervention as part of the daily curriculum so
that teachers would not need to conduct separate lessons
for the purposes of research
• Provided a common platform for teachers to share their
findings at Kinderland Day – an annual event for local
teachers and representatives from Kinderland’s overseas
centres
Ploughing back the outcomes of the action research
project
Inspired by the findings, which demonstrated that the
experimental group performed better in both non-verbal and
verbal responses during the post-test, the team suggested
involving more children and centres, including overseas ones
in the future, for comparison purposes. The team is also keen
to explore other areas in which music could have an impact on
children’s development.
Supporting Teacher Quality, Innovation
and Research in Child Care Centres
To support the child care sector’s efforts to
attract, retain and develop early childhood
educators and to promote a culture of
innovation and research among the
early childhood community, the following
scholarships and grants are available:
MCYS Early Childhood Care and Education
Scholarship
Teacher quality is one of the key determinants
of quality. To support and encourage teachers’
effort to upgrade themselves, MCYS will
continue to offer scholarships and teaching
awards for Diploma, Degree and Masters in
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).
The Masters scholarships are tenable at
National Institute of Education and SEED
Institute, the Bachelor scholarships at
SIM University, SEED Institute and KLC
Institute and the Diploma scholarships at
SEED Institute, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, KLC
“When we put our beliefs and convictions into practice
in the classroom and our children were able to absorb
and learn easily and faster, and most importantly, they
were very happy – words cannot describe the immense
satisfaction we get as educators.”
Ms Noor Iza, Principal
Parr, N.C., Radford, J., & Snyder, S. (1998).
Kaleidoscope: Building an arts-infused elementary
curriculum. Early Childhood Educational Journal,
25(3), 181-188.
Raisner, J.C. (2002). The effect of rhythmic music
activities upon language acquisition with four-yearold children. Proquest Dissertation, AAT3057109.
Centres may consider considering collaborating with
community partners such as the Health Promotion Board
(HPB), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
(IDA), National Arts Council (NAC), National Environment
Agency (NEA), National Library Board (NLB), National
Parks (NParks) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to
come up with their innovation project.
Applications for the Innovation Grant are now open and
will close on 15 August 2011. For more information
and to download the application form, go to www.
childcarelink.gov.sg.
If you are interested in conducting ECCE research and think it has the potential to
inform policy, programme and practices that would enhance the quality of early
years provision, we welcome you to apply for the ECRF and take the first step towards
transforming your practice based on evidence-based research. The deadline for
application is 1 September 2011. For more information and to download the
application form, go to http://app.cdn.gov.sg/RESEARCH.aspx.
Advent Links-SAUC
www.alsauc.edu.sg
Tel: 6254 9246
Email: info@alsauc.edu.sg
•WSQ Assist in the Development of
Children 0-8 (12 Sep - 12 Oct)
•Certificate in Mainstreaming Children
with Special Needs
Asian International College
www.aic.edu.sg
Tel: 6336 8335
•WSQ Supporting Children/Students
with Special Needs (19 Aug - 17 Nov)
•WSQ Plan, Implement and Evaluate
Programme for Children with Special
Needs (19 Aug - 27 Sep)
•WSQ Assist with Programming and
Learning Needs for Children with
Special Needs (6 Sep - 5 Oct)
•Developing Creative Children’s
Portfolios
•The Project Approach for
Preschoolers
•Nurturing Touch, Foundation of
Technique for Infant Massage
•Handling Difficult Performance
Appraisals within the Teaching
Profession
•2011 International Study Tour
(30 Oct-10 Nov)
First Learning and Training
Centre
www.fltc.com.sg
Tel: 6538 3805
•WSQ Designing Innovative and
Developmentally-Appropriate
Educational Programmes for
Children 0-8 (22 Jul - 23 Nov;
16 Aug - 13 Nov)
SEED INSTITUTE
www.seedinstitute.edu.sg
Tel: 6332 0668/6334 6005
Email: info@seedinstitute.edu.sg
•WSQ Understanding and Reaching
the Whole Child
•Painting Your Own Masterpiece
(22 & 29 Jul)
•Heart Care – Connecting with Parents
with Empathy & Understanding +
Reigniting the Passion – Finding New
Answers to Old Problems (30 Jul)
•Creating Community and Connection
through Story-telling
•Employ Information Technology to
Early Childhood Care and Education
(16 Aug-17 Sep)
•给华文老师在遊戏中学习的～偶戏
学堂 A learn-thru-play workshop for
Chinese teachers – “Puppetry and
Drama (19 & 20 Aug)
•Unfolding of Infants’ Natural Gross
Motor Development (Part I)
(19 & 20 Aug)
•Beginning Experimental Painting
(19 & 26 Aug)
•Unfolding of Infants’ Natural Gross
Motor Development (Part 2)
(26 & 27 Aug)
•教学科技与演示简报课程 Computer
PowerPoint Basic Skills for Chinese
Language (3 Sep)
WSQ ITD courses are also available at the following training institutions:
NTUC Learning Hub: www.ntuclearninghub.com
Kaplan: www.kaplan.com.sg
SSA Consulting: www.ssagroup.com
Training Vision: www.trainingvision.com.sg
Examples of courses available
•Demonstrate Understanding of Concepts of
Information and Communication Technology
•Use Computer and Manage Files
•Perform Word Processing Functions
•Perform Spreadsheet Functions
•Perform Database Functions
•Perform Presentation Functions
•Perform Web Browsing and Communication
Training agencies who wish to list their courses can write in to MCYS_CDN@mcys.gov.sg.
Taken together, the Innovation and ECRF grants will improve the quality of early
years provision and enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
Ms Susan Tan, Zone Principal
Feeney, S., Christensen, D., & Moravcik, E. (2006).
Who am I in the lives of children? (7th Ed.). New
Jersey: Merrill-Prentice Hall.
Innovation Grant
The Innovation Grant, which was first introduced to child
care centres in 2009, will continue to support centres
which are keen to try out new ideas and experiment in
areas that will have an impact on the quality of teaching
and learning, child development and centre operations. It
provides grants of up to 95% or up to $4000 per centre.
Early Childhood Research Fund
The Early Childhood Research Fund (ECRF) is also available to those who are interested in conducting research
in early childhood-related issues. It aims to promote
a culture of applied local ECCE research and encourage the dissemination and
replication of research findings in order to promote good practices in ECCE settings.
Successful applicants will receive grants of 90% or up to $8,000 per project.
Besides becoming ever more convinced that music could be
a powerful tool in developing children’s language and literacy
skills, the team also:
• Recognised the value of research in enhancing their
teaching
• Took pride in their work, especially in their involvement with
research
• Felt that the process helped them to grow professionally, as
their self-esteem and confidence were boosted when they
were able to present their findings to their peers at a wider
platform
• Became more committed and dedicated to child care and
education, as a result of the recognition received.
References
Clouser, K. (2001). The effects of setting
storybooks’ texts to music on story comprehension,
vocabulary, and attitude towards reading in
preschool children. Unpublished master’s thesis,
Florida State University, Tallahassee.
School of Education, Temasek Polytechnic and Asian
International College. Please go to www.childcarelink.
gov.sg or www.cdn.gov.sg for more information.
Courses offered by Training Agencies
The PlayDome
with Playeum!
by Playeum,
the
Play
Museum
Photo: Playeum,
The Play Museum
Based on the theme “Kaleidoscope of Dreams”, The PlayDome
with Playeum featured over ten original installations from artists,
local and international creative professionals. Children were
encouraged to observe, interact with these works and then create
their own works of art. Experiences included songcrafting, storytelling and sensory theatre.
became more thoughtful and deliberate in creating interesting and
complex patterns. Another fun art installation was “Transforming
Passages”. This experience saw children transforming the
installation, based on observing colours, patterns and prints and
designing their own fabric patterns. Children were also invited
to step into the world of street opera in
the “Wayang Play Stage”. Here they
were able to try out costumes,
express their creativity through
mask-making and perform on
the wayang stage.
One of the highlights was “The Real Thing” by Jordana Maisie, an
Australian artist. Here children had the opportunity to discover
how their motions and the use of props can create changes in
the patterns formed in a giant digital kaleidoscope, an interactive
installation on loan from the Ipswich Art Gallery. With time to
engage and experiment with motions and props, the children
The Garden and the Front
Lawn of the National
Museum were transformed
into a collective art installation
entitled “Domescape”. Lenses
and viewing scopes allowed
As part of the Children’s Season, Playeum, the Play Museum, in
curatorial partnership with the National Museum of Singapore
presented The PlayDome with Playeum, a child-centred museum
experience for families.
Photo: Playeum,
The Play Museum
children to re-imagine and recreate the dome and their
surroundings in different ways.
ABOUT PLAYEUM,
THE PLAY MUSEUM
Playeum is Singapore’s first
dedicated cultural space
Photo: Playeum,
for children, and is an awardThe Play Museum
winning “children’s museumwithout-walls” that aims to create
spaces that inspire children and their
families through cultural engagement in self-directed
exploration and learning. It was launched in 2007 by two
passionate Asian professional career women-turnedmothers - Jennifer Loh and Sumitra Pasupathy.