Being a Stay-at-home mum does not mean that I have the ability to look after and give both Xav and Vera my 101% attention. That is why Vera is being placed in a childcare centre while I can still coach and revise with Xav in the afternoon.
On the other hand, some of my friends who are full-time working mums, shared that their kids are either looked after by their parents, parents-in-law or enrolled into a student care centre, where the children will only be picked up after the parents knock off.
To me, sourcing for an after-school care centre is similar to looking for a childcare centre. Here, I share the factors which will determine where I enrol my kids in if I ever need the service one day.
On the other hand, some of my friends who are full-time working mums, shared that their kids are either looked after by their parents, parents-in-law or enrolled into a student care centre, where the children will only be picked up after the parents knock off.
To me, sourcing for an after-school care centre is similar to looking for a childcare centre. Here, I share the factors which will determine where I enrol my kids in if I ever need the service one day.
When I am on a search for a suitable childcare or schools for Xav and Vera, these are the factors I will usually take into consideration;
- Fee (must be reasonable and whether if it is worth the price I am paying)
- Environment (must be bright and airy)
- Enrichment (not a must but it is a bonus to have)
- Distance (preferably to be near to home)
I had the chance to visit Melodious Cove at The GrandStand.
The magnificent, vast and well-lit space by both natural sunlight and bulbs, made my brain shout "WOW!" The first impression counts and is always important. The first impression of the centre had won a vote from me.
The vast space at Melodious Cove made me feel totally comfortable and free, nothing sort of feeling constrained at all. The reception was right at the middle and on the extreme right, stood a stage. Where else can you find a stage in a student care? Let me share more about my tour experience in the later part of the post.
A cosy corner on the extreme left was set up for students who would love to wind down and grab a read.
Personally, I feel the need to have the confidence to speak in public, is very important. In any society, being able to communicate well is key. Communication allows one to form connection, to influence decision and Public Speaking classes help greatly for one who is afraid of presenting in public as these classes help to train their confidence where they learn how to present themselves confidently!
Melodious Cove also conducts a Public Speaking Course for their students. In this one-hour session, the trainer first warmed up the children with some Movement activities. The children needed to learn to listen, move and respond. Subsequently, trainer recapped what had been taught from the last lesson to ensure reinforcement for better learning.
Crafting a speech for self presentation about MYSELF.
The children were then tasked to share how their typical morning was like through actions or movements, and then took turns to go up to the front and act out whilst the rest made their guesses based on the actions. Pretty engaging and I love how Vera coud relate to the words better with actions!
That was not all, the "challenging" part came when they were told to go to the stage and gave a small introduction about themselves based on their crafted speech. One of the students was actually quite reserved, and upon hearing that she needed to present her speech on stage, she hid under the table and refused to budge. However, the trainer was really patient and professional where she gave the student space and assurance to take part when she was ready. Eventually, all students presented on the stage.
It was certainly very heartening to witness the change in the little girl within that short span of time!
Vera was diagnosed with slight speech delay and this public speaking session somehow exposed her to more words and through the actions, she was able to relate to the words more effectively. Vera also had a turn to present her introduction on stage which, I believed, gave her a boost of self confidence, regardless if she could present it fluently or not. To be able to stand in front of everyone with confidence, that was already a huge step out of her comfort zone.
Apart from academic results which most parents go after in the highly competitive rat-race, how many of us have taken a step back and think about "emotional health"?
Having worked in the mental health sector, it is helpful to be reminded that mental health should be highlighted and groomed when one is at a young age. Besides the academics, stress for the younger generations tends to stem from a trying effort to fit into an ever-changing environment, the seemingly important need to establish new friendships while having to meet the sky-high expectations from teachers in school. Even tasks like buying food from the counter could be a stress factor for young students. In addition, when students lack the practice to feel and practice emotions, it is not easy for them to express themselves in front of their parents.
With both parents working hard to bring home the "bread and butter", they may not have the luxury of time to sit down and listen to their kids. Here is what makes Melodious Cove unique. On a bi-weekly basis, a trainer conducts Social Emotional Learning (SEL with Our Journey) for their students.
There, students are taught to reflect on their personal experience. During the session which I attended with Vera, the students were taught what empathy is and what perspective taking is all about. Being able to recognize and see things in a different perspective are important skills to help one adapt to a changing situation. Initially, I thought it seemed to be a little too deep and profound for the young ones but I was surprised that the kids were actually listening to what the trainer was sharing!
For Chinese Enrichment, Melodious Cove has engaged the service of Hua Cheng Education Centre (Bukit Timah Branch).
Chinese is one of the subjects which many parents face challenges in, for many do not speak Mother Tongue at home. As a result, the child is under-exposed to the language and due to lack of practice and exposure, learning Mother Tongue then becomes a real challenge for some kids.
During the two hours (with a break in between), the teacher covered all aspects of what should be taught in terms of the scheme of work. From going through the list of new vocabulary with the students (she got them to read out loud to build up their oracy skills and word recognition), to the formation of new words with a particular character, Chinese spelling (aka Ting Xie), comprehension; the teacher also led and guided the students to form ideas and sentences for Chinese composition.
Lastly, the teacher wrote a sample of a model composition on the board and got the students to copy down on their worksheets. In my opinion of what had been gone through, it was almost similar to what I would have covered with Xav, with all elements of a typical "test" covered.
The magnificent, vast and well-lit space by both natural sunlight and bulbs, made my brain shout "WOW!" The first impression counts and is always important. The first impression of the centre had won a vote from me.
The vast space at Melodious Cove made me feel totally comfortable and free, nothing sort of feeling constrained at all. The reception was right at the middle and on the extreme right, stood a stage. Where else can you find a stage in a student care? Let me share more about my tour experience in the later part of the post.
Right beside the stage is where natural lighting poured in and with the windows overlooking the green fields, I thought it would be ideal for giving those tired eyes a break.
A cosy corner on the extreme left was set up for students who would love to wind down and grab a read.
 |
| Reading corner |
This is my first experience visiting a student care and I was impressed that Melodious Cove had thoughtfully engaged reputable education centres to provide and expose the students to different types of learning on a weekly basis.
The impressive part was, Melodious Cove has enrichment courses to impart academic knowledge and at the same time, equip their students with soft skills, which is essential for everyone to have it for life. Let me bring you through the activities on a typical Tuesday afternoon for Primary 1 & 2 students.
Students will come in for lunch, followed by an afternoon nap in gender dedicated rooms.
Personally, I feel the need to have the confidence to speak in public, is very important. In any society, being able to communicate well is key. Communication allows one to form connection, to influence decision and Public Speaking classes help greatly for one who is afraid of presenting in public as these classes help to train their confidence where they learn how to present themselves confidently!
Melodious Cove also conducts a Public Speaking Course for their students. In this one-hour session, the trainer first warmed up the children with some Movement activities. The children needed to learn to listen, move and respond. Subsequently, trainer recapped what had been taught from the last lesson to ensure reinforcement for better learning.
Crafting a speech for self presentation about MYSELF.
The children were then tasked to share how their typical morning was like through actions or movements, and then took turns to go up to the front and act out whilst the rest made their guesses based on the actions. Pretty engaging and I love how Vera coud relate to the words better with actions!
That was not all, the "challenging" part came when they were told to go to the stage and gave a small introduction about themselves based on their crafted speech. One of the students was actually quite reserved, and upon hearing that she needed to present her speech on stage, she hid under the table and refused to budge. However, the trainer was really patient and professional where she gave the student space and assurance to take part when she was ready. Eventually, all students presented on the stage.
It was certainly very heartening to witness the change in the little girl within that short span of time!
Vera was diagnosed with slight speech delay and this public speaking session somehow exposed her to more words and through the actions, she was able to relate to the words more effectively. Vera also had a turn to present her introduction on stage which, I believed, gave her a boost of self confidence, regardless if she could present it fluently or not. To be able to stand in front of everyone with confidence, that was already a huge step out of her comfort zone.
Apart from academic results which most parents go after in the highly competitive rat-race, how many of us have taken a step back and think about "emotional health"?
Having worked in the mental health sector, it is helpful to be reminded that mental health should be highlighted and groomed when one is at a young age. Besides the academics, stress for the younger generations tends to stem from a trying effort to fit into an ever-changing environment, the seemingly important need to establish new friendships while having to meet the sky-high expectations from teachers in school. Even tasks like buying food from the counter could be a stress factor for young students. In addition, when students lack the practice to feel and practice emotions, it is not easy for them to express themselves in front of their parents.
With both parents working hard to bring home the "bread and butter", they may not have the luxury of time to sit down and listen to their kids. Here is what makes Melodious Cove unique. On a bi-weekly basis, a trainer conducts Social Emotional Learning (SEL with Our Journey) for their students.
There, students are taught to reflect on their personal experience. During the session which I attended with Vera, the students were taught what empathy is and what perspective taking is all about. Being able to recognize and see things in a different perspective are important skills to help one adapt to a changing situation. Initially, I thought it seemed to be a little too deep and profound for the young ones but I was surprised that the kids were actually listening to what the trainer was sharing!
Students can also confide in the trainer when they feel "safe" enough to share about their challenges and feelings, should they find it difficult to share with their teachers. I personally feel it is always good to have a mentor to confide in. Infact, this is my first time hearing about a SEL programme being conducted in a student care setting. Pretty unique, and I must say the founders of the centre are really thoughtful to engage a consultant to embed this programme in students' learning.
For Chinese Enrichment, Melodious Cove has engaged the service of Hua Cheng Education Centre (Bukit Timah Branch).
Chinese is one of the subjects which many parents face challenges in, for many do not speak Mother Tongue at home. As a result, the child is under-exposed to the language and due to lack of practice and exposure, learning Mother Tongue then becomes a real challenge for some kids.
During the two hours (with a break in between), the teacher covered all aspects of what should be taught in terms of the scheme of work. From going through the list of new vocabulary with the students (she got them to read out loud to build up their oracy skills and word recognition), to the formation of new words with a particular character, Chinese spelling (aka Ting Xie), comprehension; the teacher also led and guided the students to form ideas and sentences for Chinese composition.
Lastly, the teacher wrote a sample of a model composition on the board and got the students to copy down on their worksheets. In my opinion of what had been gone through, it was almost similar to what I would have covered with Xav, with all elements of a typical "test" covered.
Time is never enough for working parents, imagine having precious weekends being taken up by back-to-back enrichment classes? Instead, at Melodious Cove, the enrichment classes are all conducted during weekday afternoons where it gives parents the flexibility of continuing with supporting their children's interest outside of school and develop their potential in non-academic areas.
So why rush to and fro to pick up the child for a 2 hours lesson? Parents can simply sign up at Melodious Cove which includes daily care, homework guidance, enrichment classes, life skills and lunch. This indeed is a perfect plan for working parents with Melodious Cove being the one-stop enrichment provider, saving parents precious time and money.
Refer to the table below, the left column is a cost estimate if it were to be a regular basic care + average enrichment provider. The right column is a cost comparison where it is basic care + high end enrichment provider. Do enquire at Melodious Cove, I am sure you will find their fees substantially cheaper.
Refer to the table below, the left column is a cost estimate if it were to be a regular basic care + average enrichment provider. The right column is a cost comparison where it is basic care + high end enrichment provider. Do enquire at Melodious Cove, I am sure you will find their fees substantially cheaper.
Background
Melodious Cove is a premium after school care birthed and cradled by three passionate, loving mothers who desire to create a safe learning haven. Holding steadfast to "family-oriented-ness", the founders believed that weekends should be enjoyed together as a family and that children can have the time to pursue their interests and develop their talents. Hence, Melodious Cove aims to support families in preserving family time through injecting a "Daily Dose of Fun Learning" in their after-school care programme.
[GIVEAWAY]
I am pleased to share that I have 3 passes of a 3-Day free trial on basic care and homework guidance at Melodious Cove to 3 followers!
Simply follow the following steps:
Tag your friends, one name per comment in the posts, multiple entries are welcome.
- Contest runs from 22 Aug - 28 Aug 2019, 2359 hours
- Contest runs from 22 Aug - 28 Aug 2019, 2359 hours
Terms and conditions:
- The pass is not transferable or exchangable for cash.
- Winners are to redeem the pass by 30 September 2019.
- By taking part, you agree to share your details with Melodious Cove and be contacted for free trial.
- By taking part, you agree to share your details with Melodious Cove and be contacted for free trial.
Should you need more information, these are the social media sites you can pay a visit to:
Website: https://melodiouscove.com.sg/
Facebook: @MelodiousCoveSg
Instagram: @MelodiousCove
Address:
200 Turf Club Road
#03-12
The Grandstand
Singapore 287994
Tel: 6767 0388
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