While some children are eager to explore the world around them, children are ready at their own pace. Some children can feel too timid or shy to take the next step and make the transition into the world of ‘big school’. The best kindergarten schools in Bangkok allow children the time and space to develop their skills and feel fully ready to take the next step in their education.
Your child may be ready to embrace the challenges of big school after Nursery 1, or they may need a little more time to work to develop their social-emotional readiness. Being ready for big school is not just about memorising colours or shapes or keeping track of your belongings. It’s about developing the self-esteem and confidence to take the next step in your education journey willingly and happily.
Raintree’s Nursery 1, Nursery 2 and Kindergarten classes provide the perfect environment for young students to make the transition from nursery or kindergarten to big school. We want every one of our students to discover the joy of overcoming what may be their first big challenge.
Preparing Your Child for Big School
Preparing a child for big school is a delicate subject, but the way you approach it can help to provide a sense of excitement and wonder. However, if it’s positioned as a major challenge in a child’s young life, they can become scared and apprehensive about it. Treat it as the fun and exciting opportunity that it is.
Some young children may find it difficult to break out of the protective shell they’ve created. Taking them on a visit to their new school gives them a peek into their new school life and shows them that there’s nothing to worry about. For some children, transitioning to unfamiliar surroundings can be a challenge, so help ease any fears by talking about the changes ahead in a calm and upbeat way.
Deciding on the Transition Time
When transitioning to a new school environment, the biggest benefit to a child will be self-confidence. By letting them know you’ll always be there to support them, you’ll boost their confidence and prepare them for the transition ahead.
Raintree also helps develop this self-confidence by immersing nursery and kindergarten students in a learning environment that invites them to talk about what they’re learning and communicate with everyone around them. By greeting both staff and students by name every day, we help develop their social skills and instil them with a strong sense of ‘self’. Having self-confidence also allows them to participate in their studies and get more out of their classes.
How Raintree Prepares Students
At Raintree we feel it’s important to maintain a sense of continuity and familiarity throughout a child’s education. We have strong relationships with the elementary and secondary schools in Bangkok that allow us to better prepare our students for the next stage of their education by teaching the skills they will be expected to know.
We also support the family throughout the assessment process and the transition. We know transitioning to a new school environment can sometimes be more nerve-wracking for the parents than the students!
We complete the recommendation forms their new school will send out. These are confidential forms that help the teachers understand their new students better and provide the necessary support and help they need. These forms provide a smoother and more comfortable transition for the student. Some of the typical questions are about the student’s strengths and weaknesses, whether they ask for help when it’s needed and whether the child participates actively in class. Once we’ve filled out the recommendation form, we’ll help prepare your child for their exciting transition to big school.
Some of the prestigious international schools our students have transitioned to include:
- NIST International School
- Bangkok Patana School
- International School of Bangkok (ISB)
- King’s College
- Shrewsbury
- St. Andrews
Some of the top Thai schools include:
- Mater Dei
- Amnuay Silpa School
- Chitralada School
By keeping ourselves up to date with the programmes these Bangkok schools are offering, we can better prepare our students to face the challenges ahead, and make the transition as easy as possible for them.
Raintree is often spoken about as the best kindergarten school in Bangkok. Contact us today to schedule a visit and discover why for yourself.
