TRILINGUAL ENVIRONMENT

Why Learn Coding?

As AI and robots become more common, learning to code will be crucial for your child to excel in this changing world. Just like learning any language, starting early makes it easier. That is why ChildFirst Pre-school is the first trilingual pre-school to integrate coding into our curriculum.

Coding and Robotics an Integral Part of Our Curriculum

Children start learning coding in a screen-free way from the age of 4. We call this “unplugged” coding, meaning no tablets or computers are used. You might be surprised to learn that coding can be taught without screens. That is because coding is really about thinking logically and breaking down problems into steps. Initially, children will learn to sequence movements by physically moving their body like stepping forward, turning right or stepping backward. They will then progress to sequencing steps using cards with icons. In this way, they learn the basics of coding without needing a screen at all!

Kindergarten 1

In K1, children will start coding using a tablet to control a more advanced robot. They will apply the basic coding concepts they have just mastered and learn to control various aspects of the robot like distance, speed, sound, and light. Children will use these skills to solve problems such as navigating the robot through obstacles. This helps them learn estimation, break problems into smaller parts and create step-by-step solutions. It also introduces them to computational thinking, useful in many situations regardless of future technology changes.

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Kindergarten 2

In K2, children will get creative by building their own robots and programming them. They will also use Scratch Jr, a programming language developed by MIT, to make animated stories and simple games, expanding their skills and imagination.

In addition, your child will also learn prompt engineering to leverage the power of AI. You can see an example of this in the English section on AI for Creativity.

Featured in CNA

This CNA episode on Becoming Human contains a segment featuring ChildFirst, which can give you a sense of our coding and robotics curriculum. CNA Becoming Human video (3-minute segment starts at 43:57).

At ChildFirst, we offer coding as an integral part of our trilingual curriculum. Our coding and robotics curriculum and projects not only develop children’s coding abilities but also teamwork, communication, problem-solving skills, and perseverance. It also allows them to experience failure and success. These are all important future skills. To further enhance such skills, we conduct the ChildFirst Pre-school Robotics & Coding Championship annually.

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National Robotics Competition (NRC)

At the National Robotics Competition, our young coders achieved the prestigious title of Overall Champion for two consecutive years, 2023 and 2024, since the inception of the Pre-school ARTec category. In both competitions, they also swept the majority of awards for presentation, teamwork and robot performance.

NRC Overall Champion for year 2023

NRC Overall Champion for year 2024

The Journey does not stop there.

This year, ChildFirst Pre-school has also been chosen to represent Singapore in the Inaugural Preschool Challenge at the Universal Robotics Competition, held at the ARTec International Headquarters in Osaka, Japan. It is an incredible honour for our school, but more importantly, it demonstrates how, when children are provided with the right tools and opportunities, they can excel in ways that truly amaze us.

We are immensely proud to share that our K2 children clinched both first and second place in the final standings for Early Division!

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