Hey parents, are you worried about raising children to thrive in the ever-changing times we live in? With the rapid advancement of technology and artificial intelligence taking over many aspects of our lives, raising children today comes with many challenges. We hear you, and we know parenting is never a walk in the park. To make this easier for you, PCF has organised a parenting conference. Experts will address a wide range of topics like S.T.E.M. and the digital wellbeing of children among others. Here’s what you need to know.
Our Aim – To Raise the Quality of Preschool Education
PCF Sparkletots, the organisers of this parenting conference, is Singapore’s largest preschool operator and employer. They have close to 360 preschools island wide. Over the years, PCF has launched several initiatives to raise preschool education quality. Some of these include offering a diverse range of learning programmes, improving the curriculum and facilities, and constantly providing staff with professional development opportunities.
But here’s the thing: A strong partnership between home and school is crucial to make your child’s educational journey both meaningful and effective. As such, PCF has organised the PCF Sparkletots Parenting Conference to help parents make sound decisions about your child’s education and future.
Details of Our Parenting Conference Event
This May, you can look forward to an exciting 2-day parenting conference organised by PCF Sparkletots in conjunction with the Singapore Parenting Festival. Visit spf2023.com/pcf to register your slot!
Date: 20th & 21st May
Venue: Our Tampines Hub
Read on to learn more about who the speakers are and what exciting topics are in store!
What to Look Forward To – Keynote Speakers
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Keynote Speaker 1: How to Prepare Your Child for Primary 1 (11.30am – 12.00pm)
Choosing the right primary school is a decision that Singaporean parents may spend months, if not years grappling with. Getting through the registration process for primary 1 is a major stress point. But it doesn’t end there. Parents often worry if their children are prepared for primary 1. Some parents go the extra mile to enrol their children in enrichment classes for this matter. All children enter primary school with different levels of development and academic readiness, and that's alright. Keynote speaker Mr Charles Chan, the principal of Henry Park Primary School will address this and share what you can, and shouldn’t do, to prepare your child for primary school. He will also share about the initiatives that schools are taking to help your child to make a seamless transition to primary school. It’s worth listening to!
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Keynote Speaker 2: Importance of Parental Involvement for School Transition Success (12.00pm – 12.30pm)
Is your child about to start preschool? Or is your child about to transition from preschool to primary school? It may not sound like much, but your child is facing a slew of challenges in the process. Did you know that you play a critical role in promoting your child’s school readiness? In this talk, Dr Lau Yi Hung Eva, Associate Professor and Associate Head of Department of Early Childhood Education at the Education University of Hong Kong, will guide you on facilitating your child’s behaviours, emotions, attitudes, routines and sociality to help them thrive in their new learning environment. Dr. Lau has conducted over 100 sessions of parent education training, so you’re bound to learn a thing or two!
Topics Covered in Day 1
Panel 1
1. Parcsen Loke, Family Life Educator and Coach, Centre for Fathering
Topic: Why Fathers Should Read to and Play with their Kids
Time: 3.00pm – 3.15pm
2. Chia Moira Suyin, Consultant, Department of Paediatric Medicine, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Topic: Tummy Time for My Child – Why, When and How?
Time: 3.15pm – 3.30pm
3. Kelly Tay, Founder of Juicy Parenting
Topic: Mai Kancheong – How to Cultivate Patience in Kids
Time: 3.30pm - 3.45pm
Panel 2
1. Aishah Abdul Rahman, Education Research Scientist, Office of Education Research, Research Scientist, National Institute of Education Office of Education Research
Topic: Executive Functions and Early Literacy
Time: 5.30pm – 5.45pm
2. Mary Lee Lay Choo, Lecturer, Psychologist
Topic: Bilingualism in Early Childhood
Time: 5.45pm – 6.00pm
3. Teo You Se, Educational Therapist, Inclusive Education Team, PAP Community Foundation
Topic: Literacy Begins at Home
Time: 6.00pm – 6.15pm
Topics Covered in Day 2
Panel 3
1. Shem Yao, Head, TOUCH Parenting, a service of TOUCH Community Services
Topic: Before IT all Happens!
Time: 1.00pm – 1.15pm
2. Chitra Ramalingam, Associate Consultant, Department of Child Development, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
Topic: Parenting in the Digital Age
Time: 1.15pm – 1.30pm
3. Law Evelyn Chung Ning, Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
Topic: The Potential Benefits and Dangers of Digital Media Use in Young Children
Time: 1.30pm – 1.45pm
Panel 4
1. Tan Kok Siang, Senior Consultant (Science and STEM Education), SG Reflect, Senior Lecturer, Retired (Science and Education), NIE, NTU
Topic: Learning-Thinking Approaches Supporting Young Learners’ Engagement in STEM Learning
Time: 3.15pm – 3.30pm
2. Jeffrey Nah, CEO of JN Capital & Growth Advisor, Founder & CEO of Future Ready Academy
Topic: S.T.E.A.M. into the Future
Time: 3.30pm – 3.45pm
3. Nancy Soon, Founder, Stemie Advantages Ltd
Topic: What Do You Do with a Chance?
Time: 3.45pm – 4.00pm
Workshops
Day 1
Workshop 1:
Rachel Nip & Elisa Mustika from Singapore Wolf Trap Teaching Artist
Title of Workshop: Words Around the World (1-3 years)
Time: 4.15pm – 5.00pm
Workshop 2
Dr. Lau Yi Hung Eva, Associate Professor and Associate Head, Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong
Title of Workshop: Parent-child Games for Promoting Children’s Executive Functions
Time: 4.30pm – 5.15pm
Day 2
Workshop 3:
Rachel Nip & Elisa Mustika from Singapore Wolf Trap Teaching Artist
Title of Workshop: Words Around the World (4 -6 years)
Time: 10.00pm – 10.45 am
Workshop 4:
Jodi Thiele, Operations Lead, Playeum
Title of Workshop: Exploring Materials and Movements with Puppets (1-3 years old)
Time: 10.00am – 10.45 am
Workshop 5
Lydia Tan, Manager, Audience Engagement, CMSG
Title of Workshop: See-Think-Wonder!
Time: 11.00am – 11.45am
Workshop 6
Maliah Zubir & Jade Teo, Associate Librarians
Title of Workshop: Raising Readers for Life | Early READ
Time: 11.00am – 11.45am
Workshop 7
Charlotte Goh, Executive Director Playeum
Title of Workshop: Let’s Make Playful Connections with Puppets! (4-6 years old)
Time: 2.15pm – 3.00pm
Workshop 8
Lee Wey Ying & Yap Jing Wen Curriculum Specialist, PCF
Title of Workshop: Empowering Your Child: A Body Safety Workshop for Parents and Children
Time: 2.15pm – 3.00pm
Workshop 9
Siti Nasyihin Binte Gazali, Training and Curriculum Executive
Title of Workshop: Introduction to KUBO
Time: 4.30pm – 5.15pm
Workshop 10
Nancy Soon, Founder, Stemie Advantages Ltd
Time: 4.30pm – 5.15pm
Today’s Effort for a Better Tomorrow
Mums and Dads, remember parenting isn’t necessarily a walk in the park. Some days you feel like you have it all under control while on other days it may seem overwhelming even for the best of us. Help and support is available, and it always helps to listen to the wisdom of those who have been there, done it, or better yet – researched it! Join us at the PCF Sparkletots Parenting Conference and learn some useful tips that will guide your parenting journey! Register now at spf2023.com/pcf and attend for FREE!