Experts Sharing

At the recent Principals’ Chat, insightful discussions centred on how to support children’s holistic development and ease their transition to pre-nursery while equipping them with future-ready skills.

Ms. Dianna Chan, Principal of VEO Harbour Green Campus, highlighted the pivotal role of pre-nursery and playgroups in building confidence, curiosity and essential skills, laying the groundwork for a strong start to future learning. Both programmes include diverse learning activities:

• Role-play to learn how to communicate and work with others
• Structured Play to develop creativity and problem-solving skills
• Language to enhance social skills and self-confidence
• Mathematics to foster the interests of learning and exploration

Ms. Josephine Wu, Principal of VEO Ocean Pride Campus, shared five key skills on how parents can actively prepare their children with future-ready abilities, ensuring a smooth transition not just to kindergarten but to lifelong success:

• Language skills to build vocabulary, understand instructions and enhance comprehension
• Social skills to learn how to share, collaborate and build connections with peers
• Motor skills to strengthen children’s attention
• Self-care skills to foster independence and self-confidence
• Social-emotional skills to help manage emotions, express feelings and build resilience

Our recent Principals’ Sharing Session at VPP brought together many parents eager to learn how to unlock their children’s language potential in early years of childhood development. Ms. Karen Hui (Principal, VEO South Horizons Campus) and Ms. Lovan Ho (Principal, VEO Belcher Campus) shared practical strategies for building a strong language foundation and nurturing multi-language skills.

The session sparked meaningful discussions between parents, VEO Principals, and educational experts, offering valuable insights into early language development. VEO and VPP remain committed to supporting parents as they navigate their children’s education journey!

Principal Karen–The Power of Reading and Role-Play

How does reading and role-play stimulate young minds? Discover the skills children develop when they bring stories to life! Join Ms. Karen Hui, Principal of Victoria Educational Organisation’s South Horizons Campus, as she shares how reading and role-play unleash children’s developmental and language potential.

Principal Ho–Listening, Asking, and Experiencing: Keys to Language Learning

Wondering how simple, daily steps can make a big difference in your child’s language development? Hear from Ms. Lovan Ho, Principal of Victoria Educational Organisation’s Belcher Campus, as she shares valuable insights on deepening language learning through “listening, asking, and experiencing more.” Be the supportive foundation your child needs to grow!

Constipation can happen to children of all ages, but the treatment depends on your children’s age and diet.

In this video, Paediatrics Specialist Dr. Philip Sham walks us through the various reasons for constipation through different stages of development. He also highlights useful home remedies to relieve constipation and identifies warning signs that may indicate the need for a doctor’s visit if home treatment has proven ineffective.

Here is his advice to parents on children at different developmental stages:

1. Infants aged under 1 month old
They may be born with congenital disorder such as Hirschsprung’s disease. Parents are advised to take them to the doctor.

2.Infants aged 1 to 6 month old who are breastfed
As breastmilk is easily digested and absorbed, they may not need to empty their bowels every day. This may not be considered as constipation.

3.Infants aged 1 to 6 month old who are formula-fed
If they struggle every time they poop, parents can consider switching to a different brand of formula milk.

4.Infants older than 6 month who eat solid foods
As they begin to eat a wider variety of foods, their digestive system may not yet able to adapt, result in constipation. Parents can treat it with medicine such as lactulose, which is a non-absorbable sugar that can be safely consumed by infants.

Stay tuned for the EduMakers App launch – with valuable resources and features it offers.
(The opinions expressed by the interviewee is his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organiser.)

At our recent Principals’ Sharing Session, parents learned how VPP’s trilingual playgroups enhance language skills and promote self-management, ensuring a smooth transition to kindergarten! Parents also had the opportunity to connect with our education experts, exploring the vital role of play in fostering holistic development.

A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Gabriel Li, Principal of Victoria (Kornhill) Nursery and Advisor of Victoria Playpark, along with Ms. Genevieve Best, Director of English Studies at Victoria Educational Organisation, for sharing their invaluable insights with parents!

Stay tuned for our next Principal’s Sharing Session!

Does your child cry if you are away for a short period of time? Separation anxiety is a normal part of young children’s development between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. However, it can be difficult when dropping off your child at a nursery or a new environment.

In an exclusive interview, Ms. Carol Cheung, a registered music therapist from Humansa, shared how music therapy can help in parenting:

1. What is music therapy?
   Music therapy refers to the use of music, including melody, rhythm, lyrics and musical instruments, to achieve therapeutic goals such as easing anxiety and depression.

2. How does music help ease children’s separation anxiety?
   Music can be combined with role-play to help children practise how to say goodbye and welcome their parents back. For example, singing familiar kids’ songs with a known structure and rewritten lyrics (e.g. mummy is going to work/coming home) repeatedly can help children be aware of why parents are leaving and when they will come back. Including words like ‘goodbye’ in the lyrics can also help desensitise the sadness or unpleasantness of departure.

3. How can we use songs at home to empower our children?
   Parents can rewrite the lyrics with positive words (e.g. I am brave) and sing it with their children every day. This can raise their self-confidence and resilience.

(The opinions expressed by the interviewee do not necessarily reflect the views of the organiser.)

VPP parents and students recently participated in a parent-child workshop at the dental clinic, where they received valuable advice from dentists on keeping children’s teeth healthy! There are some frequently asked questions:

1.  At what age should children start visiting the dentist?
   Children should start visiting the dentist as soon as they learn to talk and develop memory. Early visits prevent negative first impressions associated with dental problems.
2.  How should we help children brush their teeth? Should we use toothpaste?
   Let children brush their teeth on their own first, then assist them if needed. Typically, children need help until around age 6. Use fluoride-free toothpaste for young children to avoid accidental swallowing.
3.  Must children’s decayed teeth be removed?
   Generally, cavities are treated with filling materials rather than removing the decayed tooth. Keeping milk teeth is crucial for the proper eruption of permanent teeth.

(The opinions expressed by the interviewee do not necessarily reflect the views of the organiser.)

Ensuring the health of our children’s eyes is crucial, but when should they have their first eye checkup? In today’s digital age, prolonged use of smartphones and tablets could lead to eye strain and other issues. What should we be mindful of when our little ones use digital devices?

Dr. Julie Lok, Specialist in Ophthalmology and Chief Medical Executive of Humansa Eye Centre, shares two essential eye care tips for young children:

1. Conduct early and regular eye examinations:

–         Age 2 to 3: A comprehensive checkup to identify innate eye issues

–         Age 4 to 5: A checkup to detect and assess the risk of squinting, short-sightedness or far-sightedness

–         Starting from Age 6: Regular checkups to monitor changes

2. Use digital devices properly:

–         Use digital devices in well-lit environments with adequate viewing distance (preferably larger screens and longer distances).

–         Limit screen time to no more than 1 hour per day, taking a break every 10 to 15 minutes.

(The opinions expressed by the interviewee do not necessarily reflect the views of the organiser.)

In the digital age, it is important for parents to correctly introduce children to tablet-based learning.

Dr. Sarah Tsui, a specialist in Paediatrics and visiting consultant of Humansa, helps us understand the potential downsides of excessive screen time for children and how it can negatively impact their vision, physical and language development, as well as sleeping quality and concentration. In this video, Dr. Tsui shares the following practical tips:

1. Avoid as much screen time as possible for children aged below 2; while limiting screen time to less than an hour per day and take breaks in between for children aged 2 to 5.
2. Accompany and guide your children in educational tablet activities.
3. Ensure appropriate viewing distance and a good sitting posture.
4. Spend quality family time with children as it is vital for children’s holistic development.

Stay tuned for the EduMakers App launch – with valuable resources and features it offers.

(The opinions expressed by the interviewee do not necessarily reflect the views of the organiser.)

To infants and toddlers, play does not only bring joy, but is a primary way that children learn and progress! According to Dr. Sarah Tsui, Specialist in Paediatrics and Visiting Consultant of Humansa, play is the foundation for healthy child development, as it allows children to build cognitive, motor, sensory and language skills. It also helps strengthen parent-child relationships.

Dr. Tsui suggested two key considerations when parents play with their child at home:

1. Parental involvement: Parents’ participation does not only enhance toddlers’ language skills, but also improve parent-child relationships. Dedicating 30 minutes of playtime with your children every day can make a big difference.
2. Age appropriate activities: Games should be simple yet functional to train children’s motor skills and coordination. Parents should read up about development milestones and pick the right games for their children.

Stay tuned for the EduMakers App launch – with all the valuable resources and features it offers.

(The opinions expressed by the interviewee do not necessarily reflect the views of the organiser.)

In this exclusive expert interview, Mr. Ringle Leung, Director of HealthyMind Parents Academy, suggests an alternative to the unconditional support parents tend to provide. He says finding the right incentive to motivate their child to be independent is the ticket! Don’t miss Mr. Leung’s sharing for the practical tips on fostering your child’s independence! Among others, he suggests:

1. Identifying the type of support your children need: Parents should differentiate between things children can accomplish by themselves and things they cannot do even with the right support.
2. Offering the right motivation: Children below the age of 6 usually need extrinsic motivators (e.g. rewards) to do things, while intrinsic motivators (e.g. affirmation, a sense of achievement) work better for those older than the age of 6.

Stay tuned for updates on when EduMakers App will be open to all parents, ensuring that everyone can benefit from its valuable resources and opportunities.

(The opinions expressed by the interviewee do not necessarily reflect the views of the organiser.)