SP Guide To Preschools: The Raya Playschool l Smart Parenting
Join us in this episode of Smart Parenting as we explore The Raya Playschool. This playschool in Mandaluyong is all about nurturing a love for reading and a strong sense of Filipino identity in kids. Discover how they make learning fun and experiential, helping little ones become independent and open-minded from the get-go.
Don't miss this episode filled with insights for parents who want the best for their kids. Subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay tuned for more Smart Parenting Guide To Preschools. ✨ #RayaPlayschool #SmartParenting #EarlyEducation #FilipinoPride #loveforreading
Join us in this episode of Smart Parenting as we explore The Raya Playschool. This playschool in Mandaluyong is all about nurturing a love for reading and a strong sense of Filipino identity in kids. Discover how they make learning fun and experiential, helping little ones become independent and open-minded from the get-go.
Don't miss this episode filled with insights for parents who want the best for their kids. Subscribe and ring the notification bell to stay tuned for more Smart Parenting Guide To Preschools. ✨ #RayaPlayschool #SmartParenting #EarlyEducation #FilipinoPride #loveforreading
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:16 Hi Smart Parenting fam! I'm Judy Santiago Aladin, Editor of Smart Parenting
00:21 and welcome to the SP Guide to Preschools in Metro Manila.
00:25 [Music]
00:31 Today we're here at the Raya Play School here in Mandaluyong City and joining us
00:36 today is our guest, Student Lea! Tara, let's check out the school!
00:40 [Music]
00:47 The Raya Play School is located in Mandaluyong City.
00:51 It offers two vertical classes, one for younger kids in the morning and another
00:55 for the older ones in the afternoon.
00:57 [Music]
01:03 So can you give us a short background about Raya and when did it start?
01:07 So Raya started in her 11th year of school.
01:12 It started when our two founders, Dr. Annie Rosa Almario
01:20 and Dr. CP David, finished their PhDs and
01:25 Dr. Annie finished her Master's in Stanford.
01:28 They talked and said that it would be great to have a school
01:34 that is thrust with the love of country.
01:37 Our original branch was in Fairview.
01:40 We catered to pre-nursery all the way up to grade 12.
01:45 So we have senior high.
01:47 But here in Twin Oaks, we decided that okay,
01:50 maybe we can also cater to families because Fairview is a bit far.
01:56 So why did Raya become a mother?
02:01 Being a mother is what Raya values because we are Filipinos.
02:07 So what Raya wants is to teach the kids about their origins,
02:16 to get to know their roots.
02:18 [Music]
02:24 The Raya Play School is also the laboratory school of the Adarna House.
02:28 [Music]
02:32 The laboratory school, this means that Adarna, when they develop their materials,
02:37 they work with the Raya children.
02:39 So we test their books or the materials that they develop.
02:46 So the children here in Raya, they're really exposed to books.
02:50 So we do story time and then in the classroom also,
02:54 we have a lot of books for them to read even during free play.
02:57 [Music]
03:02 We are part of the progressive spectrum of education.
03:05 So meaning that when we teach, we make sure that it is child-centered, child-led.
03:11 The teacher is a facilitator.
03:13 When we teach concepts, we make sure that it's very experiential.
03:18 The experiential learning is when we give them actual things to work with.
03:24 So if we're going to teach them about the different types of soil,
03:27 we'd want them to be able to touch, to smell, to feel,
03:32 to work with the different types of soil.
03:34 So you don't just say, "This is a loam soil,"
03:37 and then you give them a textbook definition.
03:39 You actually want to make them touch it, feel it, and work with it.
03:45 [Music]
03:47 The Raya Play School is also a bilingual school.
03:50 [Music]
03:51 Half the time, we give our instructions in English.
03:55 And half of it is in Filipino.
03:58 So we have chunks of time that we call.
04:01 Because we really want the child,
04:04 if he's a first-language Filipino speaker,
04:07 after a year, he'll have his second language, which is English.
04:12 If it's the other way around, for first-language English speakers,
04:16 after a school year, our hope is for the child to be able to speak
04:20 and think in Filipino as well at the end of the school year.
04:24 Can you describe the flow of the class?
04:26 So in preschool, we always start with free play.
04:30 It's very important to honor that free play
04:32 because you want them to be able to move.
04:35 And without, well, quote-unquote "rules,"
04:39 meaning they get to pick their toy for the day,
04:43 or if they want to run and run with friends, they can do that.
04:48 So we enjoy the extra energy.
04:50 They can spend it before we proceed with circle time.
04:54 So during circle time, they do song time.
04:56 They greet each other. We check attendance.
04:59 And then we talk about the routines for the day.
05:02 Okay, for the very young children, we have eight students to one teacher,
05:11 one main teacher, but there's always a second teacher in the classroom
05:14 or a teaching assistant.
05:16 Do your students have homework?
05:18 We don't have homework.
05:19 The homework that we know of, the answer pages, like this to this page,
05:25 we don't have that, but we ask them to do certain tasks at home,
05:29 like help nanay sweep the house, the sala, or...
05:33 This is their favorite, setting tables.
05:36 They have a checklist.
05:37 And then when it comes to grades, do you have a numerical grading?
05:41 In the preschool, there's no numerical grades,
05:44 but we do issue learning stories.
05:46 So we actually, the teachers actually write a story
05:50 about what your child enjoyed in class or in a month.
05:55 What is your favorite activity?
05:56 Or maybe the teacher may also write about a challenge
05:59 or something that your child finds challenging,
06:03 that you may actually help your child with at home.
06:06 So it's really communication with the parent.
06:09 In Raya, we're always asked if we have a religion.
06:13 Raya is a non-sectarian school, but we teach values using citizenship.
06:20 We teach Raya values in terms of citizenship.
06:23 Because if you're a good citizen, you're a good person.
06:27 And vice versa, if you're a good person, you're a good citizen.
06:31 What I love about Raya Play School is that their curriculum
06:50 is focused on developing two things that kids need more of these days.
06:54 A love for reading and a strong sense of being Filipino.
06:58 They also champion fun and experiential learning activities for the kids
07:03 to help them become independent and open-minded at a young age.
07:07 So I say I became a guest student again.
07:14 This is Raya School and I have made a picture frame.
07:19 And my teacher told me Filipino.
07:24 Now I know Filipino.
07:27 Did you have fun today?
07:28 Yes. And I will say that I had a lot of fun.
07:34 Okay, so if you can give stars to Raya, one to five stars, how many will you give?
07:40 And that's it for our day here at Raya Play School.
07:46 So if you have any preschool in mind, comment them below.
07:49 To be featured here in SB Guide.
07:51 Thank you to our guest student, Leah.
07:54 Bye SB Fam.
07:56 Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.
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