SP Guide to Preschools: Maya Forest Preschool Manila l Smart Parenting
SP Guide to Preschools: Maya Forest Preschool Manila l Smart Parenting
Welcome to the Smart Parenting Guide to Preschools, your go-to series for parents in Metro Manila seeking to make the best choice for their child's early education. Join us as we explore a variety of preschools in the city, providing you with an inside look at what each one has to offer.
A preschool in a forest?
In our first episode of the Smart Parenting Guide to Preschools, we introduce you to Maya Forest Preschool Manila ā the first DepEd forest preschool in Metro Manila. Discover how this unique setting offers hands-on learning experiences and real-life education, providing your child with physical, social, and emotional development opportunities.
Join us as we explore how this preschool's nature-based approach can help your child grow into a well-rounded individual, giving you valuable insights to make an informed choice for your child's education. #SPGuideToPreschools
#MayaForestPreschoolManila #PreschoolsInMetroManila
Welcome to the Smart Parenting Guide to Preschools, your go-to series for parents in Metro Manila seeking to make the best choice for their child's early education. Join us as we explore a variety of preschools in the city, providing you with an inside look at what each one has to offer.
A preschool in a forest?
In our first episode of the Smart Parenting Guide to Preschools, we introduce you to Maya Forest Preschool Manila ā the first DepEd forest preschool in Metro Manila. Discover how this unique setting offers hands-on learning experiences and real-life education, providing your child with physical, social, and emotional development opportunities.
Join us as we explore how this preschool's nature-based approach can help your child grow into a well-rounded individual, giving you valuable insights to make an informed choice for your child's education. #SPGuideToPreschools
#MayaForestPreschoolManila #PreschoolsInMetroManila
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LearningTranscript
00:00 [music]
00:16 Hi Smart Parenting fam! I'm Ronna Capili Bonifacio, Editor-in-Chief of Smart Parenting.
00:21 Welcome to Smart Parenting's Guide to Preschools in Metro Manila.
00:25 Finding the perfect preschool for your child is no easy task.
00:29 Ang daming options and all we want as parents is to find the right one for our kids.
00:34 Don't worry, we've got you SP fam as we go preschool hopping.
00:37 The first on our list is Maya Forest Preschool Manila. Let's go!
00:41 We're here at Maya Forest Preschool Manila and to join our tour
00:50 is our little explorer Sandra who's three and a half years old.
00:54 Join me as we check out the school.
00:56 [music]
01:03 The 8,000 square meter school space is located inside this compound in Sampaloc, Manila.
01:08 Formerly Escuela La Guarda, Maya Forest Preschool Manila decided to take advantage
01:14 of its natural forest surrounding the school.
01:16 It has outdoor classrooms,
01:20 a playground,
01:25 a large tent for events,
01:26 and a building for indoor activities and the toilets.
01:31 What makes the school extra special is its forest trail inside where kids can learn about
01:37 native trees and even rare plants.
01:38 Welcome to Smart Parenting.
01:41 Thank you for having us.
01:42 It's such a wonderful school, a great experience I think for the kids seeing them.
01:46 Yeah.
01:47 So first thing I want to ask is what makes Maya Forest Preschool Manila unique?
01:51 Yes, so what's unique about the school is obviously the space.
01:55 So we are a forest in the middle of the city where children are able to explore nature,
02:02 be in the outdoors.
02:03 It's not a far drive, you know, it's very accessible and it allows the kids to be exposed
02:08 to nature every day.
02:09 Is this the first forest preschool in Manila?
02:13 Yes, the first DepEd forest preschool in Manila.
02:16 But this is not a unique concept worldwide.
02:19 It's not, it's not.
02:20 So it's been a practice in other countries, in Japan, in Switzerland.
02:24 And what educational approach does the school use?
02:27 It's a nature-based, play-based outdoor forest preschool.
02:30 So why is the nature-based approach beneficial for kids?
02:34 I couldn't stress the benefits enough.
02:37 So this day and age where it's mostly digital, a lot of kids are so dependent on screens.
02:42 It's a nice break for them to be outdoors.
02:46 There's enough space for them to move around, to feel all the natural elements around them.
02:51 Another question I think parents would want to know is, do kids have assignments?
02:55 Oh no, no, no, they don't.
02:57 Their job is to play.
02:58 So they can do that at home.
03:00 That's fine.
03:00 Yeah.
03:01 So no assignments.
03:03 No requirements, no tests, no books, no worksheets, nothing.
03:06 It's purely learning by doing, learning by playing.
03:10 I think that that might be a foreign concept.
03:13 Yes.
03:13 So could you tell me a little bit more about your approach and why it's beneficial to kids?
03:18 So here in Maya Forest, we believe that children can learn by doing, by moving.
03:24 They learn best if their whole body is engaged.
03:28 It's not just the mind, it's not just the ears that's working or eyes looking at the teacher.
03:32 Their whole body has to be engaged for them to learn better and learn in a more natural way.
03:40 So there's no need to force them to sit down.
03:41 There's no need to force them to do the activity.
03:43 Everything will be done through their language, which is playing.
03:47 Right.
03:48 And normally, parents always ask, right, or they wonder,
03:53 "How do I get my kids to school if they can't sit down yet?"
03:56 Surprisingly, that's why we put free play first.
03:59 Because once they're done with free play, they're done playing, all their energy has been released.
04:04 That's when they can sit down better.
04:06 That's when they can do their activities better.
04:08 Right.
04:09 I know the question on the minds of most parents.
04:13 What happens when it rains?
04:15 So if it rains, everything else continues.
04:19 We don't stop for the rain.
04:20 We don't stop just because it's raining.
04:22 So we teach kids how to be prepared.
04:24 So always have a raincoat, your rain boots inside your bags.
04:29 It's extra fun for the kids.
04:31 They love the rain.
04:32 They love playing in the mud.
04:34 They love jumping on puddles.
04:35 The rain doesn't really stop them from learning.
04:38 It actually adds up to the fun.
04:40 If we know that it's going to be quite hot, bring extra clothes, water,
04:44 and sunscreen inside your bag.
04:46 Even if the weather conditions are bad, we teach the kids that it's okay.
04:50 People have to learn how to adapt to our environment.
04:53 So we just have to be flexible enough and see that there are still learning opportunities,
04:58 even if it rains.
04:59 We have an open communication with parents.
05:08 The teachers speak to them regularly, in person.
05:12 Once they pick up their kids, we can give them updates right away.
05:15 We also have Viber groups wherein the teachers will send in photos daily
05:19 and then give updates or activities that they've done throughout the day.
05:23 And then we also have regular parent-teacher consultations.
05:26 And we have progress reports wherein they can see any developments or updates about their kids.
05:32 Maya Forest Preschool offers classes for three-year-olds called the Explorer's Class.
05:37 The Ranger's Class is for four-year-olds and the Kinder for five-year-olds.
05:42 It also offers an outdoor adventure program monthly and ballet classes.
05:47 In a day, that includes the two and a half hours, so three hours a day includes...
05:52 They have their free play, which is what's happening now.
05:55 They're free to choose any activities that they want.
05:58 They also have their storytelling, their sharing circle.
06:01 We also have our kalikasan, that's our indoor activity.
06:06 We also have, we learn forest skills and they have their snack time.
06:10 What we love at Maya Forest Preschool is that kids learn math,
06:18 arts, science, engineering, and literacy through nature play.
06:26 So if you're looking for a preschool that won't introduce the table and chair setup early on,
06:31 this is for you.
06:33 Do you also accept enrollees who are kids who might be on the spectrum or kids with special needs?
06:38 Yes, we are very inclusive. They're all welcome here in the forest.
06:42 Hi Sandra.
06:55 Well, how was school today?
06:58 Good.
06:59 Good. What'd you do?
07:00 Play.
07:02 Play. Do you want to come back here?
07:04 Yeah.
07:05 That's it for our day here at Maya Forest Preschool Manila.
07:11 If you want to see more preschools here at the Smart Parenting Guide, please comment them down below.
07:16 Bye, Smart Parenting!
07:19 Don't forget to subscribe!
07:27 [BLANK_AUDIO]