Big Apple Bandar Botanic, Klang

Hands down one of the biggest kindergartens in Klang, Selangor, Big Apple Tadika & Taska is much more than the well-loved kindergarten and nursery that it is – it’s also currently a famous landmark of Bandar Botanic, Klang. To say that kids love being here is an understatement, for there are children who get excited just by passing the building and catching a glimpse of its iconic red apple logo!

The Big Apple chain of kindergartens itself has been around since the early 90’s (1993 to be exact), with the Bandar Botanic Branch being one of its newer ones, having opened just this year in 2021. We at Kiddy123 were delighted to have caught up with Ms. Cynthia, the Principal of this rather large branch here in Klang, to find out more about the rave reviews received from parents about this establishment.

Big Apple has been known to provide high quality early education using its own syllabus, which adheres to the guidelines of our Ministry of Education. However, as many discerning parents already know, education alone will not be enough for today’s ever-evolving world, and today’s kids have an even more challenging future ahead of them, “It is my firm belief that children should not only be prepared academically to face the world later on in life, but they should also have the kind of character and traits that will help carry themselves well as adults. All these have to be instilled during the critical growing years”, was Ms. Cynthia’s opening statement. 

Academically speaking, students of Big Apple are educated to be big in knowledge, to say the least. Do not be surprised if a conversation with a child who goes here should include terms such as isthmus, archipelago, or any other rather impressive terms that are less commonly heard from little ones.

“Other than the fact that we ensure that each child receives a completely enriching early education to prepare them for what lies ahead for them, the facilities we have here are also, undoubtedly, one of the reasons why parents find themselves drawn to enrol their children here,” Ms. Cynthia revealed before giving us a tour of her well-equipped establishment. We soon found out for ourselves how true her words were, for even the washrooms were custom-built for children to use with ease, designed in such a way that also made it easy for teachers to toilet train some of the little ones. What astounded us further was that there were even little downsized rugs for them too, which were simply adorable!

Age-appropriate programmes + top-notch facilities

The stand-alone building which houses the kindergarten is indeed a majestic site. Cheery and welcoming, the waiting area-cum-nursery hall is equipped with a Leggo board for kids to play with while waiting for their parents or teachers.

Our attention was drawn to the fact that the classrooms for the 4, 5 and 6 year olds were all equipped with projectors, making for very modern, convenient and effective learning, which is, in many ways, time saving as well. “Less than a decade ago, books played an integral role in a teacher’s life, whereas now, books are the supporting material as technology takes over in the classrooms,” Ms. Cynthia shared.

It is understood that for little ones, hands-on activities are the quickest way in which they learn and pick up new skills. Hence the relevance of Big Apple’s Train Your Skills programme, which reaps extraordinary results in helping children hone some useful practical life skills in accordance to their respective age groups. Little ones as young as two get to partake in activities such as spreading butter on toast, or even ‘cutting’ a banana with a plastic knife. As they grow older and develop their motor skills, children will proceed to other activities such as buttoning their shirt, tying shoe-laces, folding clothes, cleaning up after themselves, to name just a few. For the five year olds, their sensory developments are nurtured, which helps teachers ascertain if a child has vision issues, among other developmental setbacks.

The Library, we were informed, is another special feature of Big Apple Bandar Botanic. It is not just a place for reading books and storytelling, but the kids’ public speaking practice also takes place there. “Plus, we send all our crying children there, to stop them from crying,” Ms. Cynthia laughed, emphasising how magical the spot is to the students.

The kindergarten’s gym hall, playground and swimming pool for water play ensure that children get to have lots of physical movement in a fun, safe and secure environment, under the watchful eye of teachers. These amenities are wonderfully attractive, kid-friendly and designed for childhood enjoyment. The construction of a green house was under way at the time of our interview, and that too will add immense value to the kindergarten. All of them make for a well-rounded early education which, combined with academics, provide enriching, memorable experiences for growing children.

An additional floor of the building was being prepared to accommodate a few training rooms for teachers, as well as a science lab for the 5 and 6 year-olds to perform their S.T.E.A.M experiments. While we’re on the topic of S.T.E.A.M., Big Apple kindergarten is known for its implementation of this element of education to help children think critically and develop problem-solving skills using Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

There is also something to be said about the ingenuity of the ambiance at Big Apple Bandar Botanic. “As you can see, our building features glass walls, and for a good reason too,” Ms. Cynthia said. “Children naturally perform better when they are able to see what’s going on outside of the room they’re in, instead of being in an enclosed area as with most conventional classrooms,” she continued. And, we also gathered on our own that the natural light must be doing them good too!

Lesson plans designed to suit a child’s needs

Big Apple takes its lessons planning seriously to ensure the best outcome for all its students. Between the ages of 2-4, children will get to build their proficiency in the English language, which will be useful for them no matter which stream they enter in their primary school. Hence, whether they are set to enter a Chinese, national, or international stream for their primary school, they will be well-prepared through the meticulous lesson plans designed to accommodate their needs. The 6-year-olds at Big Apple kindergarten also need to sit for their Cambridge English exams which will be immensely useful for them, especially if they intend to enter an international school. Cambridge English covers three areas – Listening, reading/writing, and speaking skills, which result in the graduates of Big Apple kindergarten being proficient in the international language of the world!