Read Write Inc phonics
Pure sounds first, then blending, then real books. Children move through the Speed Sounds at their own pace, with a phonics recap every day.
Speed Sounds on the classroom wall.
Preschool, playgroup and kindergarten · Alexandra Road
Ready for the primary years and still asking questions.
Your child learns Read Write Inc phonics and Singapore Maths in the school day, with a written learning plan of their own. On Alexandra Road, beside ARC.
- ECDA-licensed kindergarten
- 18 months to 6 years
- One educator to five children in the youngest class
- Learning plan reviewed every six weeks
Get the fees
No cost, no obligationNothing is due at your visit
4.9★ on Google, across all Agora programmesPreschool licensed by ECDA (PT9869) · 456 Alexandra Road, beside ARC
Preschool and kindergarten on Alexandra Road, 18 months to 6 years
- Ages
- 18 months to 6 years
- When it runs
- Weekdays, 7.30am drop-off to 2pm pick-up, all year round, with a two- or four-hour afternoon extension
- Ratio
- Up to 1:5 in Playgroup and up to 1:15 in Kindergarten
- Languages
- English and daily Mandarin
- Meals and rest
- Morning snack and optional lunch in the fee, eaten together; a rest for children who want it
- Where
- Classrooms, a library, a mud kitchen, a terrace and a playground, beside ARC
- Licence
- Licensed by ECDA as a kindergarten, centre code PT9869
How we teach
Most parents arrive with the same two worries.
Push too hard and a child learns to read but stops wanting to. Push too little and you hand a nervous five-year-old to primary school.
Singapore Maths
Concrete, then pictorial, then abstract. Children hold the quantity first, then draw it, then write the numeral.
The concrete stage: counting with things you can hold.
Inquiry
Reggio Emilia-inspired work with clay, loose parts, recycling and robotics. Children find out what the phonics and the maths are for.
Mandarin every day
Our Mandarin-speaking teachers use Mandarin with the children in play and in activity.
Literacy and numeracy lessons alternate, five of each across a fortnight. Classes run from Playgroup, the first, through Nursery 1, Nursery 2, Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2.
The day
Structured and led by the children.
The day has a set structure. What happens inside each block follows the children.
- Morning
Core curriculum
Arrival from 7.30am · Morning circle · Phonics, literacy and numeracy · STEAM, performing arts and sports
- Midday
Inquiry
Clay, recycling and robotics · Mandarin · Outdoor exploration
- Afternoon
Extensions
Weekly projects · Focused learning linked to your child's plan · A rest for children who want it
At least an hour of physical activity is built into every day. The core day runs from 7.30am drop-off to 2pm pick-up. An afternoon extension adds either two or four hours.
Individual Learning Plan
A written learning plan for every preschool child.
Every Preschool child has an Individual Learning Plan across six developmental domains. The teacher writes it after four to six weeks of watching your child and reviews it every six weeks.
Individual Learning Plan · one goal
- Goal
- To successfully use scissors to cut along a line, within a set timeframe.
- What I saw
- You held the scissors with your thumb on top and cut halfway along the line before the paper slipped.
- Why it matters
- Your hands are getting steadier. Holding the paper still is the next part.
- What comes next
- Next time, try turning the paper with your other hand as you cut.
Reviewed every six weeks and shared with you.
- Observe.Teachers write down what your child did.
- Plan.Goals set around what your child needs next.
- Teach.Lessons adapt to those goals.
- Review.Every six weeks, with an update for you.
- Adjust.A child who is ahead gets harder work.
What you hear from us and when
- Every day
- A note from your child's teacher.
- Fortnightly
- A newsletter from the room.
- Every six weeks
- An update against the plan and a review with you.
A typical report card
- How often
- Once a term
- Compares your child with
- The class
- Tells you
- Where your child placed
At Agora: a learning plan
- How often
- Reviewed every six weeks
- Compares your child with
- Their last review
- Tells you
- What comes next
Settling in
Your child can take as long as they need.
Some children settle in a morning and some take a term. Both are normal. Tell us about your child at the visit and we'll explain how we'd handle the first weeks.
"… Claire and her team gave my son as much time as he needed to feel safe and confident. They met him where he was emotionally, and that made all the difference."
Tell us early and we'll tell you what we can do.
Children who need extra support are welcome. We talk it through with you before you enrol. Claire will tell you whether this is the right setting for your child. Sometimes the answer is no. Better to know that at the start than in month three.
"… we ask, ‘What does this child need next?’"
Claire MichaelHead of Early Years · ECDA-certified Inclusion Officer
Trained on the practice
New teachers complete the Agora Training Plan before they run a room, so a different adult does the same thing when a child gets stuck.
Ready for the primary years, in plain terms
A child who can decode text, handle numbers with confidence, sit with a hard problem and ask for help when they need it.
Reviews
Preschool parents, in their own words
"I have looked for a preschool that actively cares and listens to the child, never leaves a crying child assuming they’ll ‘just be ok’ … Agora is the place!"
"What truly set Agora Colearning apart was meeting Ms. Claire. She went above and beyond … allowing us to get a real feel for the teaching style, environment, teacher-child interactions, and overall atmosphere."
"They have taken the time to truly understand his emotional and learning needs, tailoring their approach to ensure he feels safe, valued, and capable."
Fees
What the fee covers and what's charged separately
Fees are set each year. Ask us and we'll send the current programme fee and the afternoon extension in writing within 24 hours.
In the fee
- Five days a week, all year round
- The core day, 7.30am to 2pm
- Uniforms and a welcome pack: sun hat, water bottle, grip socks, painting apron and reading log
- Excursions
- The Individual Learning Plan
- A healthy morning snack and optional lunch
- Insurance
Charged separately
- The afternoon extension, two or four hours
- Transport
- Re-enrolment, if you withdraw and later come back
Fees include GST. There's a registration fee and a deposit. Nothing is due at your visit.
Get the fees on WhatsApp
Tell us your child's age. We'll send this year's fee and the afternoon extension within 24 hours.
Questions
Questions parents ask about Preschool
What age can my child start Preschool and what are the classes?
From 18 months. Agora Preschool runs from 18 months to 6 years, through Playgroup, Nursery 1, Nursery 2, Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2, up to the primary years. Playgroup is the first class. Tell us your child's age and we'll tell you which class they would join.
The usual age for each level is in our guide to preschool ages in Singapore.
Is Agora Preschool licensed by ECDA?
Yes. Agora Preschool is licensed by ECDA as a kindergarten, centre code PT9869. The licence covers Preschool only.
What are the Preschool hours?
The core day runs from 7.30am drop-off to 2pm pick-up, on weekdays all year round. An afternoon extension adds either two or four hours. Exact start and finish times differ by programme, so we'll confirm yours at the visit.
What is the teacher-to-child ratio?
Up to one educator to five children in Playgroup and up to fifteen in Kindergarten.
Which phonics programme do you use and how do you teach maths?
Read Write Inc phonics: pure sounds first, then blending, then real books, with a phonics recap every day. Maths is Singapore Maths, taught concrete first, then pictorial, then abstract, so children hold the quantity before they write the numeral.
We don't speak Mandarin at home. Will my child cope?
Mandarin is part of every day here. Our Mandarin-speaking teachers use it with the children in play and in activity, so your child hears it and uses it at school.
Is there a nap or rest time and are meals included?
Children who want a rest after lunch have one. The others do quiet work. A healthy morning snack and optional lunch are in the fee. Everyone eats together at the table, which is daily practice at taking turns, sharing and talking with friends. Tell us about any allergy before your child starts and we'll adjust your child's meals.
What happens in the first two weeks?
Your child settles at their own pace. Some children settle in a morning and some take a term. Both are normal. In the first four to six weeks, your child's teacher watches and writes down what your child does. Those notes become the learning plan. Tell us about your child at the visit and we'll explain how we'd handle the start.
Will my child be ready for the primary years?
That is what the programme works towards. Readiness here means a child who can decode text, handle numbers with confidence, sit with a hard problem and ask for help when they need it. The last two decide how the primary years go.
Discovery visit
Come and see an ordinary morning.
You'll watch a class in progress, meet the teachers who would teach your child and go through the fees. We'll WhatsApp you within 24 hours to find a weekday morning.
Enrolling now and for January.
A Child First Aider is on site whenever we're open. Only the people you've named can collect your child.
Prefer to message? WhatsApp +65 9012 7704Fragrance Empire Building, 456 Alexandra Road, beside ARCLabrador Park MRT (CC27)
Arrange your discovery visit
Tell us a little about your child. We'll WhatsApp you within 24 hours to find a time.
No cost, no obligationNothing is due at your visit