Xy Preschool Teacher is a blog for fellow preschool teachers or parents of preschool children. These are articles I have written to inspire and encourage fellow kindergarten teachers. Whether you need some kindergarten resources or guides to parenting, I wrote this blog through my personal experience or research. I also sell preschool printables on Etsy for parents and educators that include special needs resources or classroom management tools. Let's get your child ready for back to school!
I have been a preschool teacher from 2015 to 2025, and since this year, a special education teacher. While my job scope has changed, the core essence of teaching has remained. While typically developing children are different from neurodivergent students, all children need the same love and belonging that they can feel from adults. They know who has good "auras", the ones who can make them feel safe.
I have a student who is attached to me, even when I try to leave the classroom, he goes after me. Thankfully, I have fellow educators in the classroom to support the students in my absence.
Recently, I have been battling with tooth pain. I have had a root canal for one tooth, and now another tooth has cracked, and my wisdom tooth has been infected, leading to a swollen jaw. I do hope to get these issues resolved because I want to be at my best at work, and talking is my main mode of teaching.
But I will still show up for work, with a box of Panadol Extra, ready to serve the little ones. I will find the strength in me to keep showing up, to keep giving my best, because these little ones deserve my very best.
Do follow me on my various social media platforms and check out my Etsy shop!
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
is more commonly known as Autism, and it affects individuals in their lives. It
is the most funded and researched disability in Singapore as compared to others,
but Singapore’s journey towards supporting each and every one of these unique
learners continues on.
What does Autism Spectrum Disorder mean?
So what is autism? Autism is a
neurodevelopmental disorder where the person faces challenges in interacting
with the physical and social world, while the term autism has Greek origins,
where ‘autos’ means self, so a person with autism is in his or her own world, and
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a spectrum because individuals are drastically
different from each other (Autism Resource Centre
(Singapore), 2024).
These individuals face different challenges and learning needs, where some need
more one-to-one support from caregivers, while others may be indistinguishable
from mainstream peers.
What does special needs mean?
What is the meaning of special
needs or Special Education (SPED)? It is when a person needs additional or
customised services or accommodations in education or life due to physical,
emotional, behavioural difficulties or disabilities (Merriam-webster, 2026). These are the diagnosed
conditions that Singapore offers support in terms of schools: ASD with and
without intellectual impairments, mild to severe intellectual disability,
multiple disabilities, and sensory impairment (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2026).
The types of special schools in Singapore
In Singapore, various special
schools cater for these students. There will be three new special education
schools for students with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability from
the middle of 2026, increasing the number to 16 schools in Singapore, and there
are 9000 students with special needs (Ang, 2026). There are various SPED
schools in Singapore, such as Pathlight School, St. Andrew’s Schools,
Anglo-Chinese School (Academy), APSN, AWWA School, MINDS, Eden School, Grace Orchard
Schools, Maitri School, Metta School, Rainbow Centre Schools, Cerebral Palsy
Alliance Singapore Schools, and Lighthouse School (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2026). Thus, there is a
higher demand than supply when it comes to catering for the educational needs
of SPED students.
How does one become a special needs teacher in Singapore?
So, to be a special needs
teacher means to work with students with learning disabilities. SPED schools
offer personalised support for students ranging from moderate to severe special
educational needs, and the minimum academic criteria include a local GCE
A-Level or diploma, while to qualify for international special education, the applicant
needs to have a Bachelor’s or Masters degree in special education, have completed
teaching practicum in a special education school, and a transcript with the
practicum and English Language competence if the degree was not in English (Ministry of Education
Singapore, 2026).
For passionate applicants, it is a rewarding field to teach special needs
students.
The future after studying for SPED students
It may be challenging for
these students to find work after their schooling years, but fortunately,
Singapore is progressive in having companies that cater for the unique needs of
these individuals. Many companies believe in being inclusive of persons with
disabilities and have received commendations, including Marina Bay Sands Pte
Ltd, UOB, National Library Board, and Sentosa Development Corporation (SG Enable, 2021). It is common to
visit local restaurants or retail outlets to find inclusive workplaces, where
these individuals have received sufficient training. However, Singaporeans can learn
to be more mindful and patient with these employees, as mistakes are bound to
happen from time to time because of their inability to read social cues or understand
social rules.
Is Singapore's work done?
While the journey towards inclusivity
remains long and tedious, it is with a great hope for the future that the day
may eventually be near, thanks to Singapore’s commitment towards special
education, as seen in the initiatives of building more new SPED schools,
supporting teachers in their careers, and even rewarding companies for being
inclusive in their workplaces.
References
Ang, H. (3 March, 2026). Three new SPED schools for
students with autism and intellectual disability to open. CNA. Retrieved
from
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/special-education-needs-schools-autism-intellectual-disability-5963391
Autism Resource Centre (Singapore). (22 August, 2024). What
is Autism? Retrieved from Autism Resource Centre (Singapore):
https://www.autism.org.sg/living-with-autism/what-is-autism
Merriam-webster. (2026). Special needs. Retrieved
from Merriam-Webster:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20needs
Ministry of Education Singapore. (8 January, 2026). Special
education (SPED) schools. Retrieved from Ministry of Education Singapore:
https://www.moe.gov.sg/special-educational-needs/sped-schools
Ministry of Education Singapore. (8 January, 2026). Teaching
in special education schools. Retrieved from Ministry of Education
Singapore: https://www.moe.gov.sg/careers/become-teachers/sped-teacher
SG Enable. (2021). Honour Roll. Retrieved from
Enabling Mark: https://enablingmark.sg/honourroll
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There are two types of
counting, namely rote counting, where number names are recited from memory, and
rational counting, where a number name is matched to an object in a collection (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, &
Hynes-Berry, 2013).
The second type of counting is more engaging and more practical in everyday
life.
These are the following
counting opportunities, namely knowing number name sequence, one-to-one
correspondence, cardinality, stability, relative size, making connections
between number names, quantities and symbols, counting forwards, backwards, or
middle, and base-ten structure (Novakowski, 2015). Hence, a wide variety of learning
opportunities can be provided in a classroom setting.
The Big Ideas for Counting are
firstly that counting is used to find out the quantity in a collection, and
secondly, it also has rules that apply to any collection (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, &
Hynes-Berry, 2013).
Secondly, counting has rules
that apply to any collection. This Big Idea has the following four key
principles: stable order, one-to-one correspondence, order irrelevance, and
cardinality (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013).
Stable order refers to always
starting from one when counting, so if a child has not mastered this principle,
he will use random numbers during counting, and this is not just important for
number sequence memorisation but each number is bigger than the one that
precedes it and smaller than the next, and because the number system is
base-10, every number that ends with 9 will go back to 0 (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). Children should be
able to count in the correct number sequence from 1 to 10, and 10 comes after
9.
Order irrelevance builds on
stable order and generalises one-to-one correspondence, because no matter which
object the counting starts from, the result will remain the same, and the fact that
number words do not change the objects themselves but are only used during
counting, but then this affects reality, so when objects are counted, they
should be set aside to avoid confusion (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). So if a child counts
the number of friends seated in a circle, it does not matter if the child
counts from the left or right. The child will also understand that calling a
friend by a number does not mean that it will be their name. Adults should also
guide children to set aside counted objects during counting.
Cardinality is knowing that
the last number used is the quantity of objects, and cardinality serves two
purposes: children use numbers to apply to objects, and children use the last
number to represent the quantity of objects (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). While this may be a
simple concept as well, it takes a while for young children to understand.
Teaching Number Operations
Number Operations are tools
that need a foundation of understanding that every operation tells a story (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). These operations
simply refer to the following mathematical concepts: addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division.
The Big Ideas for Number
Operations are firstly that sets can be changed through joining or separating,
secondly, sets are compared using numerosity and are ordered by more than, less
than, and equal to, and thirdly, a quantity can be decomposed into equal or
unequal parts, and the parts can be composed to form a whole (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013).
Big Idea #1 of Number Operations
Firstly, sets can be changed
through joining or separating. Sets can change when objects are added or
removed, so children need to know the definitions of adding and taking away, and
there are strategies like counting all, where a child counts a set of objects
from the first object whenever there is a change, and counting on, which is
when new objects are added, but the number continues from the last counted
object (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). As children will be
more inclined to use the counting all strategy, teachers can provoke thinking
and encourage them to use counting on instead.
Big Idea #2 of Number Operations
Secondly, sets are compared
using numerosity and are ordered by more than, less than, and equal to. Children
will naturally know to use visual comparison to tell if a set has more objects,
and they use matching where sets are placed next to each other with one-to-one
correspondence to determine the quantities, and even if the objects vary in
size, children know that they are only focusing on the number of objects (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, &
Hynes-Berry, 2013).
So, even if a larger quantity of small erasers is placed next to a small
quantity of big erasers, children understand that there are more small erasers.
Ordering is about ordinal
numbers of first to last or most to fewest, thus the order of number sequences
tells the relationship between sets, in which sets are then determined whether
which has more than, less than, or equal to each other (Brownell, Chen,
Ginet, & Hynes-Berry, 2013). Ordinal numbers are
also how children attribute numbers to quantity, as they use the terms first,
second, and third.
Big Idea #3 of Number Operations
Thirdly, a quantity can be
decomposed into equal or unequal parts, and the parts can be composed to form a
whole. The concept of subitising is required as children learn that there are multiple
ways to get a certain quantity, and they can add and subtract automatically,
but this differs from rote thinking, as it is an understanding of part/whole
relationships (Brownell, Chen, Ginet, &
Hynes-Berry, 2013).
So, ten can be five and five, but also eight and two.
Therefore, as simple as
counting and number operations may seem to adults, these ideas are more
relevant and enlightening for children to learn more about the world around
them.
References
Brownell, J., Chen, J.-Q., Ginet, L., &
Hynes-Berry, M. (2013). Big Ideas of Early Mathematics. US: Pearson
Education.
The early childhood years are
defined as the ages up to 8, where important physical, cognitive, and
socioemotional development happens, as a child’s brain is very malleable and
responsive to changes through a relationship with genes, environment, and experiences
(UNICEF, 2026). Thus, caregivers
must be nurturing towards young children as their early years very much shape a
child’s life, and in this article, the various areas of development will be
understood.
Physical development of young children
Firstly, a child’s physical
development will be discussed.
A child grows 2½ inches in
height and 5 to 10 pounds in weight every year, while the frontal lobe of the
brain grows the fastest, with gross and fine motor skills improving exponentially
(Santrock, 2019). To empower children for lifetime success,
they need rich early learning experiences, as they help to form new neural
connections in the brain when adults are nurturing, and all areas of
development are equally important, with changes in one domain affecting other
areas, or even show the importance of each area, with an example of how
learning to crawl enables a toddler to discover the world (NAEYC, 2026).
Thus, parents or teachers should never regard academics as more important than
physical or any other areas of development, as they all correlate and enhance
each other.
Cognitive development of young children
Secondly, the child’s cognitive
development is analysed.
At 2 years old, a child is in
the ‘terrible twos’ stage, and at 3 the child is very energetic, then at 4 the
child is curious and speaks a lot, and at 5 the child starts feeling
responsible, which leads to at 6 the child enjoys learning from reading, storytelling,
or from shows like cartoons (SingHealth Group, 2025). A young child has
endless potential to learn from the environment.
Young children are in the
preoperational stage, so they are unable to do operations, which are reversible
mental actions, though they use symbols to understand the world, and they start
to ask a lot of questions as they construct knowledge when they interact with
people (Santrock, 2019). Children during
this stage need more concrete materials as they are unable to imagine concepts
in their brains, and they also need nurturing relationships with adults to grow
and learn from.
Socioemotional development of young children
Thirdly, a child’s socioemotional
development will be discussed.
Erikson explains that early
childhood is when the child tries to mediate between initiative versus guilt,
as children learn more about themselves in terms of body parts, material
objects, and physical activities, and also a deeper understanding of emotions, and
parents who are more nurturing will have children who can self-regulate better (Santrock, 2019). It can never be
overstated that adults need to be caring towards children, so children never
grow up feeling bad about themselves.
Play is crucial for development,
in helping imagination, peer relationships, and developing language, motor
skills, promotes problem-solving and creates emerging skills (NAEYC, 2026).
Hence, play should never be a secondary activity but should be treated equally
as important as academics or schoolwork.
Therefore, these areas of
development have been discussed: Physical, cognitive, and socioemotional. A
common thread that connects all of them is the role of the teacher or parent,
whether it is in providing rich learning experiences or being a supportive
figure, as they continue to grow and develop into their middle childhood years.
Many behavioural issues can be resolved even before they
start, and that comes from an understanding of child development. Teachers and
parents can implement these strategies to help manage their children’s behaviour.
In this article, the following effective methods will be described: setting up
the physical environment, maintaining a consistent routine, setting clear
expectations, and guiding children through transitions.
Shaping the classroom environment
Firstly, challenging behaviour can be managed by changing
the classroom environment, and because open spaces encourage children to run so
furniture can be used to break up space while still being functional, or work
spaces can be adjusted so children’s backs are facing the wall to allow for teacher
facilitation, and lastly allow for independence by having schedules and other
work materials in the work space (Autism Classroom Resources, 2026). The Reggio Emilia
approach believes that the learning environment is the third teacher, and thus,
teachers can save much time and effort just by spending some thought into their
classrooms.
Have a consistent classroom routine
Secondly, routines are also vital to classroom management,
as it helps children feel safe and confident to learn, for them to understand
consistency in the daily schedule, which helps in emotional regulation,
independence, and task concentration, while reducing negative behaviour (Leapfrogs, 2025). Children need to know
what to expect after every activity in school. Teachers and adults should never
make random changes throughout the day to confuse them, though if changes are
needed, always communicate with the children. This applies not just to special needs
but to every child.
Set clear expectations
Thirdly, when adults have clear expectations, children can
avoid confusion and anxiety, so they know about the boundaries, and adults can
do so by being specific, using positive language, staying consistent with
consequences, allowing the child to set expectations, segmenting the task, and
using lists or charts (Dynamics Therapy Group, 2024). If something is not
allowed, it should not be allowed, regardless of the situation. However, phrase
expectations with a positive tone, such as saying, “We love our teachers and
friends, so we will use kind language to each other.”
Guiding children with transitions
Fourthly, children struggle with transitions, especially when
everything is new, be it the environment or routines, so transitions may become
triggers for negative reactions, because children lack the understanding of
time and thus will need predictability to guide them, and teachers can use
auditory stimuli like a bell or visual schedule, and even fun activities like
singing songs to ease children through every activity of the day (Brightwheel, 2025). Even adults sometimes
struggle with going from one activity to another, so children should be given
the time and space to understand and not be rushed through everything.
Therefore, these are the strategies to help guide children’s
behaviour. Above all, consistency is key to guiding children’s behaviour and
with nurturing adults in the learning environment, the likelihood of negative
behaviours occurring should be kept at a minimum.
Sometimes it is not what an
adult says but how they say something that matters. The more an adult wants to
stop a child’s tantrum, the more the tantrum could escalate even further, and
so it is important to understand what not to do (Hershberg, 2024).
Firstly, here are the things
adults should do when faced with a child having the biggest tantrum, namely,
positive language and positive reinforcement.
Use positive language
Positive language is a great
discipline strategy, and adults showcase warmth and care towards students when
they use it directly, allowing children to learn actively and stay engaged,
while also communicating rules and boundaries clearly, and reinforcing existing
positive behaviours (Responsive Classroom, 2024). A parent can commend
on a child being neat or doing his homework promptly without reminders. This
can reinforce a desirable behaviour.
Use positive reinforcement
Reinforcement is about reinforcing
a behaviour through giving or removing something, so positive reinforcement is
to add rewards or praise to encourage a child to repeat a desired behaviour,
and teachers should focus on the positive to motivate children, so they know
that doing well is rewarding, rather than knowing the negative effects of
misbehaviour (Martella, Nelson,
Marchand-Martella, & O'Reilly, 2012). What someone
focuses on will indeed grow, so rather than feel frustrated over the negative
behaviour, it is better and easier to celebrate the positive.
Praise is a common positive
reinforcement technique, and it can increase a child’s intrinsic motivation,
helping the child to gain a sense of competence (Sutherland, Wehby, &
Copeland, 2016).
Praise has to be specific, helping the child to understand exactly what he or
she is being praised for.
Secondly, here are the things adults
should never do, namely, focusing only on the negative and undermining a child.
Never focus on the negative
When teachers focus only on
negative behaviours, they reinforce such disruptive behaviours (Mundschenk, Miner, &
Nastally, 2011).
In every school, there is a teacher who seems to be angry or fierce all the
time, and these teachers are both feared and revered by adults and children
alike. However, how often do their techniques work? To children, bad attention
is better than no attention, and thus, even if they can behave at their best
when disciplinary teachers are around, difficult children quickly go back to
their normal states when they are gone.
Never undermine a child
It is easy to undermine a child’s reactions to trivialise
their emotions, but adults should respond to tantrums seriously and honestly to
teach them that even difficult emotions are part of life and learn to cope with
them (Hershberg, 2024). Adults have
countless years of experience, and just like how it is unreasonable to expect a
newbie at the job to learn everything quickly, children need the time to grow
and develop, to understand themselves and others.
Therefore, whether it is teachers or parents, the spiral
towards deep resentment and disappointment is easy to fall into when it comes
to taking care of young children. Sometimes it is better to take a step back,
try to see the child’s positive side and emphasise it through positive reinforcement,
understand the child is still learning, and will someday display the appropriate
behaviour with the proper guidance.
Martella, R. C., Nelson, J. R., Marchand-Martella, N. E.,
& O'Reilly, M. (2012). Comprehensive behavior management:
Individualized, classroom, and schoolwide approaches. Los Angeles: Sage.
Mundschenk, N. A., Miner, C. A., & Nastally, B. L.
(2011). Effective Classroom Management: An Air Traffic Control Analogy. Intervention
in School and Clinic, 47(2), 98-103.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451211414190
Sutherland, K. S., Wehby, J. H., & Copeland, S. R. (13
September, 2016). Effect of Varying Rates of Behavior-Specific Praise on the
On-Task Behavior of Students with EBD. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders, 8(1), 2-8. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/106342660000800101
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What happens when a child is having a tantrum? An adult’s
actions could determine whether the child goes back to normal or continues
making a fuss in public.
They need you
Children and toddlers are not yet able to self-regulate, and
so adults need to be present to guide them, because the skill to calm
themselves down only starts after three years old (Briggs, 2024). It is common for
adults to feel frustrated when a child does not understand what they should be
doing. But, children are still developing and thus adults need to be realistic about
what they can or cannot do at the moment.
You are the role model
Adults need to have the skill to self-regulate and be a
role model so they can guide a child, so when a child displays tantrums, adults
stay calm and use techniques such as setting proper expectations, understanding
the child’s emotions, speaking less, teaching self-soothing, or even having a
break (Briggs, 2024). During a child’s
tantrums, it is tempting to reason about what he or she should or should not be
doing. But this can cause the child not to learn how to self-regulate.
When the tantrum stops, reasoning starts
The Arc of the Tantrum states five zones that a child goes
through during a tantrum: Normal, escalation, dysregulation zone, calming down,
and back to normal (Parenthood Understood, 2026). This is a useful
tool for teachers and parents to understand how to guide a child’s behaviour.
Sometimes the best method is to give the child some space when the child is
triggered.
The brain's primal response
A trigger typically leads a child from normal to escalation,
which starts the tantrum and when the tantrum reaches the peak, it is called
the dysregulation zone, and the child’s brain enters a “flight-fight-freeze”
state, though they will naturally calm down on their own and finally be back to
normal (Parenthood Understood, 2026). When a human feels
that they are in danger, the brain gives an automatic and primal response, be it
to fight, flee, or freeze, because the brain wants to protect them, though this
may be an overreaction because not every threat is life-threatening (Baker, 2008). It is therefore
important that adults understand that the child needs help. Allow the child to
calm down and reach a normal state, because the tantrum could escalate again,
then talk to him or her to guide their behaviour.
Consistency is key
A great parenting tip is for parents to always begin with
consistent rules and consequences, as children need structure to manage their
behaviour, and rules can set boundaries, while consequences offer rewards and punishments
for the rules (Baker, 2008). If a mother shows
that rules can be broken simply because she is tired or wants to be nice, a
child will get confused as to the correct behaviour. If a behaviour is
unacceptable, it is unacceptable regardless of the situation.
Focus on the child
But there are times when rewards and punishments fail to
work with a rowdy child, and sometimes adults need to let go of the concept of
whether the behaviour is intentional and instead focus on changing the triggers
or guide the child to deal with the triggers (Baker, 2008). If the child
refuses to do his homework, try to understand why. Did the child get laughed at
in school? Or does the child feel inadequate in dealing with failure? If so,
comfort him or her and do not scold for not doing the task.
Therefore, as teachers or parents, they have to be calm and
capable of self-regulation. Take the time to understand the child’s behaviour
and give space for the child to calm down before using reason. The child is
still learning about self-regulation and may not be intentional with the “bad
behaviour”. Lastly, adults should always ensure their rules are consistent.
References
Baker, J. (2008). No more meltdowns: Positive
strategies for dealing with and preventing out-of-control behavior.
United States of America: Future Horizons.
