Dr Cheng Wan-Ni, Dean of the Early Childhood Care and Education Department (ECCED) and Senior Lecturer at the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language, was invited to conduct a five-day training programme from 11 to 15 May 2026 for more than 200 preschool teachers from Star Learners Child Care. The customised course was titled "Decoding and Responding: A Practical Guide to Positive Interaction with Young Children".

        Dr Cheng introduced the Serve and Return model, an authoritative framework developed by Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. She guided participants to understand how young children send out interactive signals through eye contact, gestures, language, and even silence or resistance, and guided them to respond in a more structured and intentional ways of responding, laying the foundation for stable, two-way interactions with children.

        Using the example of a child taking a long time to finish a meal, Dr Cheng explained that such seemingly uncooperative behaviour may in fact reflect limited attention span, sensory sensitivities, or a developmental need for autonomy, reminding teachers that "behaviour is only the surface — the underlying need is what truly matters". The course also focused on subtle interactive cues in Chinese language classrooms, such as children being reluctant to speak Chinese or responding in their mother tongue, encouraging teachers to view children's language-learning journeys with greater understanding and patience.

        The course also incorporated the Serve and Return model together with specialised techniques such as the 3R (Receive, Reflect, Respond) and 3S (Show, Say, Suggest) frameworks into scenario-based practice and group activities, allowing participants to repeatedly rehearse the "Notice–Attune–Respond" interaction process in simulated classroom settings, and to reflect on interactive signals initiated by children that are often overlooked in daily teaching. Dr Cheng emphasised that teachers should first attune to a child's emotions before responding, following the principle of "Connect before Correct", in order to build stable and synchronised connections with children. She also compiled a comprehensive resource package for participants, including ready-to-use formulas, language banks, and body-language techniques that teachers could apply in their classrooms the very next day.

        This professional and customised training enhanced the sensitivity of Star Learners Child Care's Chinese language teaching team to children's interactive signals, and introduced more nuanced, evidence-based strategies into their daily teaching practice. The programme marks an important milestone in advancing child-centred, professionally tailored training for early childhood Chinese language education, offering diverse perspectives and resources for the field.

        The training programme also provided an opportunity for the intern from the NUS Department of Chinese Studies to take part in developing teaching materials and practising journalistic reporting, allowing her to gain first-hand exposure to the dissemination of Chinese language education.

Dr Cheng explaining theory and interacting with participants

Dr Cheng discussing and reviewing classroom feedback shared by participants

Dr Cheng interacting and discussing with participants during group activities

Contributed by the Early Childhood Care and Education Department (Hoo Shi Ying, NUS intern)