Resources

Dr Cynthia Tan, Assistant Director in the Faculty and Leadership Development (FLD) Division, was featured in the first episode of beansTALK, a vodcast series on early childhood education in Singapore, in her capacity as an ECDA Fellow.

In the episode, host Samantha Tan (@askteachersam) facilitated a thoughtful discussion with Dr Cynthia, fellow ECDA Fellows Ms Jane Choy and Ms Stacey Toh, and father and social media influencer Mr Adrian Ang (@adrian.xiaoming). The conversation covers public perceptions of preschools as service providers, the role of effective communication in supporting children’s preschool journeys, and how educators can address parental concerns about safety and learning.

Dr Cynthia shared practical strategies for building strong parent-educator partnerships, including the need for a mindset shift by approaching conversations with genuine interest and curiosity about each other’s lives. She highlighted how asking specific, thoughtful questions can encourage parents to share more openly about their children. Dr Cynthia also emphasised that preschool education goes beyond service provision—children are not commodities, and this is why strong partnerships between parents and educators are essential.