How teachers in Vietnam get 250 preschoolers to take a nap
“To get all the children to go to sleep at the same time – we need to know each one individually. We need to learn about and understand every single child.”
If you’ve ever struggled to get just one young child to take a lunchtime nap – you may have wondered how the professionals do it.
The OneSky Early Learning Center in Da Nang, Vietnam is a very special preschool. It was set up specifically to serve the children of rural migrants who moved to the city to find work in the nearby factory zone.
After lunchtime every day OneSky-trained staff perform a minor miracle – getting almost 250 children aged from six months to six years old to take a nap.
Here’s how they do it:
The big girls and boys…
After eating lunch, the kids go to the toilet, wash their hands, then line up to get their own beds out. Routine and personal responsibilities are important.
When they lie down, teachers read books or turn on audio stories. After that, they play relaxing music for the children to fall asleep to.
When they’re sleeping, teachers take turns to have a short nap themselves, but there is always at least one teacher awake. They may be called upon to take a child to the bathroom.
“We still provide responsive care even when the kids are sleeping,” said teacher Hung.
“We know each child’s habits and interests. For example, some children have their favorite cuddly toys to take to bed. Some children have their own favorite corners of the room. Some like to sleep next to their friends. One child insists on holding the label on their clothes while they sleep.
“To get all the children to go to sleep at the same time – we need to know each one individually. We need to learn about and understand every single child.”
Could you provide a crib, mattress, pad, and sheets for one happy and sleepy baby at naptime?
The babies….
After lunch, teachers help the babies wash their hands. Nappies are changed and pajamas put on before putting children in their cots – where they listen to a bedtime story.
Teachers then turn on relaxing bedtime music. Once they are asleep, teachers spread out mosquito nets and watch over the children.
“When a child seems to be unwell, it is very important that a teacher keeps a close eye on that child,” says teacher Hien. “In this hot weather, it’s good for the children to have a long nap after lunch – the hottest time of the day.
‘It is also an opportunity for teachers to have some quiet time to regain a little energy before they work again in the afternoon.”
