How do we teach?

Through our action-centered instructional approach, we focus on enhancing students’ self-initiative and personal accountability.

The group sizes in kindergarten can vary due to spatial constraints. In our mixed-age groups, children from 4 1/2 years old until they start school come together. In our groups, teachers always communicate with the children at a native language level. As a result, two languages (English/German) are constantly present in everyday life. The children learn to differentiate between the individual languages at an early stage. Bilingualism is at the center of our approach. Bilingualism is not only about promoting the acquisition of two languages but also about engaging with different cultures and customs through project work.

In our facilities, everyday life incorporates the learning of two languages naturally. We follow the principle of immersion, which means that a foreign language, just like the native language, is learned through usage rather than instruction. The foreign language teacher introduces songs, traditions, and typical celebrations from different German states into the daily routine, significantly contributing to the multicultural interaction within the facilities.

When a child joins the group, it is important to establish connections with what they already know, explain things more extensively, and, if possible, accompany them in their native language. We facilitate understanding for the children by using pictures, hand puppets, facial expressions, and gestures, as well as embedding fixed rituals into their daily activities. In the early childhood phase, educational staff primarily utilize printed media. Alongside picture books and simple storybooks, we have also introduced initial digital media such as CD players and digital cameras, which we use for activities like sound memory games. We assign equal importance to print media, such as newspapers, magazines, and books, as well as digital media. Interesting articles for children from newspapers, for example, in the fields of natural sciences or culture, are addressed and discussed.

Through actively engaging with art from different cultures, children discover their creativity while also learning about cultural artifacts and unfamiliar forms of expression.

We support children in perceiving their bodies as instruments and experiencing rhythm through movement. Diverse materials such as scarves, ribbons, and hoops help us make music visible and experiential through movement. In our daily routine, we sing with the children as much as possible, incorporating songs not only during morning circle time or specific activities but also during transitions and established rituals.

In addition to the collaborative preparation of healthy meals, children engage with the origin, composition, and processing of food. It is not solely about categorizing food as “good” or “bad,” but rather about children gaining a fundamental understanding of the impact that different foods have on their bodies.

We need to strengthen the children’s self-confidence by acknowledging their attempts to “do it themselves” rather than focusing on correctness. Our Kindergarten group will be visited by a staff member from a dentist’s office Prevention Program, who provides training on using a toothbrush.

Regarding environmental education, it is important to us that the children entrusted to us learn responsible behavior towards their environment. For this to happen, they need to develop values that prioritize our environment as vulnerable, irreplaceable, and worth preserving and protecting. Strong identification with close contact with various natural elements such as forests, meadows, fallow land, hills, trees, rocks, stones, plants, and water (including puddles) is crucial for this purpose. “Here they can engage with the laws of nature [using all their senses], adapt, exert themselves, and expend their energy.” “Their research interest lies in water, air, weather phenomena, fire, and even the distant realms of the earth.”

Children in our facilities constantly and daily engage with mathematics. Whether it’s during free play, board games, dice games, or “incidentally” throughout the day – through rhymes, counting verses, songs, finger plays, and other rhythmic activities. We also provide intentional activities and experiments that allow our children to practice and verify mathematical patterns.

Know number names and the count sequence.

1. Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
2. Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).
3. Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent several objects with a written numeral 0–20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

Counting Sequences for Forward Counting to 100 by Ones

• The “ones” (1–10)
• The “teens” (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
• “Crossing the decade” (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, or, similarly, 26–34, 35–44, and so forth)

Language proficiency Goal: Our aim is for English learners to become confident readers who can understand, analyze, interpret, and create different types of texts. They will learn how language works and how it helps us communicate and understand the world. They will also learn how texts are structured and organized, and how different subjects use specific language and vocabulary. We want them to appreciate their languages and cultures, using them to improve their English skills. In class, they will actively participate in discussions, ask questions, respond appropriately, and give helpful feedback. They will demonstrate their knowledge through presentations, writing tasks, group conversations, and multimedia. They will learn to adapt their language depending on the task, purpose, audience, and type of text they are working with.

Parent Meetings

To ensure a positive transition for a child entering kindergarten, it is beneficial for the new parents and the child’s assigned teacher to meet beforehand and discuss important information about the child, their family, and their current routines.

Before the start of the adaptation period, an initial meeting is held with the parents. During this meeting, they receive detailed information about the kindergarten, our internal processes, and the upcoming adaptation period. You have the opportunity to express any questions or concerns regarding your child’s transition into the facility.

Our developmental meetings take place at least once a year between the parents and the child’s teacher. These regular meetings provide insight into the child’s current developmental progress and facilitate an exchange of information about the child’s life both in the facility and at home.