Areas of Education

Education in PLATANUS Kindergarten adheres to the 'Berlin Programme for Education, Rearing and Care of Children in Dayschools', issued by the Department for Education, Youth and Sport, for the seven areas of education outlined below.

Social and Cultural Life


Social relationships form the foundation of all educational processes. Children are natural explorers and at kindergarten they can discover the world around them in a safe and secure environment. Here they are part of a young community in which every child has equal rights and opportunities.

 

We accompany children in same-age groups from their initial familiarisation period, through to preschool and primary school. During kindergarten, both their peers and their educators become vital parts of the children’s social life.

 

Body Awareness, Exercise and Health


Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Health education is an element of every child’s daily routine in our kindergarten.

 

A range of exercise, a healthy diet and familiarity with our bodies is fundamental for well-being. Children at PLATANUS Kindergarten will have the opportunity to exercise indoors in the gymnasium as well as in the sports grounds, parks or countryside, in age-appropriate activities. Through educational music and dance classes, children will learn how to have fun exercising. In addition, the playground in the school yard and the garden in the adjoining lara.kita on Schulstrasse 30 are available to the children on a daily basis. Here, the children can run around, play, dig, climb or just relax. Every day we offer the children a fresh, healthy and varied meal from lara.kita’s own full-time kitchen.

 

Language, Communication and Writing


Children should learn about signs and symbols, phonetic variations and different ways of speaking as well as about oral and written language. They should learn to represent oral language with symbols and practise this association through drawing, scribbling and painting.

 

Children recognise that to effectively understand others it is necessary to know the rules of spoken language. This knowledge should lead to the construction of meaningful spoken expressions and the building of sentences.

 

At PLATANUS Kindergarten we regard the increasingly globalised world as an opportunity for children to grow and to learn. As a result of both German and English being used in the daily kindergarten routine, our children learn that there are many spoken and written languages. They learn about a new culture with the help of a new, second language, and will be able to develop an intercultural competence very early on in life.

 

Children learn new languages effortlessly and independently. It has been shown that learning a second language from the age of one to two years old has a strong and positive impact on the cognitive development of a child. The guiding principle of our bilingual early childhood education is that one playgroup educator speaks only German with the children and the other, only English. The acquisition of new languages occurs naturally, literally through being fully immersed in the language.

 

The following rules apply to our bilingual concept:

  • There is no pressure on the children, which hinders any aversion to language learning.
  • Children learn through imitation, observation and practise.
  • Children require affection and security while learning.
  • Language acquisition occurs through all five senses.

First Scientific Experiences


Children find it exciting to solve natural mysteries. They want to understand the wonders in the world around them and want to be able to arrange and explain their discoveries. At PLATANUS Kindergarten we will channel this natural curiosity in situational activities. Through these, they will develop a basic understanding of the natural world and the environment.

 

We will experiment, explore and observe within and beyond the kindergarten. Furthermore, PLATANUS Primary School facilities are also available to the Kindergarten children.

 

First Mathematical Experiences


The basis for mathematical thinking develops during the first years of life. PLATANUS Kindergarten will offer children their first experiences with space and time, mathematical operations such as measurement, estimating, sequencing and comparing, abstract comprehension as well as symbols and logic within the safe and secure environment of the kindergarten.

 

Early Musical Education


Music develops children’s intelligence and their inner balance. Therefore, we also emphasise solo and group singing. Children will learn the basic components of music: melody, rhythm and tones. In addition, they will learn a considerable repertoire of songs and dances. In this way, music will be used as a vehicle for bilingual linguistic early education.

 

Arts and Crafts


During their attempts to explore and understand the world, children embark on their own paths and learn to use different resources. They actively learn about their environments by drawing, painting, and making collages, and by experimenting with different material such as modelling clay, wire and paper. In the procces, they learn to express themselves and their unique perspectives artistically. Artistic and creative activities are a permanent element of the daily routine in our kindergarten.