My attitude as an educator
To start with: What do I base my pedagogical thinking and actions on? I am influenced by the image of the competent, yet highly dependent, vulnerable young child: a child who diligently strives to learn and to grow with all his strength and creative energy; a child who has the need for trusting relationships, for emotional security, for routines, for a stimulating material environment, for independent exploration, for loving, attentive guidance and protection.
Challenges and concerns in the Kita system
The maxims of “free play” and “self-directed learning” set the tone in Kitas. From my experience, these concepts primarily encourage a “comfortable”, unprepared attitude and ways of acting on the part of the staff. The “popular situational approach” is, in many places, nothing more than an unreflective misinterpretation; a haphazard approach that leads to over- or under-challenging of children.
Lack of early childhood education programs
To my knowledge, there is no implementation of a developmentally step-based educational program in Kitas. No regular lessons that aim to help children enfold school-relevant precursor skills, so that they are cognitively and socially-emotionally prepared for the transition to school.
By a developmentally step-based educational program, I mean a teaching and learning plan that includes age-appropriate learning activities from various areas such as writing, reading, mathematics, physical education, arts etc., for the period of the kindergarten years. By lessons, I mean practice units, the implementation of continuous, planned, didactically and methodically prepared learning activities.
Or do you know a program or a Kita that continuously implements a comprehensive curriculum for toddlers and preschoolers?
From personal experience, I know only one institution with such an educational program profile that is doing pioneering work in the preschool sector throughout Germany.
Play as the foundation for structured, guided learning activities
I know that a Kita is not a school. A Kita shouldn’t be a school either.
Free play is a basic need of young children. And this need must be taken seriously, and it must be satisfied.
Let’s also remember that one of the central teaching and learning methods in early childhood is play. Through play (whether free or guided), young children acquire knowledge and skills. Therefore, lesson-like teaching and structured learning activities for young age groups always have a playful character.
The need of children for structured, guided learning activities
I’m surprised why – in Germany – there’s a practice of “protecting” young children from lesson-like teaching and learning activities? Young children need “food” for their curious, creative minds, for their busy hands and enthusiastic hearts. Why not offer brain-food snacks daily in the Kita?
The role of competent Kita educators
Competent preschool educators don’t “have to force” children of different temperaments and learning styles to participate in learning activities. They invite children, encourage them to experiment and participate on their own. And they inspire every child to enfold his creative energy.
Competent preschool educators are able to design “lessons” and teaching/learning structures in such a way that age-related learning interests are appreciated and individually supported without pressure to perform.
Early childhood professionals know that the learning and developmental process each child goes through (how they respond to an educational topic, how they engage or achieve something) can vary greatly depending on the child’s individual pace of development, temperament, interests, daily state of mind etc.
Focused observation and developmental support
Through lesson-like activities, children’s development can also be observed and monitored in a targeted manner. The goal is to strengthen competencies. But also to identify deficits or areas where support is needed in a timely manner, allowing educators to have competent developmental talks with parents and refer them to professional help if any abnormalities in child development are noticed.
Lack of confidence in the willingness and ability of young children to learn
Why do we place so little trust in the willingness and ability of children ages 2-5 years to learn? This attitude often begins with the lack or the withholding of age-appropriate materials for reading, writing, math, natural science etc.
I am aware – at the same time – that qualified practitioners are needed to provide, design and implement the concept described here.
Children as active learners
Children want to create, to learn something new, to acquire skills, to grow up. They are willing to practice again and again, they want to experience themselves as competent and independent.
- „Again!“
- „Me too!“
- „I want too!“
- “I want to learn that!”
- „I can do that!“
- „I can already do that!“
- „You know, I can already …!“
- „I will show you what I can do!“
- “Mrs. Vasileva, shall I teach you how to make this?”
Self-confidence through skills
And knowledge, skills and abilities can be an important source of self-confidence for children during the transition to school.
Challenges of mixed-age groups in Kitas
The reality is that the German Kita system is geared toward free play all day long. This influences the daily timetable, the type of children’s groups (mixed ages), the room equipment, the selection and quantity of classroom materials and the allocation of responsibilities within the staff (regardless of qualifications, competence and experience, everyone in German Kitas is – so to speak – responsible for everything).
You have children of different ages in your class, which often leads to under- or over-stimulation of the children if you try to offer educational learning activity. It’s practically impossible to equally meet the very different learning needs, abilities and interests of children in a mixed-age group.
Sufficient material is needed for educational learning activities
It is also methodical almost impossible to create a joyful, child-friendly learning program without sufficient basic materials (paper, colouring or writing pencils, children’s scissors, painting brushes, glue sticks, elementary musical instruments etc.).
Children need to learn to share and wait, but please let us consider the children’s age and the goal of the activity. Is this a social-emotional training unit, so that there’s only one glue stick for all the children to practice waiting, sharing, taking turns etc.? Or is this an educational activity that focuses on developing fine motor skills, and therefore all participating children should have the same equipment to be able to concentrate on the activity and enjoy the time and freedom to practice.
Concluding thoughts on outside the family early childhood education
There are also other ways and practices of early childhood education. There are countries where a developmental stage-based educational program is part of the everyday kindergarden timetable. The concrete implementation of such a teaching and learning plan requires a correspondingly aligned institutional educational environment and appropriately qualified and motivated early childhood professionals.
Paths emerge as we humans walk them. However, an unusual path in early childhood education that includes the daily implementation of a developmental stage-based program filled with lesson-like learning activities can only emerge when all the actors involved are interested in it. And if they truly want to design and walk an out of the ordinary path together.
