Pedagogical conceptBrief version

Written by Carola Kammerlander and Marcus Rehn, educational management of the element-i nurseries

As of: August 2018

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Content

Preface 4

1.Aimofelement-ipedagogy 6

2.Ourunderstandingofchildcareandearlyeducation 8

3.Ourunderstandingofeducation 12

4.Cross-sectionaltopics 20

5.Structuralelementstocarryoutthepedagogicalwork 26

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But first Dear readers,

Thebirthofachildisawonderfulgift,onethatcomeswithgreatrespon-

sibility.Anyonewhoaccompaniesachildthroughtheirlifehaveconscious

andsubconsciousexpectationsthatguidetheiractions-withdifferent

goals:Theywantthemtostayhealthyandhappy,todevelopambition

andgotheirownway,todevelopempathyandtostandupforothers.

Whenachildattendsanursery,thegoalsofthecareprovidedshould

naturallymatchone’sown.

Wehaveanimageofmenandwomenthatfocusesverystronglyonthe

individualinhisorherinterdependencewithsociety.Ourgoalistohelpchildrenbecomefree,

matureandstrongindividualswhoreflectonthemselvesandtheirviewoftheworld.Wewant

themtotakeresponsibilityfortheiractionsandtheconsequencesforsociety.

Weseeournurseriesassupplementaryfacilitiesthatsupportfamiliesandprovidereliablecare

forchildren.Whenchildrenareplacedinourcare,theeducatorsfulfillanindependentobjec-

tiveofraisingandeducatingthechildren,onethatisorientatedonourgoals.

Thisbrochurepresentsthesegoalsandourapproach.Thankyouforyourinterest.

Dear readers,

Peoplewanttobefreeandmaketheirideasreality.Theywanttolivea

self-determinedlife,yetcontinuetostriveforconnectednessandrecogni-

tion.Thisisexpressedinelement-i.Theistandsforindividuals,interests,

interaction-innerfreedom.Innerfreedomisthehumanbeing'sability

todecidehowheorsheseesandassessestheworldandthushowheor

shewishestoactwithinit.Itisinextricablylinkedtoassumingresponsi-

bilityfortheconsequencesofone’sownactions.Thisisanambitiousand

demandinggoal.However,itestablishestherightofchildrentoearly

childhoodeducation.Oureducatorsaremeanttobeadultpartnersfor

thechildren,accompanyingthemalongthispath.Theserolemodelsreflectontheiractionsand

supportthechildreningraduallydiscoveringthefreedomtomakedecisionsandactaccording-

ly.Theydosobyengagingwiththechildreninacommittedandinterestedway,byaccompany-

ingthemwithgreatsensitivity,bystimulatingthemtoact,bychallengingthemappropriately,

protectingthemandultimatelyreleasingthemstepbystep.

element-ipedagogycombinesvariouspedagogicalapproachesandacademicdiscoveries.We

constantlyadaptthesetonewchallengesthatarisefromdevelopmentsinsociety.Theideas

ofGerdE.Schäfer,JanuszKorczakandKarl-MartinDietzspurusonespecially.MartinBuber,

ImmanuelKant,LudwigLiegle,KlausMollenhauer,MariaMontessori,Jean-JacquesRousseau,

RudolfSteinerandmanyothershaveinspiredus.Thisbriefversionoftheconceptdescribesthe

frameworkofourpedagogicalwork.Ihopeyouenjoytheread!

CarolaKammerlander

Managing Director, Konzept-e für Bildung und Betreuung gGmbH

WaltraudWeegmann

Managing Director, Konzept-e für Bildung und Betreuung gGmbH

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1. Aim of element-i pedagogy

‘EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MUST RESIGN ITSELF TO

THE FACT THAT THE CHILD CREATES HIM-/ OR HERSELF.’

LUDWIG LIEGLE

element-iisapedagogicalapproachthatpromotesfreedomandeffectsaspecificeducational

mission.Thegoalistoraisechildrentobecomeinwardlyfree,matureandstrongindividuals

whoreflectonthemselvesandtheirviewoftheworldandtakeresponsibilityfortheiractions

andtheconsequences.Weseefreedomnotasbeingfreefromsomething,butinthesenseof

beingfreeandopenforsomething.Innerfreedomasapersonalgoalinlifeis,however,insep-

arablyconnectedwiththefreedomoftheother.Afreesocietylivesandconsistsofindividuals

whoareawareoftheirpersonalresponsibilityforthecommunityandwholiveuptoit.

element-ithusdescribesanimageofmanthatfocusesverystronglyontheindividualinhisor

herinterdependencewithsociety.Individualsaresocialbeings;theyneedthecommunity.

wAcommunity,ontheotherhand,canonlyexistiftheindividualhelpstoshapeit,standsup

forit,contributeshisorherinterests,strengthsandskillsandthuscontributestothesuccessof

thewhole.When‘It’sallaboutme’becomes‘It’suptome’,anewkindofindividualityemerges.

Thisisattheheartofelement-ipedagogy.Guidelinesserveasresourcestofortifyandboostthe

internalmotivation.Theyofferorientationandfacilitatetheabilitytoactandmakedecisionsin

everydaysituations.

We see health holistically –

inadditiontophysicalwell-being,psychologicalandsocial

aspectsarealsoimportant.Theaimistorepeatedlyrestorea

harmoniousinner

balance.

Promoting resilience – the psychological power of resistance –

ofchildrenisoneofourbasicpreventivetasks.Afterall,they

needthisbasicskillinordertocopewithcrisesandchangesin

life.

Children enjoy learning from birth –

andtheabilitytoperceivesomethingwithoutmakingafor-

goneconclusionremainsthebasisforapproachingsomething

newwithanopenmindthroughoutone'slife.Todiscoverwhat

intereststhem,childrenneedinspirationandrolemodels.

Connectedness and autonomy

meanexperiencingasenseofbelongingandreliability,but

atthesametimebeingabletoshapeone'slifeinaself-de-

terminedway.Childrenshouldlearntoactivelyshowconsid-

erationforothers.Theirfreedomendswherethatofothers

begins.Ingeneral,reliablerelationships,well-designedenvi-

ronmentsandaclearlystructured,understandableandvaluable

dailyroutineisrequired.Thisneedstoalternatewithspecific

periodsthatcanbeshapedfreelyaswellasmeaningfuloppor-

tunitiestogetinvolved.

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2. Our understanding of child care and early education

‘FOR THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT ARISE AGAINST

INDIVIDUALS, BUT THROUGH THEM.’

KARL MARTIN DIETZ

Children have the right to, but also the need for early education and upbringing. They require

sensitive support, prompting and appropriate challenges for their educational and develop-

ment processes.

The goal of early childhood education

Theindividualisedsocietycanonlybecomeafreesocietywhenindividualstakeresponsibility

forthemselvesandforshapingsociety.Forthistosucceed,weneedindividualsthatrecognise

theirimportanceasanindispensablepartofthewhole.Thisassignsone'sownindividualityto

thegoalandpurposeofthesocial(individualityasasocialprinciple).

Educational actions

Oureducationalworkischaracterisedbytheconvictionthatweareadultpartnersforchildren

whoenterintoarelationshipfullofcommitment,interestandengagement.Weareinadia-

loguewiththechildren,orientingourselvesontheirworldviewandlettingthemtakepartin

ourthoughtsandideas.

Oureducationalworkaimsatthefurtherdevelopmentandflourishingofindividualityinthe

interestofacommunity.Wedesignsituationswithchildrensocoherentlythattheybecome

understandable,manageableandmeaningfulfortheminamannerthatisappropriatetotheir

development.Bymeansofnumerouswaystoparticipateandtheconcreteengagementwith

people,thingsandsituations,aninternalimageoftheworldisformed-dependingonhow

significanttheexperienceistotheindividual.Thatway,thechildrenexperiencethattheworld

isconnectedtothem-completelyinthesenseof‘It’suptome’.

Ourpedagogicalspecialistsseethemselvesaspioneersandcompanionsofchilddevelopment.

Throughempatheticobservation,theygraspthechildren'sstateofdevelopment,providea

stimulatingenvironmentandareempathetic,enrichinginteractionpartnersforthechildren.

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The youngest in the element-i nursery

Thesmallestchildrendiscovertheworldexclusivelythroughsensoryimpressions.Thinking

correspondstoconcreteactioninthis‘precognitivetime’.Wecreatesensual,emotional,

psycho-motoricapproachesforthemandaccompanythemverbally.Butcontinuityandan

appropriatestimulusdosagearealsoimportant.Oureducatorsobservethechild'sactionsand

reactionsattentivelyandsensitively(aboveallthrougheyecontactandreassuringwords)and

interprettheirsignals(e.g.thechildturningtoandaway).

Group structures as a dynamic framework for child development

Thechildrenspendtheirfamiliarisationtimeandtheirearlyphaseatourfacilitiesinthe‘nest’.

Thisspaceoffersthemaclear,protectedframeworkinwhichtoorientatethemselvesandto

comeintocontactwithothers.

Theyarethencarefullypreparedforthenextstepandthusalsofornewareas.Aneeds-ori-

ented,ritualiseddailyroutineofferssecurityonthebasisofwhichtheycanaccesstheentire

nurseryundercaringsupervision.

Stepbystep,thechildrendetachthemselvesfromtheirbasegroupinaninterest-orientated

wayandthenincreasinglyindependentlycometogetherindynamicsmallgroups,whichcanbe

bothhomogeneousandmixedinage.Thisway,theycanshapetheirrelationshipswithallother

childrenandeducatorsindividuallyandself-determinedly.

Withincreasingage,childrenbegintoabstractandcontroltheirinterestsandneedsmore

consciously.Inthedailychildren'sconferencetheyareasked‘Whatareyougoingtodotoday?’.

Thisgivesthemtheopportunitytoformulatetheircurrentideasandinterests,tonegotiateand

thusshapetheirdailyroutineindependentlyanddemocraticallytogetherwithotherchildren

andtheeducators.

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3. Our understanding of education

‘A SHIP IN HARBOUR IS SAFE,

BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT SHIPS ARE BUILT FOR.’

JOHN AUGUSTUS SHEDD

Educationisaprocessthatisself-activeandisshapedbydiscovery,problem-solvingandbeing

opentoexperiences.Educationrequiresdealingwithone’senvironment,actionsandinterac-

tions.Throughsensoryperceptionandemotions,childrenlearnwhatisimportanttothemand

thesensetheyseeinit.Ourpedagogicalactionsenablethemtoindividuallyshapetheirday

withinagenerallyapplicableframeworkfordevelopment.Thisdevelopment-orientedviewpro-

moteshumanindividualityintheeducationalprocess.

Playing is joyful learning

Learningandplayingareoneandthesameforchildren.Whattheyperceiveismoved,reshaped

andplayfullyredesignedinside.Childrendonothavetobeforcedtolearn.Iftheyspendtheir

dayinastimulatingenvironment,andiftheyareinvolvedindomesticactivitiesintheeveryday

lifeofthenursery,thisstimulatestheirimaginationandtheirurgetotakepart.

Bydoingthingsthemselves,habitsandskillsaredevelopedthatoccursonaturallythatenergyis

releasedfornewtopicsorfurtherawarenessfordetails,careandcreativity.Thisfostersthechil-

dren'sthirstforknowledgeandsustainstheirmotivationtolearn.Attheelement-inurseries,

childrendecideforthemselvesinvarioussubjectareaswhen,what,where,howandwithwhom

theywanttoplay.Self-managedplayingpromotestheirsocial,emotional,motorandcognitive

development.Theyexploretheenvironment,experiment,acquireknowledge,practicenewly

acquiredskills,testroles,developcreativityandimagination.Theylearntosolvecomplexprob-

lems,interactwithotherpeople,manageconflictsandexpressandcontrolfeelings.

Weprovidethemwithfreespacesinwhichtheycanplayunobservedaccordingtotheirage

anddevelopmentstage.Wealsoprovidetoysthatareappropriatefortheirageanddevelop-

ment.Weprefertousenaturalmaterials,everydayobjectsandrealtools.

element-i stimuli

Ouroffersarestimulithatareorientedtowardstheinterestsofthechildrenandwhicharerel-

evanttothem.Whenadultstrustthemtodosomething,whentheytrysomething,sometimes

failandareallowedtofindtheirownsolutionsandaresupportedinreflectingonthelearning

process,thisleadstoself-directed,proactivelearning.Skillsacquiredinthiswayareretained

long-term.

Multi-professional teams

Theinvolvementofpeoplewithotherprofessionalqualifications,suchasfromtheartistic,

musicalorcraftfields,expandsthechildren'sexperientialworlds.Multi-professionalteamsoffer

acreative,inspiringpotentialandaddadditionalexperiences,skillsandperspectivestothe

children'severydaylives.

Media literacy

Wewanttomaketheworldaccessibletochildreninadevelopmentallyappropriateandreflec-

tivewayandenablethemtousethemediainabeneficialmanner.Inordertoacquirethecom-

petenciesthatleadtomedialiteracy,theyneedpriorexperiencessuchassensorimotorintegra-

tion,communication,production,reception,reflectionandselectionskills.Childrenneedtime

andspacetoplaywithrealmaterialsandmediathattheycanunderstandandhandle.Atthe

element-inurserieswethereforedealexclusivelywithtangiblesuggestions,offersandstimuli.

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Nature

Becausemostelement-inurseriesarecentrallylocatedininnercities,itisimportanttousthat

childrencanexperienceandenjoynature.Spendingtimeoutdoorsinalmostanyweatheroffers

manyopportunitiestogainexperienceandfurtherdevelopment.Itfostersexercise,environ-

mentalawarenessandclosenesstonature-anditstrengthenstheimmunesystemandtheover-

allphysicalandmentalhealthofthechildren.

Real world orientation and cooperation with other institutions

Ourpedagogicalworkisbasedonthesocialandculturalrealityoflife.Thechildrenshouldex-

ploretheirdistrict,findtheirwayontheirownandbeperceivedasfellowcitizensthatparticipate.

Weworkwithtoddlergroups,nurseries,otherkindergartens,schools,eurythmists,companies

andpublicinstitutionssuchasthepoliceorfirebrigade.Networkingwithtechnicalcollegesand

participationintechnicalcommitteesallowsustocontinuouslyoptimiseoureducationaland

carework.

Topics of childhood education

Thefirstyearsoflifearethemostlearningintensive.Thephysical,psychological,cognitive,

socialandmoraleducationanddevelopmentbeginshereandlaterformsthebasisforfurther

individualdevelopment,differentiationandevolutionofpotential.Childrenmustbesensibly

supportedincopingwiththeirdevelopmentaltasksthathaveinfinitefacets.Attheelement-i

nurserieswedividetheseintothefollowingareas:

Exercise

Childrendiscovertheworldthroughexercise.Throughphysicalexperiencesandwithalltheir

senses,theylearntorecogniseandunderstandcausesandcause-effectrelationships.Exercise,

movementandperceptionarethereforeessentialfortheoveralldevelopmentandshapingof

theirpersonality.Attheelement-inurseriestheyhavespace,playingmaterialandtheopportu-

nityfordiversemovementgames.

Throughstimulatingmovement,childrenexperiencemomentsoftensioninwhichtheyhaveto

usetheirbodies,begintosweatandlosetheirbreath.Theyarerelievedbyphasesofphysical

relaxation.Childrencanonlyreallylearnwhatevertheytry.Thisisnotpossiblewithoutlittle

bumpsandtears-theyarepartofit.

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Language

Languageandspeakingareprerequisitesandcomponentsofcognitivedevelopmentand,asa

keyskill,a‘gatewaytotheworld’.

Theyareneededtoexpressthoughtsandfeelingsandtogaininsightintothethoughtsand

feelingsofothers.Languagehasagreatinfluenceonachild'sworldandself-image.Wevalue

naturalmultilingualismandincludeit-alsoincooperationwiththeparents-intheday-to-day

runningofthenursery,forexamplebyworkingwithnativespeakers.

Languageandthecultureofwritingarepresentinournurseriesintheformofmaterialsfor

writingandscribbling,posters,booksandaudiomedia.Wealwayspayattentiontoacommu-

nicativeclimatethatmakesspeakingenjoyable.

Inthechildren'sconferences,thestory-tellingcircleorduringprojects,thechildrenareinvited

toexpressthemselves,presentfactsortoplan.Fantasytripsandtheatreplaysencouragethe

creativeuseoflanguage.

Symbolsandpictogramsencouragechildrenfromallculturestodeveloplanguageskillsandto

openuptheworld.

Body and senses

Childrenalwaysexperiencestimuliforfurtherdevelopmentthroughsensoryperceptionand

physicalactivity.Theaimisthustostimulatealltheirsensesandtosupportthechildrenthrough

affectionandcare,closenessanddistance,tendernessandcomfort.Thisisthebasisfordevel-

opingapositivephysicalawareness.Throughnutrition,exercise,recreation,sleepandhygiene,

childrenlearntopayattentiontoandexpresstheirneeds.Thisalsoincludesdealingwiththe

developmentofgenderidentity,sexualityandtheprotectionofone’sprivacy.

Aesthetics (art, creativity and music)

Childrendesignandcreateindividually,experimentally,creativelyandplayfullywithalltheir

senses.Thedesiretocreateisstirredbyusingdifferentmaterialsandtools.

Visual arts (drawing, painting, sculpting)

Thechildrencanpaint,knead,dohandicrafts,buildorprintanddiscoverandtryoutalot.We

takeupvariousthemestostimulatetheirimagination.

Performing arts (accessing the world through play)

Bytransformingobjects,fantasygamesandtheatricalmoments,transitionsbetweenchild'splay

andperformancearediscoveredanddeveloped.

Music and rhythm

Voices,sounds,rhythmandmelodiesareoftenexperiencedandpracticedbyusingyourwhole

body.

Mathematics and logic

Childrenwanttogettothebottomofthingsandunderstandtheworld.Mathematicsinkin-

dergartengiveschildrentheopportunitytoquestionphenomena,formhypothesesandthus

developapositiveattitudeandcuriosityaboutmathematics.Attheelement-inurseries,youcan

sort,countandcategorise.Theeducationalprofessionalsupportsthechildinhisorherinterest

inmathematicalthinking.

Research and discovery

Childrenareborninventorsandresearchers.Theyponderquestionsandthinkuphypotheses

accordingtotheirdevelopmentinordertoexplainanimateandinanimatenature.Thisissup-

portedbythevaryinglanguageskills.Atelement-inurseries,avarietyofmaterialsthatprovoke

questionsareprovided.

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Thepedagogicalspecialistismerelyanactivecompanionandtakesastepback.Forknowledge

thatisacquiredthroughdetoursisrememberedlongerthanexplanationsthataregivenreadily.

Building and constructing

Littleonesenjoyknockingovertowers.Later,then,theylikebuildingthem.Theelement-i

nurseriesofferawiderangeofmaterialsforthispurpose.Afterall,whenbuilding,children

intuitivelylearnhowbasicphysicallawswork.

Theeducationalprofessionalencouragesthechildandcreatesanatmosphereinwhichheor

shecanconcentrate.

Being a human in the world

Childrencreatetheirsystemofvaluesbyevaluating,classifyingandgeneralisingexperiences.It

isthetaskofpedagogicalprofessionalstotakethechild’srighttoself-determinationseriously

andtosupportthemindealingwithquestionsofvaluesandmeaning.Atthesametime,chil-

drenpracticedealingwithpersonalfreedom,rulesandboundaries.Theylearntodecidewhat

isimportanttothem,torespectpeopleandnature,andtheyexperiencemindfulness,tolerance

andequality.Accordingtotheirdevelopment,theyparticipateinformingvaluesandnormsin

theirgroup,especiallyinthestory-tellingcirclesoratthechildren'sconference.Theycangain

concreteexperienceinculturalorreligiousplacesandexperiencehowtheireverydaylifeis

formedbytraditions,ritualsandrecurringfestivals.

Social coexistence

Weencouragechildrentocontactothersindependently,tobuildup,cultivateorevenend

friendships.Positiveexperienceswithregardtoaconstructivecultureofdiscussion,represent-

ingone'sownopinionandbeingallowedtosay‘no’playacentralroleinbuildingself-confi-

denceandself-esteemaswellaspreservingone'spersonalandprivatesphere.

Childrenshoulddealwiththeirfeelings,gettoknowandunderstandeachother.Inthisway

theylearntosolveconflictsindependentlyandtomakecompromises.Butwealsofamiliarise

themwithformsofcopingwithaggression.Theylearnaboutrules,boundariesandconse-

quences.Astheyevolve,weinvolvetheminshapingtherulesandencouragethemtodistin-

guishfairfromunfair.

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4. Cross-sectional topics

Appropriate forms of participation and complaint for children

Weteachthechildrenthateveryindividualcounts.Intheeducationalworkthisbecomes

especiallyapparentthroughchildren'sconferences,singingcirclesandothergroupsinwhich

thepositions,thoughtsandwishesofthechildrenaretakenseriously.Thisencouragesthemto

openlyexpresstheiropinion.Withincreasingage,theyareaskedtoparticipateinsettingrules

inthenurseries.Theirfeelingsandideasaresought.Topicsarediscussedanddecidedjointly.

Indirectinteraction(one-on-onesituation)thefeelingsandthoughtsofthechildrenarereflect-

edonandrespected.Achild’s‘no’hasthesameweightforusasthatofanadult.

Inclusion

Allchildrenarecaredfortogether.Weacceptandvaluediversity.Wepracticeandlearnwith

thechildrentorespecteachother.Accessibilityandthereductionofnon-structural,linguistic,

cultural,prejudicialandsocialbarriersareimportanttous.

Wedevelopandimplementindividualsolutionsforspeciallifeandcarecircumstances,alsoin

cooperationwithspecialistservices,counsellingcentresandmedicalstaff.Theprerequisitefor

thisisthecertaintyofallthoseinvolvedthattheformofcareisbeneficialforthechildand

feasiblefortheemployees.

Gender pedagogy

Girlsandboyshavedifferentlivingconditionsandlinesofdevelopmentinoursociety.Wewant

todothemjustice,offsetgender-specificdisadvantagesandofferequaldevelopmentoppor-

tunitiesforgirlsandboys.Inthatcontext,weconsiderandpromotethedifferentinterestsand

lifesituationsofallchildren.Allchildrencanconstructtheirowngenderroles;theydonot

necessarilyhavetobeassociatedwithrolestereotypesandbiologicalgender.

Wepromoteapositivephysicalawarenessandindividual(emotional)expressivenessaswellas

thehealthyself-confidenceofallchildren.Aspartofthepartnershipinraisingthechildren,we

addressbothparents,considerthewholefamilyandrespectthedifferentapproaches,interests

andpossibilitiesofmothers,fathersorothercaregivers.

Observation and documentation

Inelement-inurseriesweuseavarietyofobservationanddocumentationtools,suchasdevel-

opmentmilestones,passportsorportfolios.Theyarethebasisfortheregularparent-educator

meetings.

Itisimportanttoustoaccompanythechildappropriatelyinhisorherdevelopmentalstepsby

offeringhimorherimpulsesthatwilladvancehisorherdevelopment.Weusetheelement-i

sheetsforalleducationalareasandthepassport,whichgivesanoverviewoftheinterestsofthe

childintheeducationalareas.Ifweknowhisorherstrengthsandskillsinthevariouseduca-

tionalareas,wecanalignhisorherpedagogicalenvironmentinsuchawaythatstrengthsare

expandedonandfieldsofdevelopmentarefurtherpromoted.

Understanding of care

Day-carecentresforchildrenareinstitutionsthatsupplementthefamilyandhaveanindepend-

enteducationalmission.Forus,thismeansgivingparentsthegreatestpossibleflexibilityand

offeringthehighestcarequality.Tothisend,theparents’needsmustbealignedwiththeneeds

oftheirchildandthegroup.Particularlysensitiveissuesinthiscontextare,forexample,the

lengthofcaretime,especiallyforyoungchildren,ortheirdailyhealthcondition.Requestsfor

exceptions(alsowithregardtonutrition)placechildreninaspecialrole.Thatiswhyeducators

carefullyweighwhetherornottomeetthese.

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Shared responsibility

Thebasisforcooperatingwithparentsismutualunderstanding,acceptanceandanopenex-

changeofthoughts.Wewouldlikethemtoplayanactiveroleandcarryouttheirowninitia-

tives.Compatibilitywiththedailyworkinthenurseriesandalignmentwiththepedagogical

conceptareofdecisiveimportancehere.

Althoughwerespectthepositionsoftheparents,asexperts,oureducatorsmaketheirown

independentdecisionsinthecare,raisingandeducationofchildrenduringtheirworkinthe

nurseries.

Theeducatorsregularlyhaveindividualdiscussionswiththeparentsaboutthedevelopmentof

theirchild.Parents'eveningstakeplacetwotothreetimesayear.

Theparentselectaparentscouncilonceayear.Itrepresentsthewishesoftheparentsinjoint

meetingswithrepresentativesofthenursery’steamandisanimportantcontactpartnerin

discussingthepedagogicalwork.

Familiarisation

Basedonthefindingsofattachmentresearch,webelievethechildren'sacclimatisationphase

iscrucialandthusdesignitwiththeappropriatecare.Closecooperationwiththeparentsis

essential.

Thedevelopmentofanattachmentsystemcanonlybesuccessfulifaccompaniedbyafamiliar

adult.Heorsheactsasasafecare-personuntilthechildacceptsacaregiverasanattachment

figurewithwhomheorshefeelssafe,trusts,andwhocanprovidesupportandcomfort.

Weworkaccordingtothe‘BerlinFamiliarisationModel’,inwhichthechildrennormallyneed

betweentwoandfourweekstoestablishsucharelationship.Thistimeframeisindividually

adjustedinconsultationwiththecaregiver/educator.Asarule,parentsplantocommitfour

weeksforthis.

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Attendance time

Toensurethatthechildrenexperiencestructure,orientationandsafety,thedailyroutineinthe

nurseriesisfirmlyregulated.Phasesoftensionandrelaxation,ofdoingthingstogetherandof

freeplayalternate.Everymorningandafternoontherearelonger,continuousperiodsduring

whichthechildrencanmeetandinteractontheirown.

Forthedevelopmentofeachchild,suchundisturbedphases,inwhichtheycanintensively

immersethemselvesinagame,developtopics,pursueprojects,concentrateandenjoytheat-

mosphere,areindispensable.Iftheyarrivetoolateorhavetoleaveearly,thisnotonlyreduces

thequalityofthepedagogicalwork,butalsodisruptsandimpairsallotherchildreninvolved,

becauseitalsoendstheinteractionforthem.Thisalsoappliestothesharedmeals.Wethere-

foreattachgreatimportancetoobservingthesequalityperiods(intensivephases)andinsiston

them.Thedesignateddrop-offandpick-uptimesextendoverlongerperiodsoftime.Excep-

tionscanbearrangedwiththeeducators.

Nutrition

Wepayattentiontoahealthy,child-orienteddietandonlyusehigh-quality,inpartregional

andseasonalproducts,whicharepreparedonsiteinabalancedandnutrient-friendlyway.Itis

importanttousthatthechildrendevelopapositiveunderstandingofnutrition.

Avariedbuffetisavailableforbreakfast,wherethechildrencanhelpthemselves.Withinatime

frameofabouttwohours,theycandecideforthemselveswhat,whenandwithwhomthey

wanttoeat.Thiswaytheylearntopayattentiontotheirneedsandtomakedecisionsinde-

pendently.

Lunchisenjoyedingroupsatafixedtime.Waterandteaarealwaysavailablethroughoutthe

day.

Design of the rooms

Carefullydesignedthemedrooms,suchasstudios,workshops,buildingroomsaswellasexer-

ciseandrestrooms,supportthechildren'surgetoexploreandtheirneedforcommunityand

rituals.Theyarelinkedasfaraspossiblebyacentral‘marketplace’andareeachdesignedand

continuouslydevelopedbyaresponsibleemployee.The‘nest’offersahomelyandsheltered

atmosphereforespeciallyyoungchildren.Wherepossible,theutilityroomscanalsobeviewed

bythechildren.Thefacilitieshavedirectaccesstotheoutdoorplayarea.

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5. Structural elements to carry out the pedagogical work

Quality development

Ourpedagogicalspecialistsregularlytakepartintrainingcoursesspeciallydesignedforthem.

Thegoalistoqualifythemandtoadvancecurrentpedagogicaltopics.Butwealsofeelre-

sponsibleforpromotingyoungtalents.IncooperationwithourFreeDualTechnicalSchoolfor

Pedagogy,wetrainyoungprofessionalstobecomeeducatorsandpedagogicalspecialists.We

providemeasuresforvoluntaryservicesaswellasforthepost-qualificationofemployeesinthe

extendedrangeofskilledworkers.

Aqualitymanagementmanualisavailabletoallemployeesinournurseries.Allelement-ifacil-

itiesareinternallyauditedatleastonceayear.Inaddition,annualparentsurveysandself-eval-

uationsofemployeestakeplace.WeusetheonlineplatformTopKita.deforthispurpose.Twice

ayear,theresultsareanalysed,evaluatedanddiscussedatthemanagementlevelandthe

necessarymeasuresarederivedandinitiated.

Ourspecialistscanfullyconcentrateontheeducationalworkinthechildren'shomes.Allorgan-

isationaltaskssuchaschildadmissionorbook-keepingtheparentcontributionsarecontrolled

centrallybytheadministration.

Working in a team

Eachchildisassignedapedagogicalspecialist.He/shetakesoverthefamiliarisationinthegroup

andfunctionsasafixedreferencepersonuntilthechildfeelssosecureandcaredforthatheor

shecanopenupandentrusthim-/herselftoallothereducators.Onepersonremainsresponsible

fortheparentsasacontactpointwhenitcomestothedevelopmentoftheirchildinthefacili-

ty.Thispersongathersallobservationsanddocumentation;he/sheconductsaparentalmeeting

atleastonceayear.

Ourteamsregularlyreceiveexpertadvice,coachingandconceptualandorganisationalsupport

fromthemanagementlevelandadministrativedepartments.

Intheirdailywork,theemployeesdemandandareprovidedagreatdealofspaceformanoeu-

vreinmakingdecisions,whichisconnectedtoassumingresponsibility.Teammeetingstake

placeoutsidebusinesshourseveryweek.

Staff ratio

Thestaffoftherespectivefacilitydependsontheofficialstaffratiosetlocallyandfulfilsstate

legalrequirementsatalltimes.Thisismonitoredbytheregionalyouthwelfareoffice.We

adjustthenumberofcaregiversneededeverydaytothenumberofchildrenpresent,inaccord-

ancewithnationallaw.Intheeventofatemporaryshortageofstaff,wewillconscientiously

monitorthesituationwithintheframeworkoftheconceptfordealingwithpersonnelbottle-

necks.Wewillthendoeverythingpossiblewithaviewtoreliabilityandincompliancewith

legalrequirements.Todoso,wecooperatewiththeassociation‘VielfaltinSportundKultur

e.V.’.(VSK)andwithday-carepersonnel.

Child protection

Withintheframeworkoftheagreementstoensuretheimplementationof§§8a,72aofthe8.

SocialCodefortheWelfareandProtectionofChildrenwiththerelevantlocalyouthwelfare

offices,thereareprotectionconceptsforallelement-inurseries.Itisspecifiedthatemployees

28 29

mustperceiveindicationsofhealthhazards,violenceagainstchildrenandneglectanddiscuss

thesewiththeparents.Appropriateassistanceoptionsarepointedoutandaplanofactionis

jointlydefined.Inaddition,allnurseriescooperatecloselywithspecialistcounsellingcentres,

whichtheycanalwaysaccessiftheyneedhelpinassessingtheriskorrequirespecialistadvice

andsupportinworkingwithparents.Forthesecases,theKonzept-enetworkhasitsownso-

called‘InsoweiterfahreneFachkräfte(Kinderschutz)’(IsoFaK-InsofarExperiencedSpecialistsin

ChildProtection)aswellasaspecialistpedagogicalmanagementwithafocusonchildprotec-

tion.

Intheinterestoftheprotectionofthechildreninourfacilities,allemployeesmustprovidean

extendedcertificateofgoodconductbeforestartingwork.Inaddition,the‘Conceptfordealing

withemployeesincasesofsuspectedabuse’regulatesthecorrespondingapproach.

Opening hours

Ourfacilitiesaregenerallyopenfrom06:00to18:00–dependingondemand,staffingand

financing.Duringtheopeninghoursthechildrenarelookedaftereitheronafullorhalfday

basis(optionallunch)orflexiblyaccordingtoanindividualagreement.Werequireattendance

atleastthreedaysaweek.

Thecloseddayscorrespondtothemunicipalspecificationsandareduringtheschoolholidays.

Thefacilitiesarealsoclosedoncertaindaysfortraining.

Daily schedule example06:00, 07:30 or 08:00

Nursery opens

07:00 – 9:30

Free play/free breakfast/drop-off

time

09:30 – 10:00

Children’s conference

10:00 – 12:00

Intensive phase with activitiesand projects

11:50 – 12:00

Drop-off/pick-up time

12:00 – 12:30

Lunch

12:30 – 12:45

Drop-off/pick-up time

12:45 – 14:30

Relaxation phase/sleep

14:30 –15:00

SnackPick-up time

15:00 – 16:00

Intensive phase with activitiesand projects

16:00 – Closing time

Free play, the children arepicked up gradually

17:00, 17:30, 18:00 or 20:00Nursery closes

Pedagogy for free and strong children

Imprint

Publisher:

Konzept-efürBildungundBetreuunggGmbH

Wankelstraße1|70563Stuttgart

Phone+49(0)711656960-10|Fax+49(0)711656960-98

info@konzept-e|www.element-i.de

Concept & design:

freelanceprojectGmbH

Silberburgstraße112|70176Stuttgart

info@frelance-project.d|www.freelance-project.de

Images:

Shutterstock: P. 1, Yuganov Konstantin|P. 2, Standret|P. 9, Evgeny Atamanenko|

P. 11, Oksana Kuzmina|P. 18, Oksana Shufrych|P. 23, Lordn|Unsplash: P. 14, Ben White |

P. 31, Aaron Mello

www.element-i.de 04.2

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