Activities:
Schedule may vary depending on the individual class
and day of the week.
Free Play Time
We have at our disposal social games, a painting area,
building corner, puzzles, a book corner, painting table etc. Each child
decides what he/she wants to play with, how, where and how long they
want to play and with whom.
Teacher-Guided Activities (during or after Free Play
Time)
With the whole class or a small group. The teacher
guides these activities which may include baking an apple pie, rhythm
exercises, free painting, craft work, looking at picture books, learning
a new Math’s concept etc.
Gymnastics and Movement Exercises
Once a week the children have gymnastics in small
groups of around 10 to 12 children. Throughout the normal Kindergarten
day children also have ample opportunities and space to develop various
movement exercises (e.g. climbing, running, balancing, dancing,
swinging, wriggling, creeping etc.).
Snack Time
Each child brings fruit to share with the class.
Juice, milk and bread/biscuits may be provided
Morning Circle - Conference
In our morning circle we do lots of things together -
learn singing games, children's rhymes, songs, listen to stories and
learn new things or discuss joint activities. The children learn to be
part of a group and develop a sense of responsibility as a group member.
Their concentration and listening skills, their confidence in speaking
before a group, their ability to sit quietly and capacity to take in new
ideas are further improved and developed.
Picture Books - Story Time
Either with the whole class or in a smaller group the
children look at a picture book together, listen to a fairy-tale or a
story, solve puzzles, listen to poems or make up their own rhymes. They
learn that language is a living and creative thing. They learn to ask
questions, to differentiate, to work as a team, to listen, to describe,
to use their imagination. All of these attributes are important
prerequisites for learning to read in their later schooling.
Free Painting and Crafts
The children experiment with many different materials
and colors such as clay, paper-mâché, water-colors, finger-painting,
paste, wood etc. The children paint their own stories, learn many
different techniques, mix colors and look at paintings by famous
artists.
Activities with parents
Parents are invited to join activities in the
Kindergarten.
Playground
The playground offers the children a place to run
about, ride tricycles and climb. The children may build in the sand,
play in the water area or retire into the mini-house.
Time to go Home
We say goodbye to each other in a circle and sing a
farewell song before leaving.
Educational Aims in Preschool and Kindergarten - A showcase on
how most schools do it
_____________________________________________________
Learning another language is second nature to a
three-year-old
Preschool and
Kindergarten classes are conducted entirely in German,
with English being used only for “confusion or comfort” when necessary.
Preschoolers may begin the program at age three and do not need any
prior foreign language.
All of the
preschool and Kindergarten teachers are
certified as early childhood educators and have native or near-fluency
in German. Aside from being great instructors, they are well-versed in
early childhood development. Their caring, nurturing approach brings out
the best in young children.
In the preschool
setting, we introduce our three and four year
olds to the German language through a variety of multi-sensory
activities. Expressive art and music, simple stories and rhythmic games
based on seasonal and nature themes provide a gentle structure to the
preschooler¹s day. Preschoolers develop fine and gross-motor skills in a
rich environment. Children also enjoy healthy social interaction:
sharing, making friends, having empathy for others and learning to be
courteous and respectful.
Say
“Kindergarten.”
You’ve just taken your first step toward learning a second language
In the
Kindergarten setting, children gain
pre-literacy skills by learning to recognize and print the upper and
lower case letters of the alphabet. The foundation for essential
mathematical skills is developed through counting and sorting games and
calendar recognition. Children explore the world around them through
field trips and begin to express themselves artistically and musically.
Seasonal themes, songs, and stories all reinforce the child’s progress
toward formal education in the German and English languages.
Preschool
- Kindergarten may aim to:
- develop our children's
independence, self-initiative, creativity and sense of social
responsibility;
- encourage harmonious overall
development through playing together in the group. A child who is
able to play well, with interest and over longer periods of
time will also be able to study independently later in school.
Therefore we aim to create an environment in which intensive play is
encouraged;
- develop each child's talents
and capabilities, i.e. encourage each child's overall
development through placing equal importance on the child's social,
emotional, creative, cognitive, linguistic and motor development;
- develop basic skills in math
concepts, reading and writing
- develop a suitable program for
the children in the harmonious environment of the Kindergarten
through continuous observation;
- teach our children to live
together in the group and install in them a sense of
responsibility for the community;
- develop our children's ability
to accept criticism and teach them to deal with, discuss and
solve conflict;
- stimulate our children's
enthusiasm and joy of life, and help them to become
self-confident and caring people who strive to achieve their aims
while maintaining a sense of responsibility for others;
- develop our children's
language abilities. Language development is a focal point of our
work.
- to help non-German speaking
children in the German stream familiarize themselves with German.
Additionally
- seasonal festivals from
different countries are celebrated
together, enabling them to learn games, songs and rhymes in another
language in a relaxed, playful atmosphere;
- various projects
relating to the children's life experience are incorporated into the
Kindergarten year using stories, songs and creative play;
- education in the Kindergarten
complements and supports the child's upbringing in the family. A
trusting, cooperative relationship between the Kindergarten staff
and parents is therefore essential.
The Elementary School program
takes place in a dual language environment. Children are immersed in a
curriculum where both the German and the American language and culture
are taught and appreciated. We take an individualized teaching approach
with all classes. Teachers devise individualized lesson plans that cater
to each child at his or her level of performance. This approach to
learning enables students to progress according to their creative and
natural abilities. We teach basic abilities, knowledge, and skill
according to the child’s individual experience and learning potential,
which fosters the joy of learning.
Each child’s personality,
interests, practical and artistic skills and social behavior are all
taken into consideration to ensure personal attention so that each child
can grow in a dual language community.
Native and nonnative German
speaking students work side by side, developing their linguistic and
academic skills in a stimulating setting. A formal and comprehensive
arts curriculum in music and fine arts at each grade level allows
children to explore their imaginative potential and gain confidence in
performance and artistic self-expression. Each class level is designed
to meet Arizona’s specific academic requirements. Students of
German-American bilingual immersion schools typically test in the
highest percentile of equivalency. After participation in the program,
your child will easily assimilate academically into a public or other
private school, because English as well as German skills thrive here.
In our Preschool
/ German
