Basics
Open Child Day Care Center
A child’s educational processes are always processes of self-education. The child is the active agent in his or her own development. We therefore trust that children know their own needs, understand what is good for them, and have an irrepressible desire to learn. If we want to create a place for children where they can experience joy in life and discovery of the world, self-determination and participation, individuality and community, this is only possible if we remain open. (see Lill 2008, p. 13ff)
With its carefully curated diversity, the open daycare center provides space for independent development as well as for living and learning together. It is thus a place where children can participate and choose their own play areas, partners, activities, and schedules. Early childhood educators working within the open concept serve as reliable caregivers for the children and provide them with structure and a safe environment. They share responsibility for all children and ensure an age-appropriate introduction to the center’s resources. This includes jointly planning and organizing the daily routine, sharing responsibilities, and sharing the use of spaces and materials.
Open-concept work is based on an approach that welcomes new ideas and continues to evolve through collaboration with children, parents, and the entire team.
Children are free to move between the nursery and the daycare center at any time. This allows them to benefit from the dif Children are free to visit the nursery and daycare areas at any time. This allows them to benefit from the different stages of development through shared play.
The goals of the open-access approach are:
- To create an environment where children experience respect for their individual wishes and feelings, can follow their impulses and interests, and can form play and work groups according to their preferences
- To offer children a space where a child’s “no” carries just as much weight as an adult’s
- To design an (educational) environment that offers children new experiences, challenges them to take bold initiatives, and thereby encourages further steps in their development
- To ensure that children have the opportunity to engage with these experiences at their own pace and based on their own questions
- To create an atmosphere of safety and attentiveness in which communication is given space in the truest sense of the word, yet which also allows for withdrawal
- To foster a climate of well-being in which people of all ages can interact peacefully and grow together, where calm prevails and each individual finds their place, and where children can gain fundamental experiences of democracy and feel a sense of their own agency
Our Educational Approach in the Nursery:
We give children the time they need to develop at their own pace. In doing so, we encourage their independence.
The nurturing care and diaper-changing process are based on a trusting relationship that ensures a pleasant experience for the child. We provide individualized support as children learn to use the toilet.
Language development is fostered through loving attention as we verbally guide the children through their activities.
The transition to kindergarten is made easier because the children are already familiar with all areas of the daycare center. The adjustment period is not supervised by the parents, but by the child’s primary caregiver from the nursery, in collaboration with the primary caregiver from the kindergarten.
Bonding/Adjustment
When children start daycare, they experience a significant transition into an environment that is initially unfamiliar to them. They learn new routines, get to know other children, and become acquainted with the childcare staff. To make this transition as smooth as possible, children—who need a sense of security and comfort—require the support of a familiar person. We therefore manage these transitions collaboratively—usually with the parents—in a personalized and sensitive manner. We view parents as experts on their own children and engage in in-depth discussions about each child’s unique characteristics.
Every child needs a primary caregiver as a secure base from which they can explore the world and always return to them.
Our settling-in process is based on the Berlin Settling-In Model.
Language Development
Language development and language support take place primarily through daily interactions. Children acquire language through relationships, listening, imitation, experimentation, and repeated conversations.
That is why language support does not take place only in special activities, but in all everyday situations—such as during meals, diaper changes, getting dressed, and looking at picture books.
As children get older, language becomes more complex. They increasingly learn to express their thoughts, listen, ask questions, and tell stories.
We view the multilingualism of some of the children in our center as an important resource. We value the family language and, whenever possible, incorporate it through multilingual staff members. This provides the children with a sense of security and makes them feel valued.
