Concept
Mission Statement
Our mission statement was created by all the educators at the daycare. It expresses our fundamental attitude and provides a common direction for all decisions and actions. We are Germany's first German-Chinese parent initiative. In our daycare, children are always surrounded by both the German and Chinese languages. We are a place where children experience the Chinese language and culture. In our daycare, we work with professionally trained and state-recognized educational specialists based on the Berlin Education Program. We are a multinational and bilingual team that creates a warm atmosphere and a reliable foundation between children, colleagues, and parents. We provide security for both children and parents. What unites us all is that we are lively and interested educators. Our primary goal is to create a place for children where they can have a fulfilling and happy time. We treat children, parents, and each other with tolerance, appreciation, helpfulness, honesty, and respect. We place great value on a partnership-based collaboration and are always aware of our role as role models. For the benefit of every child, we work professionally and trustfully with all parents on an equal footing and always have an open ear for them. We are not afraid of conflicts or differing opinions. We approach disagreements with non-violent communication methods. Our goal is to ensure satisfaction on all sides. We accept each child as they are. Whether boy or girl, shy, brave, wild, fearful, or creative, with their individual abilities and language, we value each child’s uniqueness. Children are actively involved in shaping their daily lives with us. This includes agreeing on rules, structuring the daily routine, and incorporating children into activities and projects. We respect the individuality of each child and their decisions, as long as the interests of others are respected. Our goal is to best prepare the children for the next phase of their lives, school, through independence and self-confidence. These high standards for our work and ourselves are reflected upon and further developed through ongoing dialogue, both personally and professionally.
The Educational Concept
The concept is a working foundation and a tool for reflection in the daily work at the German-Chinese daycare "Das China Büro e.V." It describes the goals and methods of the work in the daycare and shows where the team focuses its professional efforts. Our concept helps to represent our daily routines at the daycare.
Bilingualism from the Start
Many of our children grow up with more than one language due to diverse life circumstances. When this happens, it is referred to as bilingualism. Our team consists of native German and Chinese speakers. In each group, at least one German and one Chinese educator work together, communicating with the children in their respective mother tongues. This so-called immersion approach is the most successful language learning method worldwide. True to the motto "One Language - One Person," our activities take place in German and/or Chinese. We sing German and Chinese songs, do crafts, play, and explore the world. The language is primarily conveyed through everyday situations and additionally through songs, dances, music, and projects, as children learn language best when they experience and hear it in daily life. We focus on an integrated, everyday language education, as daily life in the daycare provides many language-stimulating situations. Our goal is to ensure that all children are well-prepared for school entry in Germany. Unlike in China, where children begin learning characters in their early years, we introduce children to Chinese writing culture in a playful and creative way (e.g., through calligraphy or labeling objects). We place great importance on regular, preferably daily, reading time with the children. In our daycare, children have access to a wide range of books in both German and Chinese. In both groups, we use storytelling theaters to tell stories. In the larger group, the children regularly visit the library. It is important to us that the children come into contact with both language and writing, and that we promote reading and writing skills to facilitate a smooth transition to primary school. Educational professionals are essential language role models and sources of inspiration. We are aware of this role and engage in sensitive and attentive dialogue with the children, considering their needs, interests, and topics, and incorporating their perspectives.
Collaboration with Parents
The kindergarten is not only a place for children, but also for their parents. The kindergarten is a family-supporting institution. Our goal is for parents, as well as close family members and children, to feel comfortable with us. A prerequisite for this is open and trusting collaboration. Parents should feel that their child is well cared for and supported in the kindergarten. It is important to us to involve parents in our work, listen to their opinions, take them seriously, and implement joint ideas in the daily life of the kindergarten. We are aware that parents are the experts on their children. To carry out pedagogically valuable work with the children, close collaboration with families is essential. Therefore, trust, appreciation, respect, and recognition are key pillars of this collaboration and hold great value in our daily work. We take criticism, suggestions, wishes, and even complaints from parents very seriously. Together, we look for constructive solutions. In cooperation with the parents, we have created a complaint management system that allows concerns to be raised in different ways and ensures a professional approach. We are happy when parents or family members contribute to the educational work or the design of the daycare rooms by, for example, presenting their workplace, small projects, reading sessions, wall murals, and much more. All suggestions are warmly welcome. For us, it is a matter of course to support our parents in the best possible way.
Playing Without Toys –
Toy-Free Time
Material for play is very important for children, as it can foster creativity and is naturally part of their world. However, an overload of toys, consumer goods, and recreational offerings can also lead to children having too few opportunities to "connect with themselves," feel their own needs, and develop their own ideas and imagination. For this reason, we regularly implement toy-free time in our daycare (usually once a year). The project is discussed with the children and parents each time and is prepared together. The implementation and execution take place with the children. Together, we discuss which toys will "go on vacation" and which ones must stay in the daycare. In advance, we inform the parents and put up lists of materials that they can collect and bring to the daycare. During the toy-free time, we do not want to take anything away from the children, but rather offer them space to play and train their creativity. Toy-free time does not mean play-free time. There is still plenty of material available for play in the form of open-ended materials during the toy-free period. Both the start and the end of the toy-free time are discussed with the children. At the end of each toy-free period, we ask the children which toys they would like to have back. One possibility is to return toys only when the children specifically ask for them. Our concept of toy-free time is not rigid; it evolves with the experiences gained. Each time, the wishes, needs, and experiences of all involved are considered.
Understanding of Education and Upbringing
"Every child has the right to be who they are." (Janusz Korczak) With us, every child is in good hands! We see the daycare as an institution for early childhood education that provides all children with the best possible and equal opportunities for learning and development through a stimulating environment and reliable caregivers. We see ourselves as companions and advisors to confident children who walk through life with open eyes and awareness. Our goal is to accept each child as a unique individual and create an atmosphere of security in the daycare, so that they feel completely comfortable. During one of the most formative phases of life, we support the development of children so that they can have a good start in life as self-confident, curious, joyful, responsible, environmentally conscious, and socially competent individuals. The child, with their individual self-education process, is at the center of our educational work. Regardless of their background or individual circumstances, each child is given the opportunity to contribute their abilities and possibilities to the development of the educational community. From this perspective, the goal is to individually nurture the child's curiosity and their desire to explore, continuously supporting them in their motivation to learn new things.
Observation and Documentation
By documenting the development of each child in writing, educators become more aware of it and can adapt their pedagogical work accordingly. Additionally, documentation helps make the children's development transparent. Observing and documenting the various developmental processes of the child helps educators reflect on and further develop their work, forming the basis for targeted professional efforts. In our daycare, the children's development is documented in writing, images, audio recordings, and videos. A portfolio/language learning diary is created for each child. The child has access to their portfolio/language learning diary at any time, which is marked with a photo. Here, they can look at their pictures alone or together with the educators and parents or have stories read to them. The portfolio/language learning diary belongs to the child and can be taken home temporarily. To make statements about the child's language development, we note their linguistic expressions (first words, first sentences, child’s speech), conduct a children's interview starting at age 3, and use the learning documentation from the language learning diary to support language development before school entry. The evaluation of observations (e.g., photos, videos, interviews, learning documentation before school entry) takes place with the parents during development meetings. At least once a year, a development meeting is held (and more often if needed) to discuss the child's interests and abilities as well as common goals. Daily brief reports about the respective day are posted on the information board for all parents. In the cloakroom, there is a digital photo frame displaying current photos from the past days to give parents an extensive insight into their child's world. At regular intervals, all parents receive a summary of the events in the groups (review) via email.
On-Boarding Period
The adjustment to kindergarten represents a significant challenge for every child. The child must adapt to a new environment and build relationships with unfamiliar people. There is a changed daily routine, new situations, and the daily separation from parents. For this, parents need to be ready to take the time to accompany their child. The adjustment period for a child can vary in length. Parents should plan for at least 3 to 5 weeks for an optimal adjustment. We adjust the process according to the child's age, experience with group settings, and individual needs. The adjustment is crucial for quality education, upbringing, and care of children. Only when the child has built trust, has become familiar with the facility, the daily routine, the new caregivers, and children, and starts interacting with them, can they learn, express themselves, and feel comfortable in the daycare. During this phase, we maintain close communication with the parents, as they also need security and can then pass it on to their child. To ensure an individual and gentle adjustment, we introduce the new children one by one (in stages). Each child will be accompanied by an educator during the adjustment period. The start of the adjustment period (the first daycare day) and the primary caregiver are determined by the daycare. The first adjustment period typically begins in August after the summer break. Every one to two weeks, another child is introduced. Adjustments outside the regular adjustment period are only offered if a spot becomes available during the current year (e.g., due to a child's relocation or the adjustment of a sibling). Before the first daycare day, there will be an introductory café and an individual adjustment discussion. The Process of the Adjustment Our goal is a gentle adjustment. Therefore, it is important that the parents are familiar with the daycare's educational concept and approach. We base our adjustment process on the Berlin Adjustment Model. During the first three days, the child will be at the daycare for about 1 to 1.5 hours with a parent or primary caregiver. No separation attempts will take place in the initial days. We will use this time to build a trusting relationship and invite the child to play and get to know the environment. The parent or caregiver should hold back in their interaction with the child. After a few days (depending on the child's behavior), the parent or caregiver will be asked to leave the room or the daycare for a few minutes (approximately 10–20 minutes). These times without the parent or caregiver will gradually increase, so the child can get used to accepting us as new caregivers, being comforted, changed, and accompanied by us. The separation phases will be extended starting from the second week, until the child can comfortably spend two hours in the daycare. Only then will your child have lunch with us. When the child is eating regularly in daycare and accepts the morning separations, they will try to take a nap for the first time in the daycare. Daily discussions with the educator will determine when the first separation, the first lunch, and the first nap will take place. Even after the adjustment phase, the child should ideally be picked up between 3:00 and 3:30 PM, but no later than 4:00 PM, for a few weeks. Care during the early and late service hours (from 8:00 to 9:00 AM, and from 3:30/4:00 PM to 5:00 PM) is only possible after a successful adjustment and in consultation with the educators. At the end of a successful adjustment, but no earlier than 6 weeks, there will be a final adjustment meeting with the educator. The adjustment is considered successful when the child can play without the parent in daycare, be comforted, make contact, eat, and nap.
Transition to Primary School
The year before starting school is a special time for children. They look forward to school with great enthusiasm and are excited to finally learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. We view the entire kindergarten period as preparation for school. School preparation is life preparation, not just a school entrance training. In the final kindergarten year, the future schoolchildren increasingly prepare for the demands of school. They need our help in this process. Through age-appropriate activities in small groups, children strengthen their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive abilities. In the year before starting school, the focus is not on teaching school content in advance to give them an academic head start. Instead, our activities aim to provide a smooth transition into school life. Especially in the last kindergarten year, we focus on preparing the children for what to expect in school, creating excitement and anticipation for the new time after kindergarten. Parents play an important role in this process. We align our approach with the contents of the Berlin Education Program and ensure that, in addition to language development and basic math skills, our offerings also support motor skills, perception, memory, and social-emotional abilities. The goal of age-appropriate support is to: Promote the children's overall personality in line with their individual abilities; Support their social behavior to the extent that they can live, play, and learn in a large group; Strengthen their self-confidence and self-image and encourage their independence; Stimulate their joy of learning and learning behavior, while fostering creativity and individuality. Currently, there is a collaboration between our kindergarten and the primary school at Kollwitzplatz for future schoolchildren. Educators regularly participate in meetings with primary school teachers and organize joint events (e.g., reading time at the primary school). Through our farewell celebration and ritual at the summer festival, we ensure a ceremonial transition into the new phase of life, school.