What makes us unique

Actually, children need three things:
they need tasks through which they can grow,
they need role models whom they can follow,
and they need communities in which they feel secure.

(Gerald Hüther, Professor of Neurology, University of Göttingen)

Our image of the child

Children have the right…

  • to unconditional respect for their individuality
  • to sound health and well-being
  • to this day
  • to education
  • to a wide range of experiences of their own
  • to participation in all matters that concern them, and to the expression of their own opinion

(cf. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 8th Book of the German Social Code [Sozialgesetzbuch], Janus Korczak)

Every child is an individual. She is an active, inquisitive, and creative being. The child himself is an expert in his own living situation and his own development.

Right from birth, she has unique talents and abilities, and starts to develop individual strengths. Every child has what’s needed to acquire multiple languages.

Every child is a social being, integrated within the language(s), culture(s) and identity of their family.

Every child needs a secure connection and is reliant on sensitivity, protection and care. In this way they can feel that they are part of the group and connected with their surroundings, and thereby have an impact of their own.

Children and staff benefit from one another at Le Jardin through their individual and diverse competences.

Within the framework of an open dialog, children and adults communicate with each other at eye level.

Learning processes evolve through the collaboration and social interaction between children and caregivers (co-construction).

Pedagogical orientation – our 3 pillars

1. Multilingual capability

  • Our increasingly globalized society is placing more and more importance on multilingual capability. The ability to speak more than one language makes it possible for people to connect with the world through words. Because the competent mastery of language(s) is a prerequisite for social participation. Consequently, linguistic development is a key topic within the context of early childhood education.
  • The staff of Le Jardin multilinguale Kindereinrichtungen gGmbH originate from different countries and make exclusive use of their native language in their day-to-day interaction with the children.
  • Our nurseries, kindergartens and after-school afternoon childcare programs provide their childcare services in the following language combinations: German-English, German-French, German-Spanish using the immersion method.

IMMERSION MODEL

The immersion method enables spontaneous natural language acquisition – the term immersion here refers to a sort of “language bath”. Children dive into multiple languages. This form of learning is unforced and occurs naturally in the course of everyday experience. Right from the outset, everything in the new language is reinforced and clarified through demonstration and images. Their positive experience while dealing playfully with language motivates the children and encourages them to enjoy the learning process.

  • Every employee remains consistently in a single language – their own mother tongue – and represents a language role model in verbal and nonverbal communication (tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures).
  • The international experience and multicultural influences of our employees play a key role in our continuously evolving conceptual approach and development.

2. Open-minded attitude toward the world outside

  • Le Jardin welcomes people from all countries, and wants to accompany them in the development of intercultural competences. We hold cultural and linguistic variety in high esteem, and see them as an enrichment and a chance to learn.
  • Our international team enables us to transmit cultures authentically in an day-to-day dialog with one another.
  • Our open-minded attitude toward the world helps the children to learn to take pleasure in discovering similarities and differences. In so doing we transmit values such as equality, tolerance, acceptance and solidarity.
  • To our way of thinking, an open-minded attitude toward the world outside also means that we consider the family as a system, so we’re also glad to work on a cross-generational basis. This is reflected in our team’s broad range of ages.

3. Nature as a space for living and experiencing

  • The plethora of sensory experiences in nature not only represents an enrichment of the child’s living space, but also leads to a more clearly discerning awareness of the body and enhanced self-esteem.
  • The children bond with nature and observe the changes of seasons along with the diversity of flora and fauna.
  • Children experience and investigate nature with all of their senses and construct knowledge on that foundation.
  • At the same time, children develop confidence it their own abilities. Spending time in the woods stimulates the children’s fantasy and creativity and fosters autonomous action.
  • Caring for plants and animals imparts awareness and helps the children appreciate nature.
  • This essential nature consciousness forms an integral part of our everyday work and is underscored through visits to our gardens and allotment gardens, as well as through excursions to nearby parks and woods.

A specialized approach to the prevailing concepts of early education continues to influence our own conceptual development and the pedagogical work of Le Jardin to this day, along with our current training and socio-political discourse.

Our focus here is on the autonomy and the individuality of the child. Social and family-oriented systems, together with heterogeneous situations, represent the point of departure for our pedagogical work.

Language…

  • is an expression of culture and personal identity
  • is the key to the world
  • is a opportunity for communication
  • is more than just the spoken word

“One cannot not communicate!“ [1]

  •  In so doing we raise awareness of the existence of many different kinds of people, with a rich diversity of origins and biographies, traditions and cultures.       Through an inquisitive and open attitude, we enable the development of intercultural competence as a core competence.
  • We believe that an open-minded attitude toward the world outside also includes working to strengthen the bond between the generations.

[1] Watzlawik, 2011, S.53