Dečije Carstvo, Predškolska ustanova, logotip min

Work program

Bilingual kindergarten
What is bilingualism?

Bilingualism refers to the ability to speak or write in two languages. A person who speaks two languages is called a bilingual person, while the term bilingualism can also be applied to a group of people, community or society in which two or more languages are used. Bilingualism is often associated with two-way communication between people or groups who speak different languages. This type of communication can also take place within one person, when someone uses two languages in different situations or contexts.

What are the advantages of bilingualism?

Bilingual children are common in environments where from the first days they listen to communication in two languages - whether the parents speak different languages, or whether, as in the case of immigrants, one language is spoken in the family and another language is spoken in the environment. Scientists find such children very interesting for studying the impact of bilingualism on brain development and psyche. Many studies have been conducted with bilingual children and the results show that learning two languages at an early age really brings benefits:

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Benefits of bilingualism in children:

  • Bilingual children have a higher IQ than children who are surrounded by only one language. The reason for this is better networking of the brain, thanks to the creation of a greater number of synapses - connections between nerve cells in the brain that transmit impulses.
  • Thanks to a better networked brain, bilingual children think faster, are better at multitasking and are more flexible. For the same reason, their cognitive abilities remain preserved longer in old age.
  • Bilingual children learn new words much faster and have a built-in ability not to confuse the words of one language with the words of another. They generalize newly learned words much faster and can use them in new situations.
 

  • They are better speakers, manipulate words more easily and establish communication with peers and the wider environment (teachers, neighbors, relatives...) more easily.
  • Bilingual children concentrate more easily when working, because they are better able to isolate sounds and images from the environment. Thanks to the ability to direct attention to opposing mental processes, which requires the use of two languages, they are better at solving mathematical problems.
  • They learn faster and easier because they are constantly in a situation of switching from one language to another, thereby developing more cognitive processes and mechanisms such as inhibition (the ability to stop the words of the language they are not using at a given moment in order to activate the language they need for current situation), verbal memory (the ability to manipulate linguistic material) and selective attention (the ability to quickly switch from one language to another). This constantly puts the brain in front of new challenges.

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How will we develop bilingualism in children?

  • Bilingualism as a family environment is not the privilege of the average child. Learning a second language in an organized way, within foreign language schools, can give just as good results.
  • The condition is that the child learns in a way that will be as motivating and natural as is the case with spontaneous learning in a bilingual environment. That's why we decided to create a bilingual environment in a familiar, safe and pleasant environment for children, in kindergarten.
  • In addition to the functional importance of using two languages, and the benefits for the intellectual development of children, we also want to nurture the native Serbian language.

That is why the educational work will not be fully realized in a foreign language, but we will create an environment modeled on a bilingual family. Where in daily communication and work with children, one teacher will speak Serbian and the other only a foreign (English) language. Therefore, the children will be motivated to master the second language as well as possible, in order to achieve two-way communication with the other teacher. In this way, children will develop tolerance towards diversity, acceptance of diversity among people, and as the ultimate goal, we will reach the spontaneous acquisition of a second language.

In the end, what makes learning a foreign language especially easy for children is music. Music provides numerous advantages when learning foreign languages. Listening to music allows us to better acquire syntax and expand our vocabulary, because music activates the same centers in the brain as speech. It's easier to remember with music. Singing helps to learn new words quickly, since music stimulates the memory. Singing is an activity that motivates, because it brings enjoyment. That's why the whole learning process feels less like work if the music is on. The language that children are introduced to through music is a source of positive associations for them, because they associate it with play and fun activities.

Nursery (from 1 to 3 years)

In preschooI institution "Children's kingdom" there is a mixed daycare group, in which children aged from one year to three years. The main task in working with children of nursery age is to create a favorable educational environment that, through its organization, provides optimal conditions for the child's psycho-physical development. The main task is to create a favorable educational environment that, through its organization, provides optimal conditions for the child's psycho-physical development.

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In the nursery, activities are performed simultaneously, in a group. Therefore, the children will eat, sleep or sit on the potty together at a certain time, every day at approximately the same time. In this way, they adopt a daily routine, develop their first social relationships, accept the rules of behavior and actively become independent in basic life actions (changing clothes, eating, using the toilet, maintaining hygiene, etc.). Nurse-educators try to have a positive influence on the overall development of children. Every day they nurture children's openness to experiences, natural curiosity towards the environment.

At this age, great attention is paid to improving motor development. That is why a large number of activities at this age are based on movement, music, mobile games and games to stimulate fine motor skills. In addition, speech and language activities take a large part in everyday educational work. Through these activities, nurse-educators work to enrich children's vocabulary, but also to develop speech as a means of communication and knowledge acquisition.

Educational work with the nursery age is carried out in the serbian language. Because we want the child to primarily acquire the base of the mother tongue, after which, after the third year, we encourage the acquisition of English.

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Kindergarten (from 3 to 5.5 years)

Educational work with the nursery age is carried out in the serbian language. Because we want the child to primarily acquire the base of the mother tongue, after which, after the third year, we encourage the acquisition of English.

Educational work at this age is also implemented according to the project approach. This means that our educators continuously monitor children's interests, opportunities and age-related abilities, based on which they come up with topics and content that will be implemented with the children. Through the implementation of projects, children are in situations where they realize relationships with the environment, actively participate in activities, gain diverse experiences, and thus acquire more permanent knowledge, develop abilities and become independent in life. This approach to work includes the participation of parents, so in the Children's Kingdom, we often implement workshops and other activities in cooperation with the family. We believe that parents and educators are partners, through whose cooperation, open relationship and trust, the well-being for the all-round development of every child is ensured.

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By staying in a collective, children of this age gain a positive self-image, develop relationships with peers and authorities, develop confidence in themselves and others. Through a series of educational activities, children daily improve the development of their own intellectual capacities, gain knowledge and experience in various fields, become familiar with natural and social phenomena and basic mathematical concepts. By spending time outdoors every day, as well as additional sports activities, we improve children's motor development.

At this age, we implement educational work in a bilingual environment. The children are divided into three age groups (younger, middle and older), in which two teachers work each. One teacher speaks Serbian with the children, while the other speaks English with the children. In this way, through everyday communication, play, life and work in the kindergarten, we influence the spontaneous acquisition of the English language.

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Preschool (from 5.5 years old until starting school)

During the period of preparation for school, special attention will be directed towards socialization, establishment and expansion of social contacts with children and adults in the immediate environment. In addition to individuality and the establishment of positive child-adult-child partnership communication, we will develop the initiative, emotional stability and creativity of children. We will develop the natural need for constant discovery by providing adequate incentives for the child to discover and learn something new, the tendency to search for the unknown, which contributes to the development of children's creativity. Emphasis will also be placed on activities that provide the opportunity for children to actively and directly get to know the world around them.

General preparation for school is carried out through the entire activity of the kindergarten and refers to all aspects of the child's personality. It has a primary role in relation to special preparation for school, which refers to contents and activities concerning: preparation for reading and writing, including the development of graphomotor skills, auditory attention and memory; motivation for learning (developing a positive attitude towards learning).

The plan and program provide numerous and methodical contents, suitable for the modern needs of preschool children. This means that the work will insist on:

Establishing feelings of security and acceptance in the child
Enabling the child to learn to observe, analyze, compare
Establishing appropriate work habits
Developing concentration as a basis for future school learning
Developing fine motor skills and grapho-motor skills
Providing a stimulating environment for creating a positive image of oneself and one's capabilities
Training the child to accept future obligations.

Starting from the observation and monitoring of children, we will come up with ideas for project topics, respecting the developmental characteristics of each child. Through the implementation of projects, children are in situations where they realize relationships with the environment, actively participate in activities, gain diverse experiences, and thus acquire more permanent knowledge, develop abilities and become independent in life. This approach to work includes the participation of parents, so in the Children's Kingdom, we often implement workshops and other activities in cooperation with the family. We believe that parents and educators are partners, through whose cooperation, open relationship and trust, the well-being for the all-round development of every child is ensured.

The program for preparing children for school consists of areas in which educational content and activities are classified, through which the general and special preparation of children for school is achieved, namely:

Speech development (enrichment of children's vocabulary, verbal and non-verbal expression, speech games, introduction to children's literature...)
Preparation for initial reading and writing (however, literacy is carried out only in cases of individual child interest)
Development of mathematical concepts (comparison, evaluation, sets, relations, basic operations)
Getting to know the natural and social environment (animal world, life, man as a member of the living world, man as a social being, protection of the human environment)
Physical education (physical development, strengthening of health, maintenance of hygiene...)
Art education (drawing, painting, sculpting, aesthetic assessment)
Music education (listening to music, singing, playing, dance activities)
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Getting to know the natural and social environment (animal world, life, man as a member of the living world, man as a social being, protection of the human environment)
Physical education (physical development, strengthening of health, maintenance of hygiene...)
Art education (drawing, painting, sculpting, aesthetic assessment)
Children with developmental disabilities

The term inclusion implies the inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in the regular preschool and school system and the acceptance of their differences. A child with developmental disabilities has the right to be part of a unique system of education and upbringing, of which our preschool institution is an integral part. By joining the kindergarten together with their peers and other adults, children will have a whole range of opportunities to actively participate, to play, to be in a stimulating environment and in situations that support development. It should be emphasized that these are not children with "special needs", because their needs are equal to the needs of every child. There is a special way in which we will satisfy them, so that they feel belonging and complete equality among children.

In Preschool institution "Children's Kingdom", according to the nature of the difficulties accompanying his development, it is possible to enroll a child in a regular or developmental group or just include him in psychomotor reeducation treatments.

In cooperation with professional associates (oligophrenologist and speech therapist) and personal assistant employed in our institution, we try to include every child, regardless of his difficulties, in all kinds of activities as much as possible and strive to master them. Sometimes the participation of our teachers and their willingness to get the most out of each child is enough, but in the event that it does not always work adequately, the personal assistant is here to provide additional support. If it is acceptable for the child to stay in a regular group of children, a child with developmental difficulties can be enrolled in a regular group with or without a personal assistant. A personal assistant can be hired by the parents, but Preschool institution "Children's Kingdom" also provides accommodation services for children with developmental difficulties, along with an assistant who is employed in the kindergarten.

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The work in the development group is carried out by a defectologist-oligophrenologist, in a special room equipped for that purpose. A maximum of six children can be enrolled in this group. Children's stay is limited to 3-5 hours during the day, according to the child's needs and capabilities. During their stay, children are provided with two to three meals. The work plan and program is implemented in accordance with the individual abilities and possibilities of each specific child. During daily work with children, we also work on re-education of psychomotor skills. Psychomotor reeducation treatment uses movement to encourage development in all areas of a child's functioning. Please note that our development group is of an open type, that is, it is our practice to include the children of this group in certain activities of children in regular groups, in accordance with their needs and capabilities.

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As important as the acceptance of the child by the entire system is, it is so important for us that he learns about himself and his qualities, accepts them, explores his own environment, builds patience, tolerance and thus prepares for further levels of education.

It is also of great importance to us that, in addition to a satisfied and happy child, there are parents who will see the results of our work and that we will all, together, reach the desired goal.