Humpty-Dumpty
Educational Concept /
Educational Philosophy and Statement of Values
(Summary in English, 2014)
Introduction
Humpty-Dumpty is a parent – initiated day care founded in 1983. EiKiTa e.V is a registered association in Berlin that consists of a Management Board staffed by three elected parents (including a treasurer.) The Management Board manages the day to day running of the day care and is responsible for its external representation.
As with all publicly-funded day cares in Berlin, Humpty-Dumpty’s funding comes from the following sources: 78% Berlin government, 13% parents’ fees/contributions and 9% voluntary, in- kind work done by parents.
Facilities
Humpty-Dumpty is located at 6 Wartburg Street in Schöneberg, an inner city district within walking distance of many beautiful large parks e.g. Schöneberg city park as well as of the newly- renovated Schöneberg indoor pool and local library.
We are on the ground floor of a historic building, with 112 sq m and 4 rooms, a corridor with separate cloakroom, a well-equipped kitchen, 1 well-lit children’s bathroom with child-size toilets, and nappy changing table, 1 separate child-size toilet, 1 adult’s bathroom and a small yet private street-facing garden with a sand pit.
Our rooms: Meal room also functions as art room with personal cubby holes, books, toys and cosy corner; play room with new indoor climbing equipment, new toys and teaching space for music and yoga; creative room for painting, craft and reading; sleeping room so that the little kids can take naps.
Staff Ratio and teaching qualifications
We have four care givers: two German native speakers with state-recognized child care qualifications and two English-native speakers with recognized child-care qualifications from their home country.
There is also one German federally funded community-volunteer (Bundesfreiwilligedienstler) every year and from time to time, an early childhood education student or intern.
We currently have up to twenty-two enrolled children (6 to 8 in the younger group, aged 1 1⁄2 - 3 years and 14 in older group, aged 3-6 years) with one English and one German caregiver for each group.
Social and cultural background
The bilingual nature of Humpty-Dumpty daycare means our families come from diverse socio- economic and cultural backgrounds.
Humpty-Dumpty follows the “immersion method” which means each child is free to choose when and which of the two languages they speak throughout playtime and learning time to enable personal development. Each caregiver only speaks to the children in his/her mother tongue to enable authentic language use between care giver-child.
Education philosophy
Our education philosophy draws from the Montessori theory, “Help me to do it myself” and is
echoed in the Berlin Education Program (Berliner Bildungsprogramm). We seek to ensure our
children’s surroundings encourage independence, self-reliance and room to grow.
Our Values: Feeling secure, dedication, understanding, warmth, equality for all regardless of gender, race, and religion.
Children have the possibility to learn rules and to have a say in expressing their wishes and expectations, to be heard and acknowledged.
Excerpt from our Humpty Dumpty “Children’s Charter of Rights” o The right to positive and active attention
o The right to confident, responsible and engaged close attachment figures o The right to a diverse, stimulating environment
o The right to experimentation and discovery
o The right to stress-free and communicative meal times
The caregiver’s role: to guide and recognize children’s needs; provide interesting surroundings to facilitate independent movement; to respect children’s limits; to provide appropriate projects and creative activities based on age; and to observe and make recommendations if the child (or its parents) needs further support or help.
Educational goals
Personality development
Our children are accepted with all their weaknesses and strengths. Situations are created where they can develop their self-confidence and encouraged to act independently.
Social development
Togetherness of the group is encouraged through the caregivers acknowledging and accompanying the interaction of the children.
If a conflict arises, a self-determined, non-aggressive solution is pursued through offering the children alternatives and assistance in resolving the problem on their own.
Emotions
Our children learn to be taken seriously in their feelings by the caregivers acknowledging, accepting and addressing these be it joy, fear, anger, sadness etc.
Learning
Our children will learn by playing and using all their senses. They are supported in this according to their capabilities and talent depending on their age and developmental phase. The interests of individual children are acted upon, possibly also transferred to the group (situational approach).
Educational Areas
Body
Books about the body and birth are available at the day care in the children’s bookshelves and are often discussed. Children should be able to develop an unrestrained relationship to their sexuality. The individual comforting requirements of the children should be respected.
Our Values: Feeling secure, dedication, understanding, warmth, equality for all regardless of gender, race, and religion.
Children have the possibility to learn rules and to have a say in expressing their wishes and expectations, to be heard and acknowledged.
Excerpt from our Humpty Dumpty “Children’s Charter of Rights” o The right to positive and active attention
o The right to confident, responsible and engaged close attachment figures o The right to a diverse, stimulating environment
o The right to experimentation and discovery
o The right to stress-free and communicative meal times
The caregiver’s role: to guide and recognize children’s needs; provide interesting surroundings to facilitate independent movement; to respect children’s limits; to provide appropriate projects and creative activities based on age; and to observe and make recommendations if the child (or its parents) needs further support or help.
Educational goals
Personality development
Our children are accepted with all their weaknesses and strengths. Situations are created where they can develop their self-confidence and encouraged to act independently.
Social development
Togetherness of the group is encouraged through the caregivers acknowledging and accompanying the interaction of the children.
If a conflict arises, a self-determined, non-aggressive solution is pursued through offering the children alternatives and assistance in resolving the problem on their own.
Emotions
Our children learn to be taken seriously in their feelings by the caregivers acknowledging, accepting and addressing these be it joy, fear, anger, sadness etc.
Learning
Our children will learn by playing and using all their senses. They are supported in this according to their capabilities and talent depending on their age and developmental phase. The interests of individual children are acted upon, possibly also transferred to the group (situational approach).
Educational Areas
Body
Books about the body and birth are available at the day care in the children’s bookshelves and are often discussed. Children should be able to develop an unrestrained relationship to their sexuality. The individual comforting requirements of the children should be respected.
We endeavor to pass onto the children that they can say no to unwanted physical contact and
determine rules amongst themselves relating to wanted and unwanted physical contact.
Potty training is handled individually and each child will be motivated to explore and discover his/her own path.
Exercise
Independently of the weather each day an outdoor activity is scheduled. Once a week, the children practice Yoga with an external teacher.
Health
We pay attention to freshly prepared balanced and healthy nutrition with alternating offers (raw vegetables, bread, rice-waffles). We have a chef who takes care to offer both child-friendly cuisine and meals that help to expand the children’s culinary horizons. We offer almost exclusively organic nutrition.
Social and cultural surroundings
Being a small day care allows the children to not only feel part of the children’s group but also part of a larger community. They experience democracy. There is a diversity of cultural backgrounds and spoken languages, intensified through our bilingual approach.
Communication
A crucial element of our language facilitation is bilingualism (German-English). We allow the children to continue their family speaking style in order to get used to their mother tongue in a natural way.
Music
Singing and playing music is integrated naturally in the daily routine of the day care, for example when brushing teeth, going to sleep, walks and during playtime. Once a week, an external music teacher offers a special focus on music in English.
Playtime
Free playtime is allowed most of the time, as playtime is a self-controlled learning with all senses and also voluntary learning, following the principles of Maria Montessori.
Observing and documenting as ongoing tasks
Observing the individual child as well as the group is one of the pillars of the Montessori pedagogy.
Potty training is handled individually and each child will be motivated to explore and discover his/her own path.
Exercise
Independently of the weather each day an outdoor activity is scheduled. Once a week, the children practice Yoga with an external teacher.
Health
We pay attention to freshly prepared balanced and healthy nutrition with alternating offers (raw vegetables, bread, rice-waffles). We have a chef who takes care to offer both child-friendly cuisine and meals that help to expand the children’s culinary horizons. We offer almost exclusively organic nutrition.
Social and cultural surroundings
Being a small day care allows the children to not only feel part of the children’s group but also part of a larger community. They experience democracy. There is a diversity of cultural backgrounds and spoken languages, intensified through our bilingual approach.
Communication
A crucial element of our language facilitation is bilingualism (German-English). We allow the children to continue their family speaking style in order to get used to their mother tongue in a natural way.
Music
Singing and playing music is integrated naturally in the daily routine of the day care, for example when brushing teeth, going to sleep, walks and during playtime. Once a week, an external music teacher offers a special focus on music in English.
Playtime
Free playtime is allowed most of the time, as playtime is a self-controlled learning with all senses and also voluntary learning, following the principles of Maria Montessori.
Observing and documenting as ongoing tasks
Observing the individual child as well as the group is one of the pillars of the Montessori pedagogy.
These observations also build a good rapport for meetings with parents.