KINDERGARTEN
TThe ‘Kindergarten’ level of our centre program is for children aged at least five years of age* by the first of September. Children in Kindergarten are required to attend five full days per week.

Five and six year olds are naturally independent, responsible and mature individuals, who maintain a fun sense of adventure that is excitingly mixed with a strong desire to know more – about everything! Therefore the program for a class of ‘Kindergarten’ children needs to be full of interesting new things that can be explored deeply and even scientifically, both through verbal discussions and through true exploratory ‘research’.

This is also the level of our centre where we NEED to know where your child will go on to school after A-Z. The expectations of the many Primary Schooling options available vary a great deal, and we need to know what we should be preparing your child for. This applies mostly to the field of ‘Literacy’, since the difference in expectations from one Primary School to another in this field of learning is extreme.
At the Kindergarten level, it is to be the appealing presentation of age-appropriate materials, resources and activities - combined with the presence and support of loving and caring teachers - that is the most important secret to each child’s ‘success’ at school. The Kindergarten program therefore offes the child vitally important opportunities for ‘free play’ with their peers, but also provides more structured routines and activities that best prepare them for the upcoming expectations of Primary School.

The weekly schedule at the Kindergarten level is very busy! The increased independence and dexterous skills of children at this age opens up a whole new world of exciting learning opportunities that we need to provide for. A strong sense of team and group spirit is clearly evident amongst the Kindergarten children, as they frequently embark on mutual projects that at times seem to consume their whole program and environment.

The teacher’s role becomes much more that of being a ‘facilitator of play and learning’, providing the children with the necessary resources, materials and activities to enhance their natural appetite for total learning. The determined independence of the Kindergarten children supports this, as they are able to manage most daily routines and requirements almost entirely on their own.

Teachers therefore extensively plan and provide ways to extend the ‘horizon’ of the children’s field of knowledge. Puppet shows, stories, rhymes, music, songs and dances are an important and regular part of the program, although more often than not, these too are initiated or even lead by the children themselves. More complex plays and the roles within them are explored both on a ‘spontaneous’ and a more ‘planned’ level.

Classroom activities include the manipulation and exploration of a wide range of ‘creative’ materials but also include more structured projects with a planned or required ‘outcome’. These challenges meet the child’s natural desire to meet targets set for them, encourage the development of the child’s concentration levels, and help prepare them for the greater ‘academic’ demands of the year that will follow. This focus and concentration is often further developed in ‘free play’ time, when children play many quite complex board/table/card games that are designed specifically to develop mathematical and logical concepts and skills.

‘Academic’ learning - including early reading, writing, and mathematical skills – is generally of great interest to each child, and we provide many fun ways to meet and extend this interest. Each child will finish Kindergarten with some level of reading ability, however the aims relating to the particular targets we have for each child vary according to the individual child’s readiness and the school to which they will attend next year.

Physical exercises including ‘feet exercises’ are a daily part of the program, as is extended time in our playground. Excursions and exploratory walks in the neighbourhood or nearby forest are also a regular part of the Kindergarten program.

The Kindergarten class has a weekly ‘Swimming’ class at a nearby primary school, a weekly time to use the extra facilities of the Art Room with their own teachers, and a weekly visit to the centre Library to choose a book to borrow and take home. Twice weekly the Hungarian children in the class have a ‘Hungarian’ lesson to better prepare them for their future Hungarian schooling.

The ‘Optional Extra’ classes available to children in Kindergarten are ‘Dance’, ‘Judo’, ‘Piano’, ‘Skiing’ and ‘Sport & Gym’ (additional fees apply for these programs).

* Children who are aged more than five years on the first of September, but who will definitely still have two more years in A-Z (i.e. who will only begin ‘Primary School’ at the age of seven, which is very common in Hungary), will most likely be placed in a ‘Pre-Kindergarten’ class. The Kindergarten class is primarily intended/designed for children who will go on to Primary School the following year.