Our New Early Years Concept – Step by Step Towards More Learning, Orientation and Participation

With the start of the new school year, we have taken an important step in the further development of our educational work: the adjustments to our Early Years concept are gradually becoming visible and tangible in our daily routines.

We are deliberately taking this process step by step. The new structure brings new routines and changes for both the children and our educational team. We therefore want to give everyone sufficient time to become familiar with the new activities, gain experience and develop confidence within the new daily structures.

An Adapted Daily Structure with a Wide Range of Learning Opportunities

An important part of our new concept is the revised daily structure, with scheduled educational activities in both the morning and afternoon. Our activities continue to be based on the Thuringian Education Plan and focus on four key areas of learning:

• Language development
• Aesthetic education
• Science education
• Physical education

Since the beginning of the new school year, the children have also been able to use our newly established outdoor art studio. Here, a variety of creative activities give the children space to develop their own ideas, experiment with different materials and express themselves in a range of ways.

Our opening hours have also been extended: on Fridays, the Early Years section is now open until 3:45 p.m.

Learning, Exploring and Making More Independent Choices

Our aim is to support the children step by step in discovering their own interests and gradually taking more responsibility for their daily life in Early Years.

They are given time to become familiar with the different activities and to find out what particularly interests them. In the longer term, the children will increasingly be able to decide for themselves which activities they would like to take part in.

This week, learning sessions for the Kindergarten children and Preschool also resumed after the summer break.

Another element of our new concept is the introduction of a Children’s Parliament. Before doing so, however, we first want to establish a reliable and familiar daily routine with the new activities, morning circles, learning sessions and Preschool. Once these structures are well established, the Children’s Parliament will follow as a further step towards greater participation.

Our Weekly Plan Provides Orientation

To give children and families a clear overview of the activities, we have developed a weekly plan. The different activities are represented with photos of the children, making them easy for the children to recognise.

The weekly plan provides orientation and a sense of security, while also making the daily routine more predictable. The children can already see the day before which activities will take place the following day and can prepare themselves accordingly.

At the same time, we want to encourage the children to engage with an activity over a longer period of time. Learning and development take time. Through regular repetition, experimentation and deeper exploration, the children can pursue their interests more intensively and develop their skills step by step.

In this way, the weekly plan combines structure with participation and personal responsibility, supporting the children in becoming increasingly active in shaping their own daily life in Early Years.

First Experiences Are Positive

The first few weeks have shown that the children are responding very positively to the new activities. They are curious, active and engaged, and take part in the different opportunities with enthusiasm.

At the same time, free play and outdoor play remain important parts of our daily routine. Here too, the children have opportunities to develop their own ideas, gain experience and play independently.

The implementation of our new Early Years concept is an ongoing development process. Over the coming months, we will continue to test the new routines, gather experience and reflect together as a team on what works well and where further adjustments may be needed.

We look forward to continuing this journey together with the children, our team and our families. Our aim is to establish the new structures sustainably and to embed those elements in the long term that prove successful in everyday practice and best support both our educational mission and the needs of the children.