Teaching Methods

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

Was defined by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg in the 1960s. The basis of this method is a way of communicating that builds contact, respect and mutual understanding, and the ability to reach out to one's own and others' needs, especially in difficult or conflict situations. The essence of Nonviolent Communication also called "the language of the heart," is giving empathy, contact with oneself and the other person.

 

REGGIO EMILIA APPROACH

The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy that focuses on preschool and early childhood education. Observing each child and stimulating them to develop their strengths is fundamental of this approach.

 

Each child has unlimited potential for development and is eager to interact and learn about the world around him, as opposed to a vision in which knowledge is imposed on the child, which he must possess. With this curriculum, children can express themselves in different ways, developing their personalities. Each is approached on an individual basis, enhancing their abilities. Activities such as painting, drawing, sculpting and acting are encouraged - as all of these activities are seen as "languages" that children use.

 

By allowing children to engage in meaningful learning experiences, the Reggio Emilia approach helps instill a love of learning and improves early education. Based on this method, we prepare our environment so that it becomes a "third teacher." Through various educational projects, for example, "Garden Our Second Home" or "Letters and Words for Everyday Life" or the "Little Chef" project, children have the opportunity to immerse themselves in play and thus acquire new competencies. Then all teaching, art and movement activities are related to the topic.

 

M.MONTESSORI METHOD

The goal is to develop the whole personality of the child - Montessori is based on a strong belief in the spontaneous working of the human intellect. Three primary principles are observation, individual liberty, and the preparation of the environment. These principles, and their various practical expressions with children, are gradually becoming part of our educational system. Modern kindergarten classrooms use the child sized furniture and didactic materials first introduced by Montessori. Such current concepts as individualized learning and readiness programs, manipulative learning, ungraded classes, combined age groups, team teaching, and open classrooms reflect many of her early insights.

 

Parents of young children want to feel safe and secure leaving their children in an environment that provides for all of their academic, social, and emotional needs. A Montessori environment does meet all of the above needs, but it also teaches children an "I can do it" attitude that will ensure their future success in all aspects of their life.

 

Montessori school provides a carefully planned, stimulating environment which will help the child develop an excellent foundation for creative learning. The specific goals for the children who attend a Montessori school are:

• Developing a positive attitude toward school
• Helping each child develop self confidence
• Assisting each child in building a habit of concentration
• Developing habits of initiative and persistence
• Fostering inner security and sense of order in the child

 

PEDAGOGY OF PLAY

GOAL:

Harmonious and comprehensive development of the individual, who functions within a specific group, as well as helping the individual to discover his/her best features.

Pedagogy of play provides the teacher with various ideas that enable him / her to work with pupils consciously and creatively. Here are principles that guide the pedagogy of play: voluntariness, play as a stimulus to the child's creative activity, shaping the child's ability to establish contact with other children

 

Types of games used:

• games facilitating the child's entry into the group, getting to know the surroundings, getting to know names
• games which help the children to relax and unwind, games which include movement, dance and gestures
• games facilitating the introduction of the topic, allowing to know the feelings and needs of the child,
• didactic games which present a given content in the form of a mysterious problem where children search for solutions according to the proposed rules,
• discussion games based on analyzing a given problem from various sides, based on child's knowledge and experience,
• drama,
• games that enable self-evaluation,
• games that integrate a large group, enabling everyone to have fun together without rivalry

 

EDUCATIONAL KINESIOLOGY

Educational Kinesiology, known as brain gymnastics, helps children develop their potential which could be blocked in their body. Brain gymnastics create new nerve connections, which allow impulses to run to the cerebral cortex, where the correct learning process takes place. Simple body movements developed by Dennison quickly lead to improved concentration on a specific task, improved motor coordination and visual-motor coordination.The visual eight exercises improve the central and peripheral vision as well as the quality of writing, reading and expressing one's self. Children become calmer, less agitated, relaxed. The exercises give children energy to act and they are able to absorb new messages faster. This happens thanks to the synchronization of the logical hemisphere responsible for numbers, formulas, mathematical actions and the right hemisphere responsible for emotions.

 

Objectives:

• preparing children for writing and reading,
• improvement of concentration, perceptiveness,
• increasing the amount and pace of the memorized material,
• developing the senses,
• improvement of central and peripheral vision,
• eliminating tensions and fears,
• increase of self-esteem,
• developing creativity and artistic talents,
• children achieve well-being and acquire  the habit of positive thinking,
• overcoming difficulties related to dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography.

 

METHODS OF A GOOD START

GOAL:

Multi-sensory teaching of a child to perform harmonized movements in a given space and time and to develop basic functions of perception and motor skills.

 

The method uses three types of exercises:

• kinesthetic exercises - the aim is to improve the kinesthetic-motor perception
• kinesthetic exercise and auditory exercises - the aim is to improve the kinesthetic-motor and auditory perception,
• kinesthetic -auditory-visual exercises - the aim is to improve three types of perception at the same time kinesthetic, auditory and visual.

By combining various activities, the child sings, touches, draws, listens, writes as well as performs relaxation and movement exercises. It is necessary in order to master the skills of writing and reading.

 

The method consists of two parts:

• Listening to songs while drawing
• Alphabet of songs

The set of exercises improves psychomotor, visual, auditory, motor functions, perpetuates lateralization as well as orientation within the body and space.

 

CREATIVE THINKING METHODS

OBJECTIVES:

Improving the ability to express thoughts and doubt. Attracting attention to aesthetic values. Freeing children from comparison and assessment, shaping a creative attitude.

 

Creative thinking methods:

• imaginary analogy - the child invents the consequences of given events and presents them in the artistic work,
• sensory metaphor - a child looks for symbols of general concepts, e.g. heat, movement,
• personal analogy - the child gets into symbols, objects, for example, I am a drop of water,
• drawing method - the child presents, for example, abstract concepts in an artistic form.

 

Techniques stimulating creative thinking:

• relay race - supplementing ideas of the predecessor with new elements,
• body language - expressing moods and activities with the help of body movements,
• cowshed - imitation of animal voices,
• musical improvisation,
• question storm,
• archive - searching for items according to specific criteria,
• image chain - arranging a story together as a group.

 

In order to promote activity as well as creativity, music activities will be conducted. We will conduct them according to the concepts of:

• Carl Orff,
• Batia Strauss - active listening to music,
• music therapy, including choreotherapy and art therapy (artistic activities with music).

The concept of C. Orff is an idea where there is a place for a creative relationship with music, and the idea of ​​creativity in every respect is permeated. Classes conducted according to the Orff concept allow for the development of the child's personality, strengthening the belief in one's own abilities, developing the skills of creative thinking.

Batia Strauss adapts children's movemtnt, dance and instrumental activity to classical music and thus gives children the opportunity to play with music. The aim of classes, with elements of creativity, is for children to express themselves with their voice, movement and music. It is the child's own iniciative or need to create. Asking the cild to perform specific tasks connected with various forms of musical activity, allows children's development as well as creativity.

 

Such activities provide the opportunity to:

• practicing independence and creativity,
• stimulating sensitivity to music,
• developing speech patterns due to singing, rhythmizing texts,
• training of auditory perception,
• creating accompaniments,
• expressing musuc with gesture, movement,
• increasing motor coordination and ,
• active listening to music (painting, playing, dancing),
• overcoming shyness,  passiveness, fear,
• triggering positive emotions, and sometimes calming down, relaxing.

Art playes an important role in upbringing as it stimulates comprehensive development of the child's personality.
In everyday educational and didactic work we will help children to learn about different forms of art as we want to inspire children to act, live and build their own value system.

 

WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE?

• to release authentic expression, which is a consequence of the natural need to communicate their own feelings, thoughts and experiences,
• teach children to observe reality,
• to develop memory, perceptiveness and creativity.