Child development or each age has different needs
Between the ages of three and six, children gradually gain more independence, learn to communicate, cooperate, manage emotions and concentrate. Each child develops at their own pace and can be at different distances in different areas.
That’s why at Maple Bear Brno we don’t treat all children equally. We adapt the environment, the way we work and the level of support to their age, personality and current needs. We build on what the child can already do and help them take the next appropriate step.
Age is a guide for us, not a box
Two children of the same age may have different experiences, temperaments and strengths. That is why we do not compare children according to one table. We monitor their individual progress and look for the next step that is achievable and at the same time stimulating enough for them.
Safety and first independence
Children develop a relationship with the kindergarten, learn to orient themselves in the daily rhythm and gain their first experience with functioning in a group.
Curiosity and cooperation
The desire to communicate, discover, engage in common play and do more and more things independently is growing.
Readiness for the next step
Children develop concentration, responsibility, self-confidence and skills important for a calm start to school.
First I need to know that I'm safe
For the youngest children, a sense of security, a predictable rhythm of the day and a relationship with the teacher are essential. Only when the child knows who to turn to and what will follow approximately, can he gradually engage in play, communication and discovery.
Around the age of three, children are more likely to join others in play, have simple conversations, ask questions, and gradually master more common activities without the help of an adult. But these skills do not arise all at once, they need a safe space and many daily opportunities to practice.
What we support at this age
Confidence and orientation in a new environment
Children are helped by a regular routine, familiar rituals and kind, understandable guidance.
First independence
We support them in dressing, dining, hygiene, cleaning and simple decision-making.
Communicating needs and emotions
We help children name what they need, what they like and what is difficult for them at the moment.
First relationships in the group
They learn to join the game, wait a while, borrow a toy and seek help in a minor conflict.
How we work with children
We offer children plenty of free and guided play, movement, creation, songs and simple joint activities. We give them time to observe first and only then get involved. Learning at this age is not based on worksheets, but primarily on safe relationships, play, repetition and real situations during the day. Research-based approaches to preschool education emphasize the importance of kind relationships, play, discovery and support of the whole child.
I want to rehearse, ask questions and be part of a group
Between the ages of four and five, children tend to become more curious and seek to play together. They develop imagination, learn to tell their experiences, better recognize the feelings of others and gradually understand that different rules apply in different situations.
During this period, the child often no longer wants to be just a recipient of instructions. He wants to come up with his own ideas, help, make decisions and find out how things work.
What we support at this age
Curiosity and thinking
We encourage children to ask, observe, compare and try their own solutions.
Communication
They learn to tell an experience, describe their idea, listen to others and respond to their message.
Cooperation
During joint games and tasks, children agree, alternate roles and gradually manage minor disagreements.
Autonomy and responsibility
They are given reasonable choices and simple tasks for which they can take responsibility.
How we work with children
We use thematic games, stories, experiments, creation, movement and joint projects. Teachers do not just give children ready-made answers. They ask them what they think, how they would solve the situation and what they could try differently.
Play at this age is not a break from learning. It is one of the main ways for children to learn to communicate, plan, create, solve problems, and understand the world around them.
Readiness for school is not just about knowing letters and numbers
Before starting school, children need a much broader foundation. The ability to concentrate for a while, listen to an assignment, complete an appropriate task, express one’s own idea, cooperate, ask for help and handle a minor setback is important.
Around the age of five, children usually gradually become better able to follow the rules and take turns, tell a simple story, answer questions about the text, work with numbers, learn some letters and engage in a shorter guided activity. However, even here it is not a list that all children must complete at the same time.
At the same time, the Czech framework of preschool education builds on the development of the child in terms of physical, cognitive, social and emotional aspects, and on the smooth continuity between kindergarten and primary school.
What we develop in the preschool preparatory year
Ability to learn
Children learn to listen to assignments, maintain attention, remember a few steps, complete an activity and return to a task when they are distracted.
These abilities are related to the so-called executive functions, which include working memory, self-regulation and mental flexibility. They are not simply “given” to children, they develop gradually through relationships, play and adequate opportunities for practice.
Language and comprehension
In Czech and English, we develop vocabulary, narration, understanding of the story, working with rhymes, sounds and the meaning of words. Children learn to formulate an idea, ask a question and explain their procedure.
Pre-reading and pre-math skills
Children work with stories, symbols, shapes, quantity, order, rhythm and simple patterns. It is not about covering the first-grade curriculum beforehand, but about building an understanding that they can build on later.
Fine motor skills and pencil work
Through creation, building blocks, work with various materials and graphomotor activities, we strengthen hand-eye coordination, good work habits and readiness for future writing.
Autonomy and responsibility
The children take care of their belongings, plan a simple procedure, choose their aids and gradually bear responsibility for appropriate tasks.
Functioning in a group
They learn to wait for their turn, to agree, to accept a different opinion, to work in pairs or groups, and to resolve disagreements with the support of an adult.
How does the preschool preparatory year work?
We do not build preparation for school on long sitting at worksheets. Children work through thematic projects, interviews, stories, games, experiments, movement and practical tasks. They alternate between independent work, activities in pairs and cooperation in a group.
Teachers continuously monitor how the child thinks, communicates, works and manages new situations. Thanks to this, they can offer another challenge where the child is ready and more support where he or she needs it. The current concept of preschool education emphasizes individual development, a diagnostic portfolio, key competencies and continuity with primary school.
We don’t teach the first grade on a mock basis
Our goal is not for children to know as many things as possible before starting school before others. We want them to know how to learn, be able to cope with a new task and not be afraid to say when they don’t understand something.
For us, good preparedness is manifested in the fact that the child enters school with healthy self-confidence, natural curiosity and the feeling: “I may not be able to do new things right away, but I can gradually master them.”
Are you looking for a kindergarten that understands what children of different ages really need?
Come and see how we at Maple Bear Brno combine safety, play, bilingual environment and thoughtful preparation for school.