All conditions necessary for children to develop optimally are in place
At Kindergarden, we work with horizontal groups, which means that we split the groups according to age. This makes it possible for us to coordinate the daily routine, activities, the children’s approaches and the facilities accordingly. In turn, this enables us to challenge the children to develop and to offer them the opportunity to rest, in the right way and at the right time.
In practice, this means that a childcare professional can respond effectively to the needs and the development levels of all the children in the group. For example, a childcare staff member can ensure that the babies in a baby group receive sufficient rest and regularity in their daily routine. In groups with slightly older children, they can help ensure that the children make friends and can encourage them in developing motor and cognitive skills.
So what do the different groups look like?
We have divided the groups as follows:
- Baby groups aged between 0 and 2 years
- Infant groups aged between 1 and 3 years
- Toddler groups aged between 2 and 4 years
Some locations also have an after-school care facility that can accommodate children aged between 4 and 12 years.
Because there is an overlap in ages between the different groups, it’s good to be aware that in our horizontal groups, your child will not automatically progress to the infant group at the age of one year, and to the toddler group at the age of two years.
Challenging children at their own pace
Each group therefore has space (and options) for continuing to accommodate older children. The childcare staff are responsible for continuing to challenge all of the children in the group, and helping and supporting them on their way to independence. At Kindergarden, this is truly separate from a child’s age. Each child develops in their own way and at their own pace.
At Kindergarden, we take a child-focused approach, which means that we encourage children to start an activity independently or do an activity in which they receive few instructions from our childcare staff. This enables children to learn through play, and helps them grow in self-confidence.
The benefits of horizontal groups at a glance
The benefits of horizontal groups at a glance
Transferring to the next group
A planner at our head office works about four months in advance. This means that if your child has just started in the baby group, the moment at which they transfer into the infant group is not yet clear. You can find out more about how your child will transfer to a following group in this article. If you have questions about transferring, you can ask at your location first, and the location manager or their deputy will be able to look that up for you. If nothing has been planned yet, then that means that the location really has no information about it.
It goes without saying that we give children who are transferring the opportunity to adjust to their new group. Ideally, we do the transfer in phases: first for half an hour, then half a day, and finally a whole day. Your child’s mentor is often responsible for coordinating these opportunities for adjusting to the new group. The mentor will also ensure that the transition to the new mentor in the next group proceeds smoothly. This new mentor will also introduce themselves to you once your child has fully transferred to the new group.
