Nursery + Preschool in Geneva
Multilingualism
At MIS Geneva, we teach in both English and French!
In most multi-lingual families, multilingualism is taught to the children naturally by shaping everyday family life in two or more languages spoken by the parents or other family members. We adapt this same method to the everyday life of the day care center. The two basic principles underlying this are the Immersion Method and the concept of “One-Person-One-Language”.
In addition to the particularly good cognitive prerequisites of pre-school children to learn new languages, the chance to learn a language with almost no accent is also a great advantage of learning another language at an early age (Bunse/Hofschildt 2011). Answers to further questions about multilingualism in kindergarten can be found in our FAQ section.
The Immersion Method
The winged word “Language Bath” describes what the children experiences in our nursery/preschool. The immersion method has become a successful principle in kindergartens (Bunse/Hofschildt 2011). This means that there is no selective teaching of one language for the children, but rather the children are surrounded by the two languages, French and English, all day long and are accompanied by our team in all situations (playing, learning, eating, etc.) This, of course, depends on the preference of language learning for the child. For example, if the child is fluent in French but has the priority of learning English, there will be more focus on speaking English to the child.
One-Person-One-Language
Each of our employees (both teachers and assistants) are consistent in speaking only one language with the children. The transfer of multilingual education has also proved successful in day care centers “OPOL” (one person-one language) as the recommended concept. Our colleagues are employed in their first language or at a level close to their first language for the respective language.
Our Bilingual Nursery (12 months to 2 years old)
In our nursery we look after a total of 10 children between 12 months and 2 years (until they are transferred to Preschool). Our nursery team consists of a French-speaking and an English-speaking pedagogical experts, as well as additional support.
In addition to language education, our special focus at the nursery is on social and musical learning in the group, as well as inspiring the children’s natural urge to explore.
We encourage children within the framework of their respective abilities to trust them with more and more independence and support them when they demand “I want to do this alone!” And of course, hygiene education in the crèche also plays an important role.
After an activity phase with lots of fun in the morning, there is an approximately 1 – 1 1/2 hour rest period after lunch, with a nap. This gives the children time to digest their morning experiences and gives them strength for playing and learning to recharge their batteries in the afternoon.
We always have an open ear for the individual needs of the children (e.g. additional morning nap, special eating rituals) and try to integrate them into our everyday life as much as possible.
Our garden and the huge park, de Bertrand, offer all the possibilities of the first crawl and run, as well as the opportunity to learn in nature.
The familiarization with the nursery follows the Berlin model and is always checked individually for each child and adapted in close cooperation with you, their parents.
Our Bilingual Preschool (2 years to 5 years old)
Our preschool classes, ages 2-5 years, include 8-12 children and a team of pedagogical specialists, along with 1- 2 assistants, to play, learn and sing together in our preschool every day.
Interns, trainees and volunteers are also present as needed. Our preschool group is divided into two rooms so that we can look after the children in small groups of 5-8 children, and support them in their individual development.
In the preschool, our aim is to achieve a balance between French and English. Exciting hands-on activities are prepared daily for the children, which are based on our annual themes as well as on the individual interests of the children and the needs of the group.
A holistic education and upbringing, which promotes all areas of development of the children, is the basis and goal of our work.
For children who need a midday nap, there is the opportunity to lie down after lunch. The midday nap is not compulsory. The children who do not sleep will have a rest period after lunch with books or other relaxing activities.
Excursions to playgrounds, the nearby Bertrand or other adventures (library, bakery, museum, etc.) are a part of the kindergarten’s ongoing activities.
Getting used to the preschool is a gradual and individualized process that is tailored to your child. Older children with preschool experience often stay with us for about one hour on the first days without your guidance. Depending on the experience and age of your child, the familiarization process is always individually coordinated with their parents.
If you have any additional questions about our program, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help - contactGV@metroschool.ch.