element-i in child care centres

How can the design of the element-i child care centres provide the educational concept with the best possible support?

element-i child care centres and their daily routines have been designed in line with the element-i educational philosophy. They offer themed areas or rooms that are linked via a central “marketplace” as far as possible. The following themed spaces are available in our child care centres as standard: Atelier, Building Room, Exercise Room, Laboratory, Role-Playing Room, Quiet Room and Workshop. The “nest” provides the youngest children with the necessary sense of security and a protected environment. The child care centres offer direct access to the outdoor play area, which children can make frequent use of as they wish. Especially in element-i child care centres in urban environments, we place great value on giving children the opportunity to experience nature.

The ability to spend time outdoors in almost any weather conditions offers a diversity of potential for experience and development, encourages exercise, fosters a relationship with our natural environment and also boosts the child’s immune system, making for a mentally and physically healthier child. Where forest or fields are available nearby, these are also used to convey experiences.

The daily routine is fixed to provide the children with structure, focus and security. It is structured to ensure an alternation between phases of effort and relaxation, between shared activity and free play, between exertion and regeneration.

An example of a daily routine

6:00 am, 7:30 am or 8:00 am Child care centre opens

7:00 am – 9:30 am Free play / open breakfast / arrival period

9:30 am – 10:00 am Children’s conference

10:00 am – 12:00 pm Active phase with activities and projects

11:50 am – 12:00 pm Arrival / collection period

12:00 pm – 12:30 pm Lunch

12:30 pm – 12:45 pm Arrival / collection period

12:45 pm – 2:30 pm Relaxation phase / sleep

2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Snack

Collection period

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Active phase with activities and projects

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, 5:30 pm, 6:00 pm or 8:00 pm End of free play, the children are gradually collected, the child care centre is closed

Inclusion

All children are expected to be cared for together and have the opportunity to learn together – regardless of their individual skills and attributes, social or cultural circumstances, language or other diversity factors.

The focus is on taking into account the individual needs of each child here. We develop and implement individual solutions for special life and care circumstances, including in partnership with professionals, advisory services and medical specialists.

We pay attention to accessibility in element-i child care centres and schools and that non-structural hurdles, among them linguistic, cultural or social barriers, can be swept away.

Handling of media

We consider it to be our task to expose children to the world in a manner that is suitable for their development and to enable them to handle media responsibly. Sensomotoric integration, the ability to communicate, produce, perceive, reflect and select are essential principles that children use to develop competencies that only enable them to develop the requisite (media) competency later.

Children need time and space with real materials and media that is suitable, manageable and comprehensible for their level of socio-psychological development. In element-i child care centres we provide only physically tangible (“analogue”) stimuli and opportunities during this time.

Visit the element-i child care centres directly here.