The child’s communication and language develops through close relations. It is essential that the learning environment supports the child’s communicative and linguistic interaction with the teaching staff. 

The teaching team must be conscious of the fact that they function as language role models for the child and that they need to guide the child to take part in communities with other children.  

We focus on teaching the children how to sit at a table during meals, common courtesy and set phrases used in different settings. During the unit, Who we are, we noticed that in Early Years 1, we had a group of children struggling when putting on their snowsuits. We chose to take that particular group of children to their cubbies fifteen minutes before the others to give them the necessary time to get themselves ready; while getting them ready, we had time to chat with them about them and at the same time make them more aware of themselves, their body and have the time to put words into action

We focus on word play, rhymes, songs and the language as a whole. We speak English and Danish and other languages, and we spend time explaining to parents that they need to speak their mother tongue in the home.

Every day we have Circle time, where language and communication is a great part of the exercise. We work with emotions and facial expressions; we work in small groups and work stations with a great opportunity for us as professionals to trace any challenges with communication.; this way we can have a focus on children communicative challenges.

Culture is partly an artistic, creative force activating the child’s senses and emotions, partly the cultural values acquired by the child in the day-to-day life.

In educational learning environments with focus on culture, the child discovers new sides to themselves, expressed in multiple ways and is supported with in understanding their surrounding world. 

Each unit (see PYP units) lasts 6-8 weeks. Part of the individual units cover culture, aesthetics, and community. It is essential that we touch on Danish traditions as Denmark is the host country; these may include Christmas, Fastelavn, Easter, Skt. Hans, but also international traditions such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Chinese New Year, World Kindness Day, Eid, Hanukkah etc. This can all be addressed via film, literature, food days, visitors incl. creative features and expressions.

The child is in the world through its own body and when the child is supported in using, challenging, experimenting, sensing and taking care of the body, the foundation for physical and mental wellbeing is laid.

The educational learning environment must invite the child to gain bodily experiences in an environment, where the joy of movement, creativity and play are key, and where the educational staff support the individual child and create flexible, inclusive learning environments.

As mentioned earlier, we have great outdoor as well as indoor facilities. We inspirere the children to explore and challenge their bodies focusing on gross motor skills as well as fine motor. Children play on different surfaces inside and outside, so that they have an opportunity to sense cold, warm, wet, dry, hard, soft.

We aspire to have the children as self-reliant and independent as possible. We believe that there should be focus on the whole child, meaning the body, the child’s health and wellbeing. This translates to the individual child being able to handle basics as getting dressed, pouring water in their own mug, open up their lunch boxes etc. They have opportunity to unfold in free play, use their imagination, while we still have focus on the individual child, and we are not so locked into a framework  that we cannot be flexible, if this would benefit the individual child.

Social development take place in communities, whereto the child feel that they belong, develop empathy and gain experience exerting their own influence and appreciate differences.

In daily life we support the children through play, activities and create relationships across. We work with empathy towards each other between children and adults and children and children. We recognise the importance of the relation between children and children and adults and children. We have focus on the children’s understanding of each other’s feelings, as they all come with different backgrounds and culture.

The learning environment must support that
all children get concrete experiences with nature, which
develops their curiosity and desire to explore
nature, which allows children to experience
man’s connection with nature, and which
gives children an incipient understanding of the importance of sustainable development.

The learning environment must support that all children develop, explore and experience
themselves and each other on both known and new
ways and gain confidence in their own potentials. This
must take place across, among other things, age, gender,
social and cultural background.