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Is your child ready for the "Chindsgi"?

3.6.2019

Translation: machine translated

For many girls and boys, a new phase of life is about to begin: they are starting kindergarten. Is your child ready for this step? Can you prepare your child for it? I'll tell you what you need to know about starting kindergarten.

A short journey for an adult, but quite a few steps for four-year-olds: when girls and boys start kindergarten, a whole new chapter in their lives begins. Of course, compulsory schooling during this time means, above all, singing together, looking for pine cones and making salt dough stars. But it also means sharing the attention of an adult with lots of mates. Or finishing a story in the book corner before going outside to jump rope.

To be ready for kindergarten, a child needs to be able to do a few things:

Be comfortable in larger groups

Be interested in activities with their mates

Be able to spend a few hours away from their carers
Go to the toilet independently

Dress and undress themselves.
Be able to wait ten minutes in between, sit still and watch.

A year later, should my child ...

Children are now required to attend school at a younger age than was the case a few years ago. As part of the harmonisation of primary schools, many cantons have set the cut-off date at 31 July. This means that children who celebrate their fourth birthday on this date or in the months before will start kindergarten in August of the same year. A good quarter of the children in a class are now a whole year younger when they start kindergarten than before the deadline was moved, says Ursina Zindel, President of the Zurich Kindergarten Association. "This poses major challenges for children and schools."

Of course, there are age differences in every class, and someone is always the youngest. According to Zindel, it becomes difficult when the youngest children in the class need significantly more help than the others. More than a kindergarten teacher can offer each individual child in a class of twenty. She advises parents of children who turn four between May and July to seek an assessment from their paediatrician or daycare centre if in doubt. "After all, these children remain the youngest throughout their school years and also have to decide earlier what career they want to learn."

"The number of provisions has risen in recent years," says Marion Völger, Head of the Canton of Zurich's Primary School Office. It is now more common for parents to request that their child starts kindergarten or school a year later on the recommendation of experts. However, later school entry only accounts for a small proportion of provisions. "Only a few children do a third year of kindergarten," adds the head of office. In 2010, two per cent of children in the canton of Zurich started school a year later. Last year, the figure was six per cent - around 900 out of 14,000 children. Whether a request for deferral is approved is decided by the municipality or the school board.

The number of deferrals has risen. This means that parents prefer to keep their child at home for a year longer.

... or go to kindergarten a year earlier?

Almost to the same extent that the number of provisions has increased, the number of early school enrolments has fallen in recent years. Whereas in 2010, five per cent of all children started school early, in 2018 it was only half a per cent. "This means that the number of children starting school early has remained fairly constant over the years," says Völger. Early school enrolment is only recommended if the child's level of development matches that of their older classmates. They should be able to cope with the demands of kindergarten without special support. This is stated, for example, in the information sheet from the school medical service of the city of Zurich on kindergarten readiness and school enrolment.

Tips for a good start

Can parents prepare their children for kindergarten entry? "Yes, of course," says Völger with conviction. "There is a lot that children can and should learn before they start." The most important thing is to involve children in everyday life and listen to their concerns. Völger therefore advises parents to leave the hoover and whisk to the children, even if it means the household takes a little longer. It is important to talk to them a lot and read to them. They should also often have the opportunity to colour, knead or shovel - even with other children.

However, there are developmental steps that even the best preparation cannot accelerate. Getting dry, for example, is primarily a maturing process, so parents can do as much potty training as they like. And if a child shows no interest in participating in a larger group, this is difficult to force.

Once a start has been made, parents can help the child settle in: A good breakfast such as bread with cheese or yoghurt with oatmeal or fruit ensures a good start to the day. Children often need some time for themselves and undisturbed play after "Chindsgi"; their afternoons should therefore not be too busy. Sufficient exercise in the fresh air and enough sleep are also important. Rituals such as a bedtime story or an evening bath structure the daily routine: they also bring calm to the exciting life of a new kindergartener.

"Learning begins long before kindergarten" (brochure from the Zurich Department of Education)

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Ümit Yoker

uemityoker@gmx.net

A passionate journalist and mother of two sons who moved from Zurich to Lisbon with her husband in 2014. Does her writing in cafés and appreciates that life has been treating her well in general. <br><a href="http://uemityoker.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">uemityoker.wordpress.com</a>

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Is your child ready for the "Chindsgi"?

A year later, should my child ...

... or go to kindergarten a year earlier?

Tips for a good start

These articles might also interest you

"You have to be born to be an educator!"

Interview with a Fisher-Price expert: «Parents should also enjoy their kids’ toys»

From tow truck mothers to zeppelin fathers: a guide to parenting types

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