2-3 Year Olds

DIS has single-aged groupings for our youngest learners in order to meet their developmental needs regarding the physical setting, learning opportunities, and teaching strategies. The teaching team meets the Bumblebees group at age one and spends two years with the students, then moving with them into the Ducklings classroom and programme.

Our students are guided by two qualified and caring full-time teachers.

They are housed in the historic villa at Goetheallee 18 in Dresden-Blasewitz.

To start in this group, children need to be 2 in the summer. Start is preferably at the beginning of the school year but entering the preschool is also possible throughout the year.

English is the predominant language of communication. German is also introduced through songs, stories and other resources.

Our Programme

At this level, inquiry is most often play-based, capitalizing on young children’s natural inclination to explore and make sense of their world. Teachers may also loosely use the PYP Units of Inquiry in an introductory way, giving the Ducklings (age 2-3) opportunities to connect into the units of inquiry in age-appropriate ways. The focus is on continuous progress at each individual’s pace so that each child moves from:

easier > more difficult
simple > more complex

We value flexibility in expectations about when and how children acquire certain competencies which means we meet each child where s/he is at and support development to the next level.

We are offering a rich programme for your child that lays the foundations for all future learning.

Assessment

Initial Parent-Teacher-Conference

Before the child starts, transition plan developed, orientation for parents

Fall Conference

Reflection on transition; teacher shares development progress

Spring Conference

Reflection on second year of preschool, teacher shares developmental progress in last six months

Student Portfolio

The student portfolio is a celebration of developmental progress and learning. Periodic samples of children's work are collected each year, PK1-PK3/4, creating evidence of their learning journey.

In the first parent-teacher conference in the preschool, one of the goals is to create the transition plan for new children in partnership with the parents. Each transition plan is unique to the individual needs of the child, and the plan must be flexible to accommodate those needs.

Typically the plan for our Ducklings includes a period of parental presence in the classroom with the goal of shifting care and interactions from parent to teacher.

A typical day

07:30 - 08:00	Morning Care
08:15 - 08:30	Singing (once a week with all preschool students)
Starting at 09:00	Inquiry Time, Morning Circle
	Sensory play, exploration, arts and crafts, and free play
	30-min outdoor play time
	Sport time (once a week in the sports room)
11:30	Lunch
14:30	Library Lesson (once a week)
After Lunch	Story time / Sleeping
After Sleeping	Transition / Snack
15:15 (Tues 14:30)	Dismissal or After School Care until 18:00

When possible, the preschool teachers plan age-appropriate field trips or guest speakers to provide students with first-hand, personal experiences. Such trips in the past included a fire station, science lab, hospital, restaurant, Leo Mini Cup, Dresden Zoo, and the public library.

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