To ensure that the studierendenWERK BERLIN daycare centres operate at a consistently high standard, we have developed binding educational standards for all centres in our cross-centre committees.
These standards form the common framework on which the work of the individual facilities is based. They offer parents reliability and contribute to a professional ‘corporate identity’ for the educators.
The following standards have been formulated:
Settling in
Guiding principle
Settling your child into nursery requires special attention, as the transition from family life to nursery is a big challenge for every child.
To give your child the best possible start to everyday life at nursery, a gentle settling-in period is essential.
Settling in means that the separation process between the parents and the child is carried out slowly and individually for the benefit of the child.
This is a prerequisite for the child to feel comfortable at the daycare centre in the long term.
The studierendenWERK daycare centres are based on the participatory settling-in model developed by Prof. Marjam Alemzadeh.
Goals
The child has the time they need to get used to the new environment, make new friends, separate from their parents without fear, and accept the pedagogues as new reference person.
Regulations
- During the introductory meeting, guardians are informed about the concept of participatory familiarisation. They receive a booklet that explains the familiarisation process in easy-to-follow steps.
- Settling in takes place in the company of a person with whom the child has a close relationship.
- Approximately four weeks before settling in begins, the reference pedagogues send a letter to the parents/guardians.
- The duration of the settling-in process depends on the child and not on the needs of the person with whom they have a close relationship. It usually takes around two to four consecutive weeks.
- An exception is made for the children of visiting scholars and scholarship holders. For these children, it may be necessary to arrange a very short settling-in period, as their parents have to fulfil their university obligations very quickly.
- As a rule, the reference pedagogues are responsible for the child as permanent reference persons during the settling-in phase.
- During the settling-in phase, the pedagogue, the child and the reference person involved decide when and for how long the reference person can leave the room, thus allowing for a first brief separation.
- In the participatory settling-in model, everyone – the child, the pedagogue and the reference person – also decides together when the child will sleep at the nursery for the first time.
- In order to choose the best possible time, the pedagogue uses the form ‘Ready to say goodbye’ and discusses this with the child's caregiver.
