Increase the efficiency of Kindergarten

The plan to combat educational difficulties in primary school strengthens the teaching of the French language in primary school by giving full role to nursery school, the first level of education.

These recommendations relating to the various aspects of the pupil’s life in nursery school must be given special attention.

Enrollment and reception

Enrollment in nursery school is a privileged moment of dialogue with families around the child and the challenges of schooling. It is interesting that parents and children can discover the premises, the classroom, the staff and the organization of the school before the start of the school year.

Various methods can be envisaged: reception in small groups during the month of June for children who have attended a collective structure or individual reception at the time of registration.

At the start of the school year, parents can be invited to stay in class for a while.

The staggered re-entry arrangements for the small sections organized by the teaching teams do not exceed two days and are subject to the approval of the IEN.

Families need to be reminded that nursery school attendance must be regular and assiduous, which excludes partial schooling (except PPS).

The organization of school time

The essential flexibility inherent in the care of young children must not lead to a reduction in learning times.

The formalization of the schedule is a major educational act, it is compulsory.

The six areas of activity defined by the 2008 programs must be included.

The schedule will be shared in a legible and accessible manner with the students (class schedule enriched for the youngest with photographs or representations of students in activity, in connection with a structuring of time accessible to the students – the half-day in PS, the day in MS and the week in GS)

Reception, recreation, nap times or school meals are educational times. They are organized and operated in this perspective by those responsible for them.

reception The reception allows the child throughout his schooling, to acquire and gradually build his posture of pupil. It is an “airlock” between the world of the family and that of the school.

Limited in time, it is usually held in the classroom, it cannot exceed 15 to 20 min. Sometimes it is helpful to explain to parents that arriving on time is important to the life of the class. Kindergarten is the first place where you discover a structured social life regulated by strict rules. It is also desirable to explain to families the reasons for this requirement, to present an entry into the apprenticeship from the reception period.

This welcome time must be organized; for this, the presence of the teacher must be effective at least 10 minutes before the arrival of the children so that everything is ready for a real entry into learning, which implies a preparation of the activities offered during the reception and an evolution of these throughout the year (language workshops may be offered). The traces produced by the pupils during this welcome period can be used for educational purposes.

Rituals are not repeated identically, they evolve during the year and the cycle. Short-lived because they are adapted to the attention span of young children, they can be distributed over various times of the day; only the call must be present at the very beginning of the regrouping: it is the entry into the life of the class group. They are justified only by the underlying learning, they develop identified skills and are the subject of programming. They must be able to address everyone.

The organization of a collective collation at 10 am should be canceled. If we want to offer it to certain students, the best times are those in the recreation center or reception.

Recess The school day must not exceed 5.15 am and the morning 3.30 am. In nursery school, the time devoted to recess and the accompanying easements (undressing / dressing, moving and going to the toilet) is between 15 and 30 minutes per half-day (article 4 of the decree of January 25, 2002).

On a morning of 3:30 am, the breaks can be shorter, staggered (in 2 times), always away from the last ½ hour, to allow a real time of structuring before the time of the outing.

A morning thus extended also involves a team reflection on the field “Acting and expressing oneself with one’s body” (its positioning in time – for a break with cognitive learning -) and a possible snack (on request, during home).

The nap for 2 and 3 year old students takes precedence, with some exceptions, over any other activity. For middle section pupils, it is not compulsory. It depends on the needs: the month of birth, the request of the families… And can evolve during the year. A moment of rest can be offered, the pupils not

 The teacher and the ATSEM

The ATSEM play an important role, they are an integral part of the educational community and participate in the school project. A clear explanation of the missions and role of ATSEMs will be recalled during the first school council so as to

show the educational consistency of actions and actors.

These recommendations are likely to promote the implementation of the programs while preserving the exposure time to the learning necessary for the students.

In fact, at the heart of pedagogical (prevention of illiteracy) and educational (becoming a pupil) issues, nursery school plays a central role for all children aged 3 to 6.

The implementation of the programs, the teaching of the oral language, the entry into the written word, the construction of the number, the becoming a pupil… These are all reflections to be carried out and deepened.