Every year, nearly two million children attend kindergarten. Small section, medium section, large section, during these three years, they will develop their language, their sociability, the acquisition of space and time and finally, fine motor skills.
Laughter, tears, anger or sometimes just fear, each child has a different reaction when they first enter kindergarten. A crucial step for them since they will learn to build themselves in society. Group games, language learning, recreation and fun activities, children are stimulated throughout the day. In addition, since the start of the 2019 school year, education is compulsory from 3 years old.
Kindergarten, how is it going?
Kindergarten corresponds to cycle 1 which includes the following classes:
- Very small section (TPS): pupils aged 2 to 3
- Small section (PS): pupils aged 3 to 4
- Middle section (MS): students aged 4 to 5
- Grande section (GS): pupils aged 5 to 6.
To consult the official kindergarten programs class by class, it's here.
In addition, each level is adapted to the age and adaptability of the toddler. Indeed, not every child will advance at the same pace. It is therefore important to speak with your child and to support him so that he knows if he is adjusting well. Also, teachers are also there to guide your child. Do not hesitate to turn to them.
The lessons are organized into five learning areas:
- Mobilize language in all its dimensions
- Act, express yourself, understand through physical activity
- Act, express yourself, understand through artistic activities
- Build the first tools to structure your thinking
- Explore the world
Little section
Your little one becomes almost a big one, it goes into small section! Every morning, there will be a little ritual: each child puts their things in their bin: coat, satchel, blanket, pacifier. In order not to be mistaken, he will have his photo just above his tray. At this age, the child begins to acquire cleanliness like a grown-up. To help him get to the bathroom, an ATSEM (Specialized Territorial Agent for Nursery Schools) accompanies him and takes care of changing him if necessary, with the clothes given by the parents or the lost clothes.
On the program in small section:
- Orally : communicate with others through language; use the pronoun "I", learn and sing nursery rhymes in front of classmates, find one's place in collective exchanges, understand instructions, listen in silence, understand a story and answer questions, observe a picture book and identify the different objects.
- The reflection : acquire phonological awareness, make correct sentences, use relevant vocabulary to describe everyday life.
- Written : listen and understand, recognize commonly used writing media, distinguish books from other media, recognize their first name written in block capitals, distinguish letters from other graphic forms, hold their pen correctly, make the basic lines of the writing (dots, circles, horizontal and vertical lines, waves, various graphic patterns).
- Understand: agir, move, overcome fear, jump, run, dance, crawl, have a sense of balance, imitate animals
- Speak out : make free drawings, figures, points, lines, circles,
- Practice decorative graphics: discover dots, vertical and horizontal lines; make plastic compositions, observe, play with the timbre of your voice
- Discover : numbers, count to three, recognize simple shapes (round, square, triangle), do puzzles and construction games.
- To explore : locate oneself in the day, in the week, in the month, in space, recognize body parts, observe animal and plant life, express sensations to the touch, cut, screw, unscrew …
For lunch, children can have it in the canteen or at home. Early in the afternoon comes the time for a nap in the dormitory for those who have stayed in the canteen. For day students, they can come home after the nap.
Middle section
Your child is more confident, he has become familiar with the school and the teaching staff. He even made friends in class or at recess.
On the program in the middle section:
- Stimulate memory: memorize a dozen nursery rhymes and poems, tell the story that the teacher has read from a series of images, classify words or images, listen to her classmates and take turns, tell her weekend
- Discover : He can invent a continuation of the master's or mistress's stories, he recognizes oral syllables and numbers, he draws circles, waves, lines, he writes his name in capitals. He recognizes objects, he classifies objects by categories, according to their colors, their materials, he looks at plants and small insects.
- Realize : he knows the other classes, he knows how to remain calm in certain places like the library, he celebrates his birthday but also that of others.
- Social life : he plays as a team, he does action sequences, he rolls, he slides, jumps.
- Creativity : he uses new materials: markers, paint, charcoal, chalk …
Big section
On the way to CP! For this final year, children speak in groups or alone, they are very busy, they express themselves through physical and artistic activities.
On the program in the large section:
- Language : he discusses, argues, uses logical connectors, talks about his emotions or the feelings of a character. He uses puppets to tell stories, with tone.
- The writing: he locates the words, he gives his opinion, he criticizes, he recognizes all the vowels, he is able to write his first name from memory.
- Understand : he understands that there are rules to follow, he puts away the objects he has used.
- Speak out : he becomes competitive, he wants to run faster, guess faster.
- Discover : he uses precise words, he knows the use of many products, he handles scissors well, he uses the computer for awakening activities, he discovers ice, steam, he knows that a plant needs 'water
- Creativity : he sculpts, engraves, shapes, sticks with strong glue, he draws on an imposed theme, he listens and learns to recognize musical works.
Our selection of activity books for kindergarten children:
Your child is finally ready to enter a new school, to start a new cycle of his life!