Steering documents
Children aged under 4 years
Centres are required to draw up their own pedagogical plans (as per the guidelines for childcare services) as part of the approval system. The Pedagogical Concept of the Daycare Centres Association is binding for all its member institutions. It contains the main tasks of childcare – advancement and education – and clarifies the relevant learning objectives and pedagogical tenor. This concept is meant to provide a basic orientation, making suggestions rather than prescribing methods.
The Coordination and Advice Centre for Early Childhood Intervention supports parents and pedagogical staff in creating environments that foster the healthy development of young children. Early childhood intervention supports the learning processes of children from birth to school entry and promotes the motor, linguistic, emotional, social and cognitive abilities of the child.
Children aged 4 and 5 years
Children are educated in accordance with the national curriculum for kindergarten, primary and lower secondary education. This curriculum is binding.
Teachers are free to choose the teaching methods and teaching material that they wish to use to achieve the objectives. The curriculum does not prescribe any method but makes suggestions.
Methods are oriented towards the developmental stages of the children, who are admitted to kindergarten at various stages of development. Interest, motivation and willingness to learn are stimulated in suitable ways using suitable methods, building the foundations for the children to succeed in primary school. Great importance is placed on differential education. The teacher chooses the relevant teaching aids and educational materials according to the children’s developmental needs.
Areas of learning and development
Children aged under 4 years
Childcare supports families in Liechtenstein. It encourages a better balance between family and working life, supports the integration and socialisation of children and promotes their development. Specific areas of learning relating to the Pedagogical Concept of the Daycare Centres Association are reading literacy; numerical and logical reasoning; cultural and democratic competences; learning to learn; health education; cooperation skills; understanding of the world; language and communications skills; expressive arts and development of creativity; physical development and movement; and emotional, personal and social development. For children under 3 years old, the relevant learning areas are cultural and democratic competences; health education; physical development and movement; and emotional, personal and social development.
Children aged 4 and 5 years
According to the national curriculum for kindergarten, primary and lower secondary education, kindergarten supplements and supports children’s education within the family. Children are holistically supported in their development. Another duty of kindergarten education is to place a special focus on social education and personal development; language acquisition; sensory education and understanding of movement; musical and rhythmic development; and creative design.
Pedagogical approaches
Children aged under 4 years
The childcare team has a free choice of teaching and educational methods as well as educational materials. They select the methods and materials most appropriate for the objectives, ideas and topics in question.
Children aged 4 and 5 years
Teachers have a free choice of teaching methods and educational materials. They select the most appropriate methods for the objectives, ideas and topics in question. The curriculum does not prescribe any method but makes suggestions.
Methods are oriented towards the developmental stages of the children, who are admitted to kindergarten at various stages of development. Interest, motivation and willingness to learn are stimulated in suitable ways using suitable methods, building the foundations for the children to succeed in primary school. Great importance is placed on differential education. The teacher chooses the relevant teaching aids and educational materials according to the children’s developmental needs.
Assessment
Children aged under 4 years
Childcare programmes for children under the age of 4 years do not involve any formal assessment. However, checklists exist and are the basis for documenting the development of children and communicating possible difficulties. In this way, appropriate actions involving additional support or remedial education can be arranged if required.
Children aged 4 and 5 years
In kindergarten, the observation of children plays an important role (regarding the achievement of learning objectives, working together and social behaviour). In this respect, the strengths and talents as well as the specific needs of an individual child can be recognised early on so that appropriate additional support can be provided.
Transition to primary school
The task of kindergarten is to prepare children for primary school. Admission to primary school is regulated by the School Law. Kindergartens and primary schools have the same curriculum as well as the same requirements concerning the teacher’s role in facilitating the transition from kindergarten to primary school. The School Law allows teachers to teach across various levels and ages. This is particularly relevant to smaller municipalities in Liechtenstein.