PROGRAM
Bowen Island Kinderhaus is a small licensed childcare facility with an all day Preschool program set in the beautiful natural environment of Bowen Island. The children benefit from an environment with plenty of open space and an abundance of fresh air. It is the aim of Bowen Island Kinderhaus to provide an easy transition from the warmth and security of the home to the challenges and opportunities provided by a more structured educational environment. Elisabeth will work in close partnership with you as a parent to get this right for your child. Elisabeth Mueller is a trained Early Childhood Educator and was a Kindergarten Teacher in Germany. She believes in supporting children to become independent, creative and thoughtful young people who are able to live a happy life.
Elisabeth pays close attention to the specific needs of each child. She is able to draw on her many years of experience as an early childhood educator with children of all ages, diversities and different backgrounds. She provides careful input with the right balance of challenge and support so that children are encouraged to learn at the pace that is right for them. “As a teacher and educator I aim to meet children where they are. I do this by building strong relationships where I can support and guide in a holistic way. My goal is for every child to experience success and to develop physical, intellectual and emotional strength.” With the right mix of activities in Bowen Island Kinderhaus individual and group activities are matched to each child’s development, desires and needs.
Days are purposeful with a range of structured, semi-structured and spontaneous learning opportunities. Children are encouraged to practice and develop their social skills including communication, cooperation and patience with each other. There is an emphasis on exploring, inquiry and problem solving, drawing on imaginative play, stories, music, rhythmical movements, art and crafts and simple science experiments. Children are encouraged to notice and to ask questions, their reactions and observations are recognized and become exciting learning opportunities. Elisabeth encourages children to develop an interest and curiosity in the world around them.
In the right learning environment learning is most successful in a happy environment, where children are allowed to progress at their own pace. To enable children to engage in open-ended, creative and imaginative play Elisabeth has created a space that is aesthetically appealing and the children are surrounded by toys and learning equipment mostly made from natural materials. Elisabeth believes that children develop best in small settings of multiaged groups and a variety of cultural backgrounds where children can appreciate and learn from each other. “I would like children to have the happiest memories oft their childhood, where they can be their true selves, develop a free spirit in a warm, safe, and caring as well as stimulating place. Every child should have the right to grow up and spend their days in a clean, healthy environment and become aware of a diverse world which surrounds them.”