Group 3 in one class with the toddlers
No more playing in a construction or puppet corner, but reading, writing and calculating. Many children struggle with the transition from group 2 to group 3. Some schools are doing something about this, such as the Panda primary school in Utrecht.
Picture: Fred van Diem
Next to a full table with Lego bricks is an empty igloo tent. Above it hangs a garland with words and drawings such as branch, house, soap, ice. A3 sheets with the goals for group 3 adorn the bulletin board.
Group 3? The layout of this classroom of public primary school De Panda in the Kanaleneiland district of Utrecht does indeed seem more geared towards toddlers than at group 3 pupils. with toddlers from group 3 ”, says Sarina Vergunst who runs the intermediate group 2/2 with duo colleague Susanne van de Bilt and teaching assistant Layla Rahhou. "We have noticed for years here at school that children in group 3 are still far from finished, and that they have difficulty with the transition to group 3, where the emphasis is much more on 'school' learning."
Sarina Vergunst, teacher at the Panda primary school: "We have noticed for years here at school that children in group 3 are far from finished."
The fact that the transition from group 2 to 3 is more difficult than any transition at primary school, is not something that only affects the Panda in Utrecht. After the summer holidays, many children have to get used to the fact that playing in the construction and dolls corner makes way for learning to read, write and calculate.
Keep tinkering
Teachers often see this coming and it is decided to let the child preschool for another year. However, various studies have shown that, although children in group 3 benefit from this extension of nursery school, they usually build up a disadvantage later in their primary school career. "In any case, we don't let children toddle for a year anyway," says Els Haak, director of the Panda, "because that will not have much effect on the language development of the pupils in the long term."
Haak refers to the pupil population of the school which - except for a few pupils - consists of children with a non-Western background. “That is also our pitfall. When children come to our school, they often have a considerable language delay because little or no Dutch is spoken at home. There is a tendency as a teacher to want to tackle this gap. This is soon at the expense of learning through play. With this intermediate group 2/3, in which there is a lot of room for learning through play, this is largely overcome. ”
When the Panda primary school decided to form the intermediate group, there was a lot of unrest. Parents were concerned that their child would be treated as a toddler for another year. Picture: Fred van Diem.
Smart trick
In the hallway, seven preschoolers are stamping potato molds together with teaching assistant Layla. The eleven grade 3 students are busy calculating in the classroom with numbers above ten. “Look at the number line. What will come after 36, who knows? ”Miss Susanne asks the class. Abdulaziz raises his hand and answers correctly. "I look at the figure behind it, it just has to be one higher." Miss Susanne thinks this is a 'very clever trick' and shares it with the class. For some, the penny does indeed seem to fall. After twenty minutes of calculating, the children can start with a play exercise about animals in which they can also make up themselves.
According to Vergunst, many children are still far from ready for school and structured learning at the age of six. “They often learn in a playful way. That is why we often alternate academic, cognitive learning with play. An additional advantage is that children can then concentrate much better, because they can also play just before or just after. ”
In addition, the teachers try to bring the material as close to the child as possible. In this way they let children learn acting as much as possible. “In geometry you can have a child calculate from a book”, says Vergunst, “but you can also put scales in the classroom and let children weigh things themselves and use them to calculate. As a result, it sticks better and they gain experience that they can use later in calculating from the method. ”
Many children are, according to teacher Vergunst, by no means ready for school and structured learning at the age of six.
In the hallway the toddlers are practicing with words that start with an h. The just five-year-old Lina turns out to be very good at it. In front of her lies a large pile of blocks that she has gathered together by naming new, as yet unnamed, words with an h. The other children, with one or two cubes, look somewhat confused.
“You can clearly see from a child like Lina that the younger children are pulling themselves up on the older children,” says teaching assistant Rahhou. "They are now a bit more stimulated." Vergunst also thinks this heterogeneity is a big advantage of an intermediate group 2/3. “Sometimes I am calculating with the children of grade 3, while the younger children are quietly playing for themselves, and then suddenly an answer to a question comes from one of the corners. Some preschoolers are really listening with their ears up. I find that very funny. ” Not only on a cognitive level do the young children learn from the older ones. “They also learn a lot from the work attitude of group 3, often just a bit more serious and independent. And I'm not even talking about the impulse it has on language skills. This is an important aspect, especially for our school in this multicultural neighborhood. ”
In the intermediate group 2/3 of primary school De Panda in Utrecht, they often alternate academic, cognitive learning with play. Picture: Fred van Diem.
Noisy
According to Vergunst, an intermediate group requires more of you as a teacher. “If you have just given instructions to one group, the other group demands your attention. That goes on all day long. It may also be that it is a bit louder in the classroom because there are always children playing. ” Director Haak says that the use of a teaching assistant at such a moment is by no means an unnecessary luxury. "It offers the possibility to split the groups, so that the teacher, for example, can start learning to read in peace." Vergunst agrees. “Layla works four mornings, but not on Fridays. I notice that it is often a bit louder that day and that I have to switch even more than usual. ”
The teachers of intermediate group 2/3 also spend more time preparing their lessons. “For example, you have to make two group plans and the administration also takes more time. And where as a duo you always have to invest some time in the transfer, this is even more true now. "
In terms of results, not much can be said after six months. Vergunst: "We will soon be measuring this with a Cito test, but we ourselves have the impression that our group 3 students from the intermediate group do just as well as the students from the regular group 3 here at school." Are these results followed with suspicion by the parents? “That is not too bad,” says Haak, “we regularly discuss our experiences with parents. And what also makes a difference is that everyone notices that the children feel very good in this group. ”
Teachers of intermediate group 2/3 have lost a bit more time. You have to make two group plans and the administration also takes more time.
Unrest
Haak says that when it was decided to form the intermediate group, there was a lot of unrest. Parents were concerned that their child would be treated as a toddler for another year. “Some even threatened to take their child out of school. But after we had explained in an information meeting - and later also in parent meetings - how we would approach it, that there would be two excellent teachers for the group and that we would monitor the results properly, peace returned. No, we did not give parents a choice. If we had, there would have been no intermediate group now ”, Haak laughs.
Although the experiences are good, the question is whether there will be an intermediate group 2/3 on the Panda next year. Haak: “That also depends on how fast the contraction is going, which we have been dealing with here on Kanaleneiland for years. Of course it must be possible in terms of formation. ”
Vergunst and her colleagues would like to continue on this basis. “I still have to say one thing. We don't want to pretend that we invented the wheel here, but we can see that it works. And even if there is no possibility to form an intermediate group 2/3 next year, we will in any case continue learning through play in group 3. ”
Kindergarten congress, come too!
On April 11th, the AOb together with the trade magazine HJK in Bussum het pre-school conference 'Game in sight', about the importance of play for young children and the role of teachers in it. The day starts with a lecture 'Child's play in no child's play' by developmental psychologist Steven Pont. There are several workshops, including one on a smoother transition between groups 2 and 3. AOb- and HJK members pay 195 euros, other visitors 225 euros. Will we see you April 11? You can register via this link.
