Czech parents discover
nature kindergartens
A Nature kindergartens are a relatively new phenomenon in Czech
society, although elsewhere in the world they have been around for more than
half a century. The first attempt to introduce something different were the
Waldorf schools, which quickly gained popularity among parents who wanted their
kids to have a different education than they themselves had received. A few
years later came the first Nature kindergarten, or Lesní školka in Czech the
direct translation of which is “forest kindergarten”. Over the past decade 40
such kindergartens have emerged around the country.
B One thing nature kindergartens guarantee is that children will
get plenty of fresh air. Come rain or shine they spend most of the day
out in the open playing games, exercising and learning from Nature. They not
only tend to be healthier, but are generally more self-sufficient with a
greater understanding of how things work and being able to release their pent-up
energy are less inclined to be frustrated, bored or badly-behaved. Jitka
Valehrachová, a Nature kindergarten teacher in Moravia describes a typical day
at school. “The kids usually arrive between 8.30 and 9am. At nine we all gather
outside, greet each other, sing a few songs and talk about what we will be
doing that day. Teachers plan the day according to the season, but the children
are able to make some choices of their own; f.e. what they want to do that day
or where we should go. We go back indoors for lunch at 1.30 and have a short
nap before heading out again. If the weather is really bad we’ll stay
indoors and engage in something creative like art classes or singing.”
C At nature kindergartens children learn about the cycle of the
seasons and the flora and fauna surrounding them. They learn to distinguish
various types of trees and flowers, recognize herbs growing on a meadow and
learn to create things from natural materials that are all around us. They play
with objects that can be found in nature and learn in the process. Teachers
focus on developing respect and empathy with young children taught to mind
the feelings of others and help each other out. For the first few years of
their lives children are shielded from excessive commercialism and our growing
reliance on technology. While the food served at these nature kindergartens is
vegetarian, teachers say there is nothing orthodox about the practice: “We feed
children a balanced vegetarian diet which should cover their needs but if
parents want to give their children meat and milk, that’s perfectly acceptable.
They can have these things for breakfast or in the evening and if a child likes
meat parents can always pack a schnitzel for them as a snack.”
D Parents who like the idea but are not completely certain its
right for their child may start by putting their offspring in a nature
kindergarten for just two or three days a week to “test the waters”. These two
mums say things look very promising: “The expectations are great. Of course
every mum wants her child to spend as much time outside as possible.”
E One of the things that worry parents is their child catching
cold, but Jitka Valehrachová says these kids are much healthier than those who
spend time indoors where viruses spread much faster. “We go out in all kinds of
weather. We make sure the kids are bundled up properly and when it’s
cold we pick vigorous activities such as skating or sledding that keeps
them warm. To tell the truth I think that we grown-ups feel the cold
much more than they do not having had this experience. When we think they’ve
had enough we go indoors, warm up and come out again. We’ve not had any
complaints from them and I think they’re happy.”
Adjusted to (1)
pent-up – potlačovaný
bundled up – zabalený
vigorous – energický,
vitální
1) Read the article and
match each of the headings to a paragraph.
1 Children are always outside
2 Children learn about nature, feelings and use nature materials
3 Children have better immunity
4 There is a possibility to attend the school for 2 or 3 days a
week
5 Nature preschool appeared before more than 50 years
2) Read the article and
answer the questions.
1 What is the history of nature kindergartens in the Czech
Republic?
2 What are positives of being educated in a nature kindergarten?
3 How do children spend their day there?
4 How can parents realize that this type of education is suitable
for their child?
5 What is the program like in bad weather?
3) Explain the following
words and phrases.
1 plenty of fresh air
2 self-sufficient
3 have a short nap before heading out again
4 mind the feelings of others
5 grown-ups
4) Answer the following
questions.
How are nature kindergartens funded? What are
other types of alternative education? What is their program like? What are
their positives and negatives? Would you like to work in an alternative
kindergarten? Why?
Video:
Tips, sources of
information:
Source:
(1)
LAZAROVÁ, Daniela. Czech
parents discover nature kindergartens. Český rozhlas [online].
2013 [cit. 2015-09-21]. Available at:
http://www.radio.cz/en/section/panorama/czech-parents-discover-nature-kindergartens
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