The Squiggle game was the name given by the child paediatrician Winnicott to a process
of social interaction with young children. It reflects the importance to child development
of contact with people outside the home. Infants hear and learn patterns of sounds and
associate caregivers with their language; they explore themselves and the world around
them with increasing confidence, and their presence helps the older children to keep
their different needs in mind. In a safe environment, with familiar adults, they develop a
sense of their own identity and start to play alongside and interact with other toddlers.
English Pre-school:
Qualified staff deliver an Early Years curriculum to prepare children from the ages of
three to six for international and bilingual schools. Activities include pre-reading, pre-
writing, and pre-maths. Geography, music, physical exercise and language development
are emphasized in our English and bi-lingual pre-school classes. Our educational aims
include developing children’s creativity and imagination through arts and crafts,
puppetry, listening to stories and dramatization.
Languages:
English-speaking staff encourage bi or tri-lingual children to develop an ear for English so
that their fluency is instinctive, not learnt like a foreign language. This is known as
‘immersion’. The school process mirrors the way that children learn more than one
language. They have meaningful relationships with native English speakers with whom they
need to speak English to communicate.
Language development is most intense during infancy. On average, 90% of pupils already
speak English before they start attending the Children First English pre-school.
Every week the children hear German, Swiss German or French as part of the normal
curriculum. Rather than isolating ourselves from other languages, we see living in
Switzerland as a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with a multi-lingual
environment.
Number of Children:
We hold a license from the Swiss authorities for 11 full-time equivalent places for one to
four year olds and up to four children aged five or six at any time on the ground floor
premises at Englischviertelstrasse 42. The number on roll is on average 20 children.
Teacher-Pupil Ratio:
Babies - Maximum 1:2
Children - Maximum 1:7
The average number of staff-children is 1:4
of social interaction with young children. It reflects the importance to child development
of contact with people outside the home. Infants hear and learn patterns of sounds and
associate caregivers with their language; they explore themselves and the world around
them with increasing confidence, and their presence helps the older children to keep
their different needs in mind. In a safe environment, with familiar adults, they develop a
sense of their own identity and start to play alongside and interact with other toddlers.
English Pre-school:
Qualified staff deliver an Early Years curriculum to prepare children from the ages of
three to six for international and bilingual schools. Activities include pre-reading, pre-
writing, and pre-maths. Geography, music, physical exercise and language development
are emphasized in our English and bi-lingual pre-school classes. Our educational aims
include developing children’s creativity and imagination through arts and crafts,
puppetry, listening to stories and dramatization.
Languages:
English-speaking staff encourage bi or tri-lingual children to develop an ear for English so
that their fluency is instinctive, not learnt like a foreign language. This is known as
‘immersion’. The school process mirrors the way that children learn more than one
language. They have meaningful relationships with native English speakers with whom they
need to speak English to communicate.
Language development is most intense during infancy. On average, 90% of pupils already
speak English before they start attending the Children First English pre-school.
Every week the children hear German, Swiss German or French as part of the normal
curriculum. Rather than isolating ourselves from other languages, we see living in
Switzerland as a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with a multi-lingual
environment.
Number of Children:
We hold a license from the Swiss authorities for 11 full-time equivalent places for one to
four year olds and up to four children aged five or six at any time on the ground floor
premises at Englischviertelstrasse 42. The number on roll is on average 20 children.
Teacher-Pupil Ratio:
Babies - Maximum 1:2
Children - Maximum 1:7
The average number of staff-children is 1:4
Our Work with Children:
Squiggle Nursery:
We are unique in Zürich in providing English nursery care for a
small number of one and two year olds who play and learn with
each other and at times with the older children too. The Head of
Children First is a specialist in early child development.
With the very young, we ensure a key worker within the staff
team takes responsibility for their well-being. Parents receive
regular feedback on their child's eating, sleeping, toileting and
developmental play.
We are unique in Zürich in providing English nursery care for a
small number of one and two year olds who play and learn with
each other and at times with the older children too. The Head of
Children First is a specialist in early child development.
With the very young, we ensure a key worker within the staff
team takes responsibility for their well-being. Parents receive
regular feedback on their child's eating, sleeping, toileting and
developmental play.
| Artwork by children. |
 | To create a safe, calm atmosphere in which to learn and to grow. | |
| To provide secure attachments with key loving adult figures so that young children | |
| can learn. | ||
| To promote child development and encourage a broad range of skills through our | |
| Early Years curriculum. | ||
| To work in partnership with parents to achieve our aims. |
- Our mixed age sessions (twice daily) give children the opportunity to learn
| Singing and dancing feature regularly on our timetable. Many styles of music give | |
| children exposure to a range of cultures and types of physical movement. | ||
| Eating together is an enjoyable social occasion to nourish the body and spirit. We | |
| choose healthy menus with a range of protein, fresh vegetables, fruits and salads. Sharing plates of fruit at snack times is also important socially and culturally. Guidance on eating habits, manners and communicating with each other is also regularly given at mealtimes. | ||
| Daily exercise and fresh air are essential for children. Every day we go to the | |
| Artergut park or on outings to playgrounds, shops or museums. On the playground equipment, all the children explore and stretch their physical skills, balance and co- ordination. Thanks to excellent local facilities, we can maintain our location in the city of Zurich and still give children the benefit of an outdoor curriculum. |
| © Children First Association |
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Children First Association Englischviertelstrasse 42, 8032 Zürich 044 252 9121 |