Romania

The Step by Step with Extended Program Dumbrava Minunata (Magic Grove) kindergarten is one of the biggest kindergartens of Ploiești City, Prahova County. It is a municipality preschool institution that provides full-day child care service for 240 children, aged 3-6. Our kindergarten features a relaxed and loving atmosphere in which children are free to explore, learn and create through play. We are 17 preschool teachers and we work together in order to ensure our children a higher level of education. Most of the teachers have university studies and masters in the fields of: psychopedagogy, education and counseling, letters and communication, management. All the teachers are permanently collaborating with the other 24 members of the staff for the well-being of our preschoolers. Our kindergarten is 45 years old and it has been transformed over the years for adaptation to new educational requirements. Today, all the eight classrooms have modern facilities and are organized by areas of interest (Science, Art, Library, Constructions, Roleplaying games etc.) in order to encourage differentiated learning and application of active-participatory methods specific to the Step by Step educational alternative. IT tools (smart boards, computers, video projectors) are the latest generation. The playground of the kindergarten offers a great space with game accessories, and with different mini vegetable garden and flower gardens. The varied educational offer, permanently enriched by our participation in European projects and programs attracts parents and they choose our kindergarten. So, every year we have a great number of children who are attending our institution activities and we are always concerned by new didactics which facilitate the harmonious development of children’s personality. At present, the children we are taking care of belong to several categories: 15% of single-parent families; 19% have parents working abroad; 10% minorities - Roma, Muslims and others; 8% of socially assisted families; 5% children with Special Educational Requirements; Each percentage refers to 100% of the number of children enrolled. Therefore, there is a need to find new methodological strategies to adapt and facilitate the learning process of each child in a normal school environment, especially since nowadays the focus is on child-centered education. Some preschool children from families with low economic level and with a poor socio-cultural level need our support, our kindergarten being the only opportunity to change for them. Nowadays, many children manifest an aggressive behavior due to inappropriate cartoon models, to their family environment, or other factors, such as ADHD. They are playing aggressive games, hitting and fighting with their colleagues, they also manifest emotional outburst, disobeying rules and attention problems.