Presentation from a Comenius Regio project

1. Children helping children.

2. Overview
-Getting started!
-Children-Helping-Children by Viben.
-Children-Helping-Children by Tingkær-school.
-Future work.
-Conclusion and goals!
- Group activity.

3. How to get there!
Early in this project we had numerous ideas....
We had many professional discussions concerning
kindergarten requirements. For example, do we spend sufficient
resources teaching children basic skills like caring for each
other and taking responsibility for their surroundings?
We were inspired by an earlier visit to Iceland.
We were inspired by a book called ”I can show you I care”. We
liked the basic idea but the methods were too holy and healing
for us. We decided to act as children helpers rather than
children healers.
● One of our methodes is to encourage children to solve more
conflicts on their own, but with the adults as a guide.
● This means that we need to be more present and give us time
to help them, help each other.
● The challenge is not to be moral, but the children also helps to
contribute with concrete actions. They can teach us a little
about what they think is nice to be helped and help others with.
● The big challenge for the adults is hold back and let the
children do the work.

4. Methods.
One of our methods is to encourage children to solve conflicts on
their own with guidance from adults if necessary.
As a consequence we need to be present more and have time to
help them help each other.
The challenge for the adults is not to be judgmental, to hold back,
listen to the children, and let them do the work. They can teach us
what they think is valuable to be helped and help others with.

5. Children helping children by
Tingkærschool.
To get the childrens view on how they would like
to be helped, if they were sad or got hurt, we
interviewed 9 children from 0.grade and 8
children from 1.grade just before
summervacation. To our surprise most of the
children from 0.grade wanted to get help from
one of their friends and most of the children
from 1.grade said that they wanted to get help
from an adult.
That got us thinking, that maybe we influenced
the children, so they learned that they had to
fetch an adult if they wanted help.
Therefore we have chosen starting from the
point of the adults way of approaching the
children, when they are sad or got hurt.
video Laurits og William.

6. Inclusion thoughts.
In this project we have been curious to
learn if children with special needs can join
the group and be active.
The children are able to relate to practical
things such as a first aid kit and
automatically help a child who is hurt.

7. We kick started our project in week 45 with an intro for all 0, 1st and 2nd grade
children. We performed a small play to illustrate the idea: Children-Helping-
Children.

8. During this week we engaged the children with ideas such as massage and mindfulness,
and we made cardboard hands and placed them all around the school. As a symbol we
created a big banner with a print of all our hands. This banner will be hung in our hall to
remind us to help each other.

9. Foot-massage in 0.grade
video.

10. On Thursday in week 45 Viben (children and adults) visited us to show what they have
been working with. They taught us a couple of songs about friendship that we now sing
frequently.

11. We constantly evaluate the project in classes and during our gatherings and we still use
massage and mindfulness. The children frequently tell us how they help each other
during the day.

12. In March approximately 50 new children start in spring SFO. We plan on
introducing and incorporating our project Children-Helping-Children immediately.
Some children who are attending spring SFO come from Viben, so hopefully they
can show other children how to help each other.
● This is just the begining, we will
continue the good work:)

13. Evaluation
The project has been very successful :)
The children are good at interacting.
They can relate to a first aid kit.
They can comfort each other.
Together, they can solve minor conflicts.
Small groups of children now offer different
kinds of games to others during breaks.
Staff opinions
Do you think the project has had a positive effect on the
children?
The children have become more aware of how they can help
each other.
First aid kits have had a very positive effect. They are
frequently used.
The children are able to act on their own.
When a child is hurt, onlookers have been transformed to
helpers.
It is necessary to repeat the project every year on a smaller
scale.
What do you think the project has taught the children?
Children have gained a greater awareness of their
responsibility to help each other. They now know they are not
alone in the world.
The staff daily observe children who help each other.

14. Future work to do.
Implementation of the project in child culture.
Every year the project will be repeated on a
smaller scale.
We will share our project with interested parties.
We will make sure that more children have the
opportunity to engage in a culture where children
take responsibility for each other.
Every year the project will be repeated in the
spring SFO to ensure that new children get familiar
with the culture.
Continually refresh good thoughts about ”Children-
Helping-Children”.
As a new activity we have ” play helpers” in the
breaks. They offer play activities.
Time permitting, develop material explaining the
project. We have lots of ideas to continue the work.

15. Conclusion and
what to do in the future!
The project has strengthened collaboration between
Børnehuset and the school.
We have gained insight in each other’s way of
thinking and working.
Mutual contact has improved.
Participation in the annual MGP celebration and
circus performance.
School children enjoy interacting with their former
caretakers.
Mutual inspiration.
Inspiring pedagogical discussions.
A PhD student has taken interest in the project and
is currently including the findings in a thesis.
Børnehuset will continue the project: Children-
Helping-Children.
The school will repeat the project every year and
incorporate new ideas.
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In the future, the school will visit
Børnehuset’s forest and Børnehuset will visit
the herb garden at the school. This neatly
lines up with our efforts to emphasize
outdoor activities.
The children will show each other their
secret spots and thus build friendships
across the gap between Børnehuset and the
school.
The children will feel more comfortable
leaving kindergarten since they already know
the adults from school.
The staff can inspire each others work.
We will hand down our project experiences
to others.