Bilingual preschool: Our method and inspiration

At our preschool, children encounter both Swedish-speaking and English-speaking educators within their own groups. By continuously listening to both Swedish and English, children quickly develop an understanding of both languages. Roughly half of the preschool's educators are English speakers, and all educators use Swedish/English with the children according to the "one educator - one language" method.

In line with the curriculum's goals, we support all children's home languages. Together with the children, educators use simple greeting phrases, counting rhymes, and songs in all languages spoken in the group. Educators plan language-stimulating activities based on the Bornholm model and Jolly Phonics methods. We also use a lot of singing and music. Additionally, we use TAKK, which stands for "tecken som alternativ och kompletterande kommunikation" (signs as alternative and augmentative communication).

We draw inspiration from both the Reggio Emilia and Maria Montessori approaches. We believe that children have a hundred languages and that they should have the opportunity to express themselves in various ways through creativity, play, and experimentation.

We use pedagogical documentation and regularly reflect together with the children. Our classrooms have clear documentation displayed about the children's learning and our various projects.