Open concept

The concept of open pedagogy means that there are no fixed groups for children in the day care centre. The children should be supported in their self-development in the best possible way.

The forms of the open concept

In the open concept, there are no fixed groups for the children. This means that the children can choose for themselves which room they go to. Often, all groups are dissolved, but there are nest groups for the youngest children. These nest groups are either active for a whole year or only for a certain settling-in period of, for example, 3 months. The rooms that the children can visit are characterised by different functions. For example, there is a creative, music, movement or recreation room. The children have the opportunity to try out different activities and to play with other children or alone, to be creative or do handicrafts or to experiment. Eating breakfast and lunch together is also a frequent feature, so that there are certain regularities and recurring rituals for the children. The open concepts are, however, variable and the parents themselves should enquire about them with the day care centre of their choice.

The advantages and disadvantages of the open concept

A great advantage of the open concept is the self-development of the child. The central point here is to promote the child's willingness to make decisions and the possibility for the child to explore for itself what is good for it at any given moment. Independence is promoted as well as social competence, as the children learn to play together with children from different age groups in different contexts. The child is seen from a holistic perspective as it is observed by different educators in different situations: This multi-perspectivity also makes it possible to recognise special needs more quickly. The disadvantages of the concept are that there are almost no rules that the children have to follow. Furthermore, there are no clear reference persons for the children. It is also difficult for the children to keep track of what is offered in the different rooms.

Related and similar concepts arising from this concept are: TheOpen pedagogy of mindfulness and theSemi-open concept. Finally, it should be noted that the open concept has been successfully applied in Germany for quite some time and is becoming increasingly popular.

Literaturverzeichnis: 

• Vorholz, Heidi (2014): Pädagogische Ansätze für die Kita: Offene Arbeit. Cornelsen Scriptor: Berlin.