Our pedagogy
Inspired by Loczy and Montessori
Two complementary approaches, one common foundation: respect for the child as a whole person, able to grow at their own pace.
« All that I have become, I owe to the first year of my life. »
Loczy / Pikler approach
For babies: free movement & attachment bond
Developed at the Loczy Institute in Budapest from 1946 by paediatrician Emmi Pikler, this approach places the baby at the heart of their own development. It rests on four fundamental principles:
1. Free, autonomous activity
The child is never placed in a posture they cannot achieve alone (no bouncers, no premature standing). They develop their motor skills at their own pace, in trust of their body.
2. Care as privileged moments
Nappy changes, meals and dressing are not tasks but genuine relational appointments: the adult announces their gestures, waits for cooperation, looks at the child.
3. Stability of relationships
A single key worker knows each baby well, their signals, their story — an essential emotional anchor.
4. Self-awareness
The child is recognised as an actor in their own development, capable of feeling, choosing and expressing themselves.
Montessori approach
For toddlers: autonomy & practical life
« Help me to do it myself. »
Absorbent mind
The child naturally takes in their environment.
Sensitive periods
Privileged windows for certain learnings.
Prepared environment
Beautiful, orderly, functional material at child height.
Free activity within a framework
The child chooses their activity among adapted proposals.
Self-correction
The material lets the child notice their mistake alone, without judgement.
Complementarity
A common thread: respect for the child
Loczy informs our practice with babies (attachment bond, free movement). Montessori inspires that with toddlers (autonomy, prepared environment). The common foundation remains the same: the child is a whole person, capable, whose pace, choices and emotions we respect.
French-English bilingual immersion
An ear open to the world
« Early bilingualism does not slow language development: it enriches thought, cognitive flexibility and openness to the world. »
"One person, one language" method
Adapted to early childhood: each adult consistently speaks one of the two languages, providing clear reference points.
Songs & rituals
Twinkle Twinkle, The Wheels on the Bus, Old MacDonald… language flows through song, gesture and shared emotion.
Respecting bilingual language phases
Silent period, language mixing, temporary dominance: normal stages we accompany without pressure.
Valuing home languages
Portuguese, Italian, German, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish… all languages spoken at home are welcomed and valued.
Glossary
Preschool care glossary
- Daycare (garderie)
- Collective care structure for children 0-4 years, private or subsidised, open during the day. Synonyms: crèche, nursery.
- Nursery
- English term for daycare, commonly used on the Vaud Riviera by international families.
- Babies
- Children up to about 18 months. In our 'Babies' group (G1), the approach prioritises the attachment bond and free movement according to Loczy/Pikler.
- Toddlers
- Children who start to walk (18 months) until school entry (4 years). Our 'Toddlers' group (G2) offers a Montessori environment.
- Corporate daycare
- Agreement allowing a company to reserve daycare places for their employees' children.
- OAJE
- Vaud Office for Day Care of Children.
Concrete educational principles
What this changes every day
- Respecting each child's own pace.
- Recognising them as an actor in their own development.
- Refusing any form of ordinary educational violence (shouting, humiliation, physical constraint).
- Supporting autonomy without rushing.
- Caring for the quality of the bond: presence, gaze, words addressed.