Our Akidemy Academy
The Akidemy Academy Courses support parents by walking alongside the children through their developmental steps in their first years of life. We focus on the children’s interests and their sensitive periods for learning and development.
One important part is to learn about the individuality and specific needs of the child through observing, appreciating, valuing, recognizing and sharing the moment with the child. We talk and reflect about what we experience with the child. This helps us to learn to read the signals of the child and to develop our personal responses. We get to better know ourselves and refine our role as a parent while learning together with the children.
The Akidemy Academy is related to the paedagogical concepts of Emmi Pikler and Reggio-Emilia.
How are the courses set up?
In the first months of children´s lives they often play by themselves, concentrating only on themselves and their close surroundings. Slowly they develop the ability to play with others in a so-called “parallel play”. This means the child begins to imitate and be inspired and learn from others.
The courses includes themes of interest for parents like physical and cognitive development, scientific findings etc. We speak about burning questions from parents e.g. how to support and foster the child’s development, education, communication, lovingly setting boundaries, nutrition and sleeping etc.
Our primary focus is on the children and our full attention is on their needs. Our strongest focus is on bonding and relational competence. As a relationship is not something that you get from the beginning of life it has to be developed and established. Throughout our courses, we seek to help parents to enhance, stabilize and develop the relationship with their children. This is with a long time perspective to improve the quality of families’ lives.
The Emmi Pikler Approach: What is it?
“The relationship is all. It is a matter of life to the child” Emmi Pikler
So what is the Pikler approach? The Pikler approach adds something, which is very neglected in our society. It highlights the crucial importance of letting our children have time and space to develop their movement and play through their own non interfered with self-initiated play. The Pikler approach comes from Budapest, Hungary. Dr Emmi Pikler was a paediatrician who found a way of supporting parents, and later carers of babies and young children with an approach to care which ensured the security and trust of good relationship and allowed children all the freedom they need to come up into standing and walking on their own.
The two main principles of the Pikler approach are these: ·
- The importance of a kind and respectful relationship between an adult and infant, through tender care moments. ·
- The importance of naturally paced motor development, free movement and uninterrupted play.
The Reggio-Emilia Approach: What is it?
“A school needs to be a place for all children, not based on the idea that they are all the same, but that they are all different.” Loris Malaguzzi (founder of the first Reggio Emilia School)
Reggio-Emilia began in a small Italian town of the same name and is a children-centered approach to early childhood education. Following World War II, many women in Italy were determined to create a better education for future generations.
The basis for the Reggio Emilia philosophy is founded on the principles of community, responsibility, and respect through a supportive and enriching environment. Reggio Emilia education recognizes children as capable individuals who can steer their own learning course. Together with teachers and parents, kids learn and develop based on various experiences and the world around them. One of the most vital principles of the Reggio Approach is a reciprocal relationship between parents, teachers and the children. Children are welcomed as capable individuals with existing talent and ability.
This approach focuses on the following characteristics:
- Children must be able to learn through hands on experiences using all of their senses
- Children must have control of their learning
- Children must be encouraged and allowed to foster relationships with other children and use materials to develop these relationships
- Children must feel safe and free and given ample opportunities to express themselves
