There are 439 SOS Children's Villages and 250 Kindergartens worldwide. Wherever possible, SOS children attend local kindergartens or schools; but in many countries in the world, pre-schools are non-existent and school provision is often poor. Therefore, SOS-Kinderdorf International through the children's villages, build such facilities to provide a sound educational foundation for the SOS children. The opportunity to attend the SOS Kindergarten is extended to the immediate community.

SOS Kindergartens have been constructed according to SOS-KDI's specified designs and include well-equipped classrooms, one purposely for Montessori education, multi-purpose hall and playground within the SOS Children's Village.

There are seven SOS Kindergartens in the North/West Africa region; each is an integral part of their respective Children's Villages.

SOS Kindergartens are highly respected in the local communities; many serving as role models where there are few nursery schools in the country.

Philosophy, Principles and Practices

SOS Kindergartens in the North/West Africa region, operate according to the international philosophy and policies of the organisation. They are non-denominational, support all faiths, co-educational and open to children from 3-6 years. They have maximum capacities of 50 -120 children respectively who are under the care of educators and a Kindergarten Head.

The SOS Kindergartens mainly operate morning sessions for the youngsters which aim at helping the children make a  smooth transition from family to school life. Some, however, operate as full 'Day Care Centres' in war-affected areas or where the SOS Children's Village is located far from the town center.

In SOS Kindergartens, the children are the main focus of all activities. The idea is that, learning should be fun, while aiming to discover "something new everyday". The children are grouped according to age. The emphasis is on the value of "learning through play" (Froebel's method), which is essential in a child's development. Also, the ideas and techniques of Maria Montessori in promoting 'independent learning' are being introduced throughout the region. 

The educators are well qualified and aim to stimulate the children through providing a wide range of learning experiences. The opportunity for self-initiated activities is important too. Children are always engaged in a purposeful manner, discovering their talents and potentials, learning to express themselves and developing their own unique, individual personalities. Thus, they are not forced to absorb pre-determined learning in a specified period of time. They are also encouraged to respect rules and regulations. Corporal punishment is not permitted under any circumstances.

Materials

Manuals, teaching resources, Montessori videos on Practical life, Sensorial, Language and Mathematics materials, a sports and games video have been produced by the SOS Regional Office North/West Africa and the SOS Vocational Training Centre in Sierra Leone. The Montessori materials are produced by the SOS Training and Production Centre - Banjul.

Parent-Teacher Relations

Parents are encouraged to visit and discuss their child's progress with the SOS Kindergarten Head and Educators. Appointments can be arranged on request. An annual report is prepared for each child which emphasizes individual development and achievement over the year rather than competition on a class basis.

The Daily Programme

The SOS Kindergarten daily programme runs from 8.30am - 12.00 noon. The educators welcome the children on arrival from 8.15am onwards. They take a personal interest in each child.

Practical Life Activities & Montessori Method

'Montessori' emphasizes the importance of training to be independent, responsibility of caring for oneself, others and for one's immediate environment. Therefore, practical life skills include activities such as dressing, washing tables, carrying delicate objects, folding clothes, dusting, sweeping, bed-making, flower arranging, etc… Practical life skills are taught by using a variety of everyday objects. The emphasis is on order and process, which are perfectly demonstrated by the educator whom the child seeks to imitate in his/her own time.

The educator also demonstrates practical life techniques to the SOS mothers during the "Mothers Training Programme". This way, the children can continue the learning process in their family homes. Adults are role models and so must be conscious of their own social behaviour at all times, which the children are constantly observing and imitating. Learning appropriate social behaviour is also an important part of the programme.

The Montessori Method:

This is named after the founder of the movement, Maria Montessori (1870-1952) and is being introduced and practiced in the SOS Kindergartens in North/West Africa. Maria Montessori was a medical doctor who became an outstanding educationalist of her time, conducting educational research, writing books, travelling extensively, giving training lectures and sharing her findings. Her work has been supported by modern research and continues world-wide today. It is a proven universal method, which has operated successfully in all cultures, however diverse, since 1907.

It is an individual, child-centre approach which promotes independent learning through experience, exploration and self-correction, thus helping children develop skills for life. It is based on the premise that children are naturally curious and inquisitive with an inner motivation to learn and seek perfection and have a strong desire for independence. It is also based on the fact that there are specific "sensitive periods of learning" within each child at a given stage in their development:

The sensitive periods of learning:

The Montessori materials and processes relate exactly to these specific "sensitive periods of learning". If these opportunities for learning and development are maximised, the child will make great strides.

The three key elements in Montessori are:

A. The learning environment.

This plays a crucial role. It is a simple, well-organised room, uncluttered, housing all the special materials and everything is in its place. Peace, calm and order prevail, which are respected by everyone. This is to promote inner self-discipline. Equipment is child-sized where possible.

B. The Materials

The materials are exact; each designed with a specific purpose to provide a unique learning experience. They correspond with and are appropriate to each "sensitive periods of development" e.g., a child's desire for order, attention to detail, developing manipulative and coordination skills. As children manipulate the sensorial, language and mathematical materials, the link between hand and mind is further reinforced. Thus, abstract thought develops, building self-confidence in the process.

C. The role of the educator

The role of the educator is to be a link between the child, the specially prepared environment and the materials. The educator should closely observe each and every child, recognising their specific stage of development and then select the most suitable material or provide the best learning experience at the right time. He/she is a resource person and presenter of new materials and experiences which help the child develop their full potential. As a facilitator, the educator needs to have patience and refrain from rushing any activity or helping too much. The child is free to repeat and explore independently, solving his/her problems along the way.

Since mistakes are "a learning experience", educators should not criticise the child but correct by demonstrating the exercise again. The child is then free to try again or explore the materials in his/her own time. The activity is repeated on other occasions until the child has mastered the process through his/her own efforts.

Other Programmes

The SOS Kindergartens and educators are an integral part of the SOS Children's Village community and assist with many other daily and weekly activities.

These include:

Monday afternoons
Meetings, planning and preparation, in-service training.

Tuesday and Thursday afternoons
Extra classes and Montessori activities for the SOS Kindergarten and SOS primary children.

Wednesday afternoons
SOS Mothers training programme.

School Vacation
SOS holiday activities, SOS youth activity programmes, camps and outings.

SOS Children's Village "Toddlers"

SOS Toddlers (two years plus), now join the SOS Kindergarten for a two-hour period (9.30am - 11.30am) which has greatly developed their independence and prepared them for the SOS Kindergarten. The SOS Mothers assist with this programme on a rota basis where they gain more knowledge in child development. This leaves them free on other mornings to do their housework.

Links with the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools

Close links are maintained with the SOS Kindergarten children who move into the reception class in the SOS Hermann Gmeiner School. The educators and teachers work closely together to ensure the SOS children continue progressing using the Montessori programme specifically for mathematics and language development.

In some countries, the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools' community service clubs also assist the SOS Kindergartens with story telling and games activities.

SOS Kindergarten Training

The SOS Kindergarten educators are well trained and frequently attend in-service SOS training programmes both in-country and regionally c/o the Regional Office, Banjul on an annual basis. The SOS Kindergarten Heads, Mother Counsellors, and Educators from the region, come together to share ideas and experiences for teaching activities, Montessori programmes and SOS Mother training. Staff from the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools or SOS Mother and Child Clinics may also assist.

SOS Youth Trainees

Some of the SOS youths who have expressed an interest in becoming Kindergarten Educators have joined as trainees in some countries in the region. Also in countries where there are no facilities for training kindergarten educators, the SOS Kindergarten has accepted a maximum of two external trainees.