Pre-school education through sport in Germany

The fact that learning is only cognitive activities is outdated today. Nowadays education is a proved complex process including sport activities as well. Therefore, sport in pre-school and youth work is considered in Germany as tool for education.preschool

The fact that learning is only cognitive activities is outdated today. Nowadays education is a proved complex process including sport activities as well. Therefore, sport in pre-school and youth work is considered in Germany as tool for education. Throughout Germany, the network of youth sport associations promotes consolidated principals of education through sport because sports lifestyle facilitates learning process of infants and youngsters. The lifestyle changes of children´s childhood effects the understanding of education too. 

Maintenance of education in Germany is teamwork. The network of actors involved in promoting principals of education, creation of new educational venues and platforms which enable children and young people to experience a modern learning approach. Learning does not take place only at schools. Sports clubs, youth clubs and recreational facilities also play the key role in physical education in Germany offering numerous programs. These programs focus on non-formal education, that give an opportunity to learn new skills. Not only child’s motor skills are taken into account, but also social and personal development processes are included in this educational approach. Crucial is that classical educational institutions such as schools and day-care centers implement this new educational approach as well. In particular, sport activities are applied as a concept, for example, concepts of physical activity break and sport and health oriented schools or after daycare centers. Science also researches on the issue of activities, designing universities with sport concepts and guidelines for the implementation of learning through movement. In 2020, the anthology “Learning through movement – A Handbook for Research and Practice” was published by Dr. Andrä and Dr. Maccedonia with scientific findings and best practice examples.

German sports youth organizations are also aware of the need for sport activities in pre-school education and carrying out numerous projects in this field. The Sports Youth Brandenburg contributes in creating a positive attitude towards sport and exercises from the early age in the pre-school institutions. 

Cognitive learning processes and sport activities are significantly interconnected. The close connection between physical exercise and the development of cognitive abilities can be observed especially in early childhood. Children learn through their senses, perceiving the environment around them. Speaking skills are linked to mental process and developed more efficiently during different activates/ games. Therefore, the Brandenburg Youth Sports Association (BSJ) especially supports the early childhood activities in order to influence the child’s development in a complex way. The fields of activity of the BSJ include:

– early education in sport,

– further training and gaining qualifications of skilled workers,

– dissemination of knowledge and network creation through sport.

 

The BSJ is therefore dedicated to a variety of “learning through movement” projects for pre-school children. For example, cooperation between sports clubs and daycare centers help to involve children in sport at early age. By awarding kindergartens with a seal of quality “sport and health oriented kindergarten”, the BSJ recognizes the qualitative work, which is done in the area of early childhood physical education. 

Last but not the least is the launch of the kindergarten Olympics “Always on the Move with Fritzi”, which promotes sport and exercise in children’s everyday life and draws public attention to the topic of activities. The focus of all projects is always on learning experiences through exercise. The LSB SportService Brandenburg gGmbH was founded as the responsible body for sport and health oriented kindergartens, which is counted 10 up to date.

Early education through sports is broadly implemented in Germany. In the field of “World of Children is World of Activities”, for example, the German Sports Youth (the umbrella organization of the BSJ), summarizes its activities for children up to twelve years of age. 

“As a children’s and youth association, German Youth Sports Association acts as a part of the children protection movement by:

– enabling and promoting the acquisition of skills through sport/ physical activities,

– creating and reconquering space for children activities,

– fulfilling representing and lobbying functions. 

The annual publication of sport and health calendars as well as calls for special theme days such as “Reading in Motion” are just two successful examples of education through sport in Germany (https://www.dsj.de/kinderwelt/dsj-kinderwelt/dsj-bewegungskalender/).

In addition to facilitation of development process of learning, in the past, the focus has been made on the field of psychomotor skills. The main point here is the development of action competences, which are closely linked to child’s cognition, motor skills and emotions. Scientific institutions in Germany are strongly concerned on the effects of psychomotor skills in the child’s development. There are practical concepts existing in kindergartens, schools and even sports clubs. The Psychomotoric-club Berlin Brandenburg e. V. is a pioneer organization acting for “learning through movement” projects in the field of yoga motor-skills and mobile-physical activities stations/ playgrounds. Both projects combine the promotion of child’s motor skills development processes for infants and toddlers in early childhood.