A Hungarian preschool for the children, teachers, and families.

This article describes an exceptional Eastern European preschool where all stakeholders--children, teachers, and parents--place a high value on the unique synergy of inclusive and bilingual education.

Imagine you are going on a bicycle ride in a small town in Hungary. After leaving the noisy town behind, you cross a bridge over a picturesque stream. The fresh air fills your lungs, and you feel happy and carefree. Soon, you see gardens with fruit trees; as you peek through the green leaves, you catch sight of neat, little red-roofed houses. You remember why you came here. One of those red roofs belongs to the preschool you once attended. Now a researcher, you enter the building, and your heart starts beating faster. Yes, the building looks familiar. Soon you see faces of your former teachers smiling at you--they still remember who you are, as if those 23 years never went by. The interviews with the director and teachers, along with the observations in the classrooms, reaffirm the feelings you felt there as a child. This is a place that children, parents, and teachers all deserve.

The Maci (Teddy Bear) Preschool (1) described above is located in the suburbs of Jaszbereny, a small town in the eastern part of Hungary. The school has had two beginnings. Its role when first founded in 1973 was to provide child care for the children of workers at a refrigerator factory. After the political changes of 1989, an international corporation, Electrolux, bought the factory. Although the new owners decided not to operate the center any more, a small group of enthusiastic teachers, with the help of people in the community, established a board of trustees to keep the school alive. In response to the various needs of an emerging democratic society, these educators launched an English-Hungarian bilingual preschool. A year later, their program became even more responsive to diversity through the inclusion of children with special needs. These two goals, at that time completely new, are still considered innovative in Hungary. The hard work of the dedicated teachers, national and international educators, and parents has resulted in a supportive and mutually respectful atmosphere that facilitates children's learning, as well as teachers' and families' well-being.

Janka Szilagyi and Tunde Szecsi Janka Szilagyi is a doctoral student, early childhood education, Department of Learning and Instruction, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York. Tunde Szecsi is Assistant Professor, Department of Undergraduate Teacher Education, Florida Gulf Coast University; Fort Myers.

This article describes this exceptional Eastern European preschool where all stakeholders--children, teachers, and parents--place a high value on the unique synergy of inclusive and bilingual education.

Curriculum With Three Pillars

Hungarian preschools must develop their own educational program in compliance with the National Program of Preschool Education (1996). They are guaranteed independence in professional matters, enabling the preschool to respond to the individual needs of the community. In 1996, the Maci Preschool developed its developmentally appropriate curriculum, which reflects teachers' and parents' shared views and knowledge about the education of young children (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997).

The Maci Preschool teachers treasure children, no matter their abilities or social backgrounds. They agree that every child is able to grow and progress at his or her own rate. Therefore, they do not rush children's physiological and psychological development, but rather promote it through appropriate interventions and activities. Teachers also believe that certain crucial competencies, such as awareness of others' needs and perspectives, adaptability, empathy, and sensitivity toward diversity, can be enhanced most effectively in an inclusive as well as bilingual early childhood environment (Derman-Sparks & the A.B.C. Task Force, 1989; K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004). Furthermore, the preschool staff places an emphasis on nurturing children's sense of responsibility and independence. In alignment with the Montessori curriculum, this goal is partially accomplished through using real items in the classroom. For example, prior to meals, all children help set the tables with a tablecloth, china plates, and glasses; after meals, they take the dishes to the cart and sweep the floor. These experiences provide a transition from home to the classroom (Roopnarine & Johnson, 2000) and promote skills such as fine motor coordination, independence, cooperation with peers, and sequencing of different tasks. Children with these social and cognitive skills feel confidence when entering elementary school.

The Maci Preschool curriculum delineates the following major goals:

* Fostering the development of the whole child through developmentally and individually appropriate practices

* Building preschool education on a foundation of family and home culture

* Empowering children with skills and dispositions for elementary school

* Closely collaborating with families.

To ensure the accomplishment of these major goals, the three pillars of the curriculum are: a clear focus on physical activities, an inclusive approach regarding children with special needs, and a culturally and linguistically rich learning experience. The synergy of these three pillars provides a strong foundation for children's learning and development.

Pillar # 1--Physical Activity

Physical activity and movement in the early years contribute to the children's development and well-being. The early childhood years can be important in establishing a positive attitude toward and appreciation for lifelong participation in physical activity. Armstrong (1991) found that children's physical activity patterns persist into adulthood. Early involvement in appropriate physical activities also may prevent obesity and health problems (Fox, 1991). Other benefits of incorporating appropriate movement activities include: 1) developing and refining fundamental motor skills and movement awareness (Ignico, 1994); 2) promoting learning in other areas through integrated, multimodal experiences (Werner, 1994); 3) facilitating children's social and emotional development (Ignico, 1994); and 4) allowing children avenues for creativity (Pica, 1997).

At the Maci Preschool, planned and spontaneous physical activities are part of the children's everyday life. Weather permitting, the children spend a significant amount of time outside on the spacious playground. Swing sets, jungle gyms, various climbing equipment, sandboxes, and trees invite the children to exert their energy, improve their motor skills, and explore their environment. On hot summer days, a small pool partly filled up with water welcomes children who wish to cool down and play. In the event of bad weather, the children do gymnastics activities inside the gym, with the guidance of a teacher certified in physical education. Through role-modeling, teachers encourage all the children, regardless of ability, to try different sports. They also help the children use their bodies and any equipment with imagination and confidence.

Teachers make the most of the recreational opportunities offered in the neighborhood. As the weather permits, teachers and children regularly visit indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sports fields, playgrounds, a sports hall, a roller skating rink, a zoo, and botanical gardens. At the sports fields, they play ball, run around, and play outdoor games. Horseback riding, inline skating, and taking long walks also are part of children's everyday life. In addition, every toilet-trained child can regularly participate in swimming practice with a swim coach all year round.

Pillar #2--Welcoming All Children

In the past, the Hungarian school system was highly segregated; the first opportunities for educating children in inclusive settings did not emerge until the late 1980s. The Act of Public Education of 1993 and the Act of Equal Opportunities of 1998 granted parents the right to choose a school for children in harmony with their individual needs. Therefore, children with special needs may attend regular schools if the school is prepared for inclusive education (Csanyi, 2001).

Ten years ago, the Maci Preschool launched a program for a dozen children with severe learning disabilities, mental retardation, or physical impairments. After the first year (during which the school experiences were mainly segregated), the director, teachers, and parents developed an experimental inclusive program. Currently, all classrooms in this center welcome children with various abilities, including children with ADHD, autism, mild and severe mental retardation, and physical impairments.

The curriculum and the daily activities at Maci Preschool are built around play. Play is an essential activity for children, regardless of ability; through play, children learn about the world, develop skills, and acquire dispositions (Bergen & Coscia, 2000; Isenberg & Quisenberry, 2002). Teachers and assistants at the preschool facilitate and guide children's active discovery. Although children with special needs might receive more assistance, they also are encouraged to become actively engaged with peers in block building, socio-dramatic play, and other activities. In this inclusive environment, the children sit down for the daily circle time to discuss past and future activities, read books, and tell stories--all considered important building blocks of children's mental health (K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004).

The daily schedule is finely attuned to children's individualized needs and interests. Children who need one-on-one attention or small-group intervention, including speech and physical therapy, work with a professional. In addition to traditional interventions, such activities as horseback riding and swimming, although offered to all children, are especially recommended to children with physical and psychological impairments. The director proudly mentioned that the center has a therapy horse to enable immobile children to experience mobility (K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004). Every day, the children spend a long stretch of time outdoors. Regardless of their differences in movement ability, they all go for a walk in the zoo, in the botanical gardens, or along the river. Hands-on real life experiences with feeding animals, taking care of plants, and examining seasonal changes in the riverbank support the children's learning and self-esteem.

Considering the novelty of inclusive education in Hungary, these teachers have found that the implementation of an inclusive philosophy requires constant professional development. Therefore, in addition to obtaining a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, the teachers all seek inservice professional development opportunities in various areas of special education, speech pathology, physical and occupational therapy, and play therapy (K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004).

Teachers and parents at Maci Preschool all agree that children growing up in this inclusive environment accept as natural that people have diverse abilities, and they value their peers the way they are (Derman-Sparks & the A.B.C. Task Force, 1989; K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004). Teachers describe how children imitated their teacher's behavior while assisting their peers with special needs in everyday skills like holding a spoon or feeding themselves (Sombor, 1998).

Pillar #3--Windows to New Cultures Through Language

In the early 1990s, a Hungarian businessman initiated a collaborative project between Hungarian and American educators to establish an English-Hungarian bilingual preschool program in Hungary. Its ultimate goal was to help Hungarian children develop sensitivity toward cultural and linguistic diversity through developmentally appropriate English language experiences. James Hoot, professor at the University at Buffalo, coordinated this educational enterprise on the American side. By September 1994, he recruited the first two American students for a year-long student-teaching experience at the Maci Preschool. Along with Hungarian educators, they took a pioneer role in devising and implementing a bilingual early childhood program. Hard work in this cross-cultural collaboration has resulted in a culturally and linguistically responsive environment, where Hungarian children are exposed to English language in a program based on theory (Cummins, 1984; Krashen, 1982), research (Tabors & Snow, 1994; Wong Fillmore, 1991), and best practices of early foreign language learning.

In the classrooms of the Maci Preschool, the topics for the week/month emerge from children's interests, or relate to seasonal topics. In the bilingual classroom, the English language activities are completely embedded in the daily activities. The Hungarian and American teachers share all responsibilities in care and education, including getting children dressed, breakfast and lunchtime, sports, and play activities. Thus, children are exposed to both languages in a natural, joyful, and non-threatening environment, which offers ample opportunities to use English in real situations (e.g. "Please tie your shoes!," "Would you like some more tea?," "Where is your coat?"). In addition, children's comprehension is fostered by metalinguistic elements of gestures, facial expressions, and visual aids.

To promote emerging expressive skills, children often participate in regular curricular activities with the English-speaking teacher. For example, while going for a walk in the zoo and talking about the animals in English, children enrich their emerging English vocabulary through real-life experiences. They enthusiastically incorporate English words into Hungarian sentences, such as "Nezd ott a monkey," "Alszik a buffalo," and "Ott van a billy goat." Both parties--children and teachers--feel rewarded; regardless of their linguistic background, they are able to communicate with the help of an emerging common language.

A favorite activity is singing English songs and rhymes, accompanied by movement, which helps reinforce English words and grammatical structures (Asher, 1969). Singing together provides an enjoyable opportunity for introducing emergent literacy in English. When the teacher writes the lyrics on a poster and substitutes objects' or animals' names with a picture, it helps the children figure out what the song is about, and make the first associations of sounds, meanings, and written symbols. The pictures and words on these posters, displayed in the hallway, enable children to revisit these songs.

The ultimate goal of the bilingual program is raising children's interest in diverse cultures, in addition to providing a steppingstone for an exciting journey into the world of languages (K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004). In harmony with these goals, the findings of a survey (Szecsi, 2000) suggest that the majority of the parents selected this preschool because of its effective bilingual program. They seemed to be aware and appreciative of the positive impact of the natural and play-like language learning processes. One parent stated, "They [the children] do not learn the language; they live in it." Furthermore, parents also seem to approve of the cultural factor of the program. One parent said, "I have chosen this preschool because I want my child to find it natural that there are other cultures as well."

We All Pull Together: Parental Involvement

To guarantee an effective preschool program, family involvement is essential. From the very first day, the Maci Preschool teachers work hard to build a long-lasting, fruitful, and mutually respectful relationship between families and school. This collaboration is multi-faceted, involving families as a resource of information about the children, and as active participants in school activities (K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004). For the first few days of the school year, parents are encouraged to stay at school with their children. These "getting to know each other" days play an important role in the future relationship between children and school. Parents are welcome to visit or volunteer at any time. Furthermore, to establish a rapport with the families, teachers visit the children's homes once a year. Through these visits, teachers may gain a better understanding of the home environment, and learn more about the child's previous experiences and "funds of knowledge," around which the curriculum is built.

Parents and teachers at Maci Preschool agree that regular communication between families and schools is vital. Therefore, parent-teacher conferences, both in groups and individually, are regularly scheduled to ensure the flow of communication. In addition, children carry notebooks so that both teachers and parents can record the details of what happened to the child at home and at school. For instance, sometimes even small changes in regular daily activities might challenge the child's equilibrium. In order to be able to react accordingly, teachers and parents need the most detailed information possible (K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004).

To discuss issues of child development, behavior management, and appropriate practices, a parents' club is available for interested parents. Their expressed needs determine the topic for the meetings, which are free of charge and optional. The parents, teachers, and other professionals explore diverse approaches to children's learning and development, and together investigate potential solutions to emerging problems.

To expand the quality time that parents spend with children, the Maci Preschool organizes various celebrations, field trips, and picnics. A trip to the hills in early September provides good opportunities for children and their families to get to know other families and make new friends. The Day of Children, held on the last Sunday of May, is always an occasion for families and teachers to come together. Every summer, as the culmination of the child-teacher-parent collaboration, the staff and children, along with most of the parents, spend 10 days in a camp by a lake. When this tradition was started, six years ago, most parents, especially the parents of children with disabilities, were skeptical about the feasibility of this "dream-camp" (K. Rebicsek, personal communication, June 2, 2004). However, the summer camp has been a huge success. Taking a private train car to the campsite makes this experience even more distinctive for those children who have never traveled on a train. Practically the whole preschool, including toys, musical instruments, and sports equipment, is relocated to the campsite by the lake. Teachers and parents work together and are both activity developers and participants in games, nature walks, and swimming. This 10-day learning experience is one that the children will never forget.

Conclusion

The Maci Preschool in Hungary is a school that all children, teachers, and parents ought to have. In this environment, each child is able to experience love and happiness, while developing at his or her own pace. The families feel involved in their children's education, and they feel appreciated for their cultures and values. The teachers are enthusiastic about responding to new challenges, and eager to grow professionally in this nurturing environment supported by the whole community. In this inclusive, physically active, and bilingual learning context, the children, the parents, and the teachers all grow to be productive, empathic, and helpful members of society, who are open to diversity. This is a kind of school that everybody deserves.

References

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Wong Fillmore, L. (1991). Language and cultural issues in the early education of language minority children. In S. Kagan (Ed.), The care and education of America's young children: Obstacles and opportunities. Ninetieth yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part 1 (pp. 30-49). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Note:

(1) Hungarian children ages 3 to 7 attend ovoda, which means "caring place." It is equivalent to American preschools. Kindergartens are nonexistent in Hungary; around the age of 6 or 7, children start 1st grade. Unlike in the free public schools, parents at Maci Preschool are required to pay tuition to partially cover child care, meals, and curricular activities, including swimming, inline skating, and field trips. This preschool is also funded partially by the Hungarian government and civil organizations.

With special thanks to Katalin Rebicsek, the director of Maci Preschool; and the entire staff for their help in our data collection.

Janka Szilagyi is a doctoral student, early childhood education, Department of Learning and Instruction, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York. Tunde Szecsi is Assistant Professor, Department of Undergraduate Teacher Education, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers.