A little humor goes a long way

This semester I will be visiting a Danish preschool, Galaxen (Galaxy in English), every Thursday. This past Thursday was my first day, and I had a wonderful time and so much to share. I was a little nervous because I am working with children ages 0-6, so they don’t speak any English. My big question was how to communicate when you do not speak the same language. Galaxen is a very fun place to be. There isn’t any free wall space because the ceilings and walls are covered with student artwork. The children are happy and content with a lot of independence and free areas to explore.

Here are a couple of highlights:

1.    I played barbies with two little girls who spoke to me in Danish for about thirty minutes before realizing that I did not understand. We communicated through laughs and silly hand gestures. Humor is definitely an asset when speaking with the children. Later during story time, one of the girls told her teacher that I spoke “almost Danish.” She wasn’t sure what I spoke. Many of the children can speak more than one language such as Arabic, Polish, and Spanish. Two of the teachers are from Yugoslovia and another from Sweden who travels into Denmark every day.

2.    The children poured their own drinks and used utensils to eat their pasta during lunch. I think they had better table manners than many adults! Keep in mind that they are only 5 years old.

3.    A few years ago, Denmark passed a law that all schools needed to provide lunch for the children. Before that, the parents would make their child’s lunches. It is still a controversial topic here. Galaxen has a cook who prepares the food and snacks for the children. She is a lovely woman, and she spoke to me about giving the kids healthy eating habits early in life. A local newspaper just interviewed her about cooking for children.