Primary School Savremena, together with Cyprus training centre „Emphasys” and the University of Zagreb, was given the opportunity to participate in the Erasmus project called CARE2LEARN, which aims to develop the key competencies of preschool children and parents through teamwork.

ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR SAVREMENA TO SHINE AND PROVE WHY IT IS CONSIDERED THE REGION’S MOST MODERN SCHOOL

School readiness implies social maturity and the development of skills required in order for the child to overcome all barriers in the schooling process.

The primary goal of the CARE2LEARN project, which is coordinated by parents’ association Step by Step, is to use gamification, i.e., the activities they engage in together, to ensure that children and their parents develop the skills that prepare them for the next step – starting primary school. Parents will be joined by preschool teachers and schoolteachers, who will provide additional support to preschoolers.

Every child has a natural need to explore, learn and socialise. Before the child starts school, it is important that they should be encouraged when it comes to strengthening their social-emotional competences. Being involved in CARE2LEARN activities will give them a fine opportunity to build the way they relate to others and prepare for the transition from the preschool world to the world of school.

The first step will consist of research, conducted by an international project team, which will define children’s key competences required for the successful transition from kindergarten to primary school, such as: fine motor skills, attention, spatial orientation and independence, as well as preparatory reading skills and introductory math skills.

Starting school is a new life experience for the parents, too. The project also aims to define the key competences that preschoolers’ parents need to have in order to offer adequate support to their children’s developed in this transitional period. The project will determine activities that will provide support to children and parents alike.

DIGITAL APPROACH FOR COMPETENCE ADVANCEMENT

The project will include the development of a mobile app that will contain a description of the key competences along with relevant evaluation tools, as well as games that help advance these competences. The application will be designed for the parents, and it will also serve as the place where they will receive relevant literature and tips regarding the skills that they need to develop – both their own and their kids’.

These materials will be provided by an international team of psychologists, teachers and pedagogy experts, and based on the latest research in developmental pedagogy and education, and the principles of positive parenting.

Special attention will be directed towards families at risk of exclusion – whether on a national or socio-economic basis, or based on geographical remoteness.

IMPORTANCE OF ERASMUS PROJECTS

Erasmus+ is the leading EU program in the field of education, training, youth, and sports. The aim of the program is to promote and support the development of all levels of education, strengthen the link between formal and non-formal learning, as well as the link between education and the world of labor.

The Erasmus+ program is focused on strengthening the potential of young people for active participation in society, and the development of leadership skills, solidarity and understanding.

Erasmus+ reached its peak in the period between 2014 and 2020, and will continue in the same direction in order to improve society as much as possible. One of the projects within the Erasmus+ program is CARE2LEARN, which is aimed at developing skills of preschool children.

Children who would like to grow up to become highly educated people should not hesitate when it comes to acquiring the skills and the competences that will facilitate their dynamic development.

Savremena is a school which continually and generously implements new ideas and creative educational solutions like CARE2LEARN.

This thirty-month endeavour will bring Savremena’s students, parents and personnel closer together, strengthening their friendships and enriching them by new experiences and fresh knowledge. Their forces combined, they are sure to make an invaluable contribution to the development of the entire teaching process.