Language fondue: Which German should my child learn first in Zurich?

Article by Monica Shah Zeeman Language fondue: Which German should my child learn first in Zurich? If you’ve recently moved to German-speaking Switzerland or are just beginning to plan your child’s education, you’ve undoubtedly come up against the question of language. Should they learn German, Swiss German or both? When is the right time and […]

Should we be teaching in the early years?

Article by Monica Shah Zeeman Should we be teaching in the early years? There has been much debate in Europe about whether it is more important for children to learn or to play at pre-school. Should children not wait until they are at least 5 and ideally 7 to go to school? This dilemma is […]

Should we choose a private school or the state education system?

Article by Monica Shah Zeeman Should I choose private school or the state local system The younger your child is, the more you can keep your options open. All preschool and childcare choices are private in Switzerland when children are very young. There are no subsidies for daycare once your income is above a certain […]

Developmental Daycare

Article by Monica Shah Zeeman Developmental Daycare To many of us working parents, the term “daycare” (Kindertagesstätte, Kita or Krippe in the German-speaking part of Switzerland) simply means taking responsibility for the safety and happiness of our children while we are working. In a developmental daycare, however, the backgrounds and training of the childcare workers […]

Monica’s story

Monica’s Story As Founding Director, Monica is a hands-on manager. She guarantees our standards and ensures quality of service remains excellent. This British citizen of Indian descent graduated in Psychoanalytic Observation of Young Children, and Modern Languages. She studied the available research in neurosciences which show the pivotal importance of settings in caregiving. This psychoanalytical […]

A day at CF

A day at CF A day at Children First for 2 to 4 year olds The bilingual preschool day starts at 9am. Morning Circle Time in English or German 9.10am – the first group lesson of the day.We sing and practice listening, speaking, and communication skills to develop understanding in a structured group. A theme […]

2 to 3 years old

Developing fine motor skills Learning self-help and independence: eating, dressing and toileting Building self-esteem thanks to praise and new achievements Developing language, joining in conversations with other children, thinking about past, present and future Learning about dangers and safe limits