Can i have grundschule

If you have preschool aged children and just want to have some childcare and a cultural experience, this is the easiest thing to do. There is no need to do anything extra. If they do German activities and have playdates with German children, they will learn more, faster. Just let it happen. If you do want your child to enter the German school system, even if it is just for 1st grade, then it may be worth it to create more opportunities for language acquisition before 1st grade through playdates and activities.

If you are only here for a short time years , think carefully about your goals if you have older children or special needs children. It might not be worth the stress since by the time things feel really solid, you will be leaving.

Language needs to be used to be preserved so if your child learns German for 3 years and then goes to the States and never uses it, the ability to speak will deteriorate.

The process of learning will have lasting benefits, but the language itself will not remain at that high functioning level unless it is used. I am here for 4 years most likely.

I chose to put my 3rd grader in German school half-way through the year after determining that DoDs was not a good fit for him and my daughters were thriving in German school. It has been hard, but for us, it was the best choice. I hope to give you the support and encouragement that I did not have so you can make better decisions from the start. You know your children, your life and your family better than anyone.

By writing this, my intention is to give you some things to think about, not to tell you what to do. However, if you have realistic expectations and clear goals before you start, I believe that you, your children and the schools will be happier and have better experiences. Children learn languages easily through exposure. Finding ways to i ncrease the exposure will speed the process.

Since German school academics begin later starting in 1st grade , before 1st or even 2nd grade, simply increasing exposure in non-academic ways is often enough to get them working on grade level by the end of the year. In 3rd and 4th grade, as they are starting to do more grammar, reading and writing At that point, some additional tutoring can be helpful, but if you are just starting German school in 3rd or 4th grade, I recommend ramping up the tutoring.

Here is the link to my Thoughts on Tutoring. So here is a list of ideas for helping kids to learn German:. The following factors are involved: Differences in the order and requirements between the two school systems. The older a child is, the more important these differences become. Setting aside German grammar and punctuation for upper-level writing, the two academic areas which seem to cause the most trouble for kids coming from the American system are the 2nd Foreign Language requirement and the sciences.

Expectations for Participation. If you have a shy kid who does extremely well on tests but is reluctant to speak in class in American school, it will likely be worse in German school where they are not confident of the language. The result will be grades that are significantly lower than their test grades. In our experience, there is no grace given for foreign students and shyness is considered a social defect. Expectations for Organization. In the German system, organization is hammered into the children in elementary school.

In 5th grade and above, Gymnasium children are expected to be organized and neat. If you have a free-thinking, creative type or disorganized kid, Gymnasium will be difficult.

They are looking to weed people out. If your child has special needs or does not have a strong German background, a German private school, public Gesamtschule, DODEA or International School may be better able to meet those needs.

Social Acceptance. The class chemistry varies. When starting in Kindergarten or first grade, kids are much more open to friendships, but coming in later can be really difficult as the social order is established. On the other hand, good friends can be far better than professional tutoring for language development and motivation. If your child is 1st grade or below, the parent wanting it and working for it will be enough in most cases, but not for older kids.

It is very common for children to be held back when entering the German system. Americans are often very resistant to this. However, in Grundschule, this will make the school work easier for your child as they learn the language and organizational style. It will also give more time before the school tracking is done so that they will be more successful in 5th grade and above where there is a sharp uptick in workload and expectations.

If you are coming in with a 5th grader or above with no German background or a weak German background, it is unlikely that you would be able to get a place at a Gymnasium anyway, though there are cases of this happening.

It most often happens when at least one parent is German. You can go to the Schulamt and do an Integrations year, but repeating a grade in a private school might be more desirable. There is far less stigma with regards to holding kids back and they do it more frequently. If your child goes into Gymnasium at grade level when they are recommending the child be held back, keep in mind that the child may be forced to repeat the next year.

Please visit the schools for yourself with a German speaker if you do not speak German well. Whether your child is entering Grundschule or above, having a good relationship with the school is important. When you bring a translator to a meeting, it shows respect and demonstrates that you are taking personal interest and responsibility. The schools in Wiesbaden are coping with the influx of refugees and we may be viewed as adding to their burden.

If you show up with a translator or even better, speaking strong German yourself you can be viewed as contributing. Also, different schools are right for different people so asking questions about what is important to you and feeling the vibe of the school for yourself can help you find the right fit for your child.

If your child is currently in Grundschule and you will need to make a choice for 5th-grade school, be open to all possibilities and VISIT! If you are going to do German school, commit to German school and activities even if you arrive in the middle of the school year. The older the kid, the better it is to jump in sooner rather than later.

Because DODEA is much easier socially and educationally, that can cause the child to become resistant to the German school. Same with activities. If you put them in German activities with the kids they go to school with, you are increasing opportunities for social connection which is the key to success. If you put them in activities on Post, that may pull them towards wanting to be in the American school. There may be an activity such as Scouting that is very important to your child that your child wants to continue.

Do not try to keep on grade level in American school while adapting to a German school. If you are close to going back to the US or you are here long-term and the child is settled and doing well in a German school, then some homeschooling in English may be a good idea. However, if you are here for years and your child does not have a strong German background, homeschooling in English is counter-productive.

Put them in German activities to increase their social connection and German language. Respect the transition and plan to provide support for the first year or so that you go back. There will be a transition no matter what you do so enjoy Germany and deal with it later.

Here is a post about how long it takes to learn German and how to help your child learn German. Learn German yourself. For Kindergarten you can get through without learning German, but the further they go in the schooling process, the more important it is that you learn the language. It enables you to help with homework, volunteer at the school and generally, know what is going on.

It makes a difference. It will deepen the experience for you and your child and will be appreciated by the teachers and other parents. Attend the Elternabends and find out how the class communicates. Every class has an Elternbeirat Parent Council Advisor.

Find out who that person is and how to contact them. They can help you if your child is having an issue. Also, make sure you know how the class is communicating. A lot of classes and clubs and soccer teams communicate through Whatsapp. Make sure you have been added to the group.

If there is an e-mail, get on it. In my experience, if you do not ask, they may not tell you. Trust the process. Focus on what your child does well and the progress made. German grading is much tougher than in the US so it is likely that their grades will be lower, especially due to the oral participation grade. Grundschule teachers recommend their students to a particular school based on such things as academic achievement, self-confidence and ability to work independently.

In all states except Berlin and Brandenburg, this orientation phase is part of the program of secondary schools. However, in most states, parents have the final say as to which school their child attends following the fourth or sixth grade.. The Hauptschule grades teaches the same subjects as the Realschule and Gymnasium , but at a slower pace and with some vocational-oriented courses. It leads to part-time enrollment in a vocational school combined with apprenticeship training until the age of The Realschule grades in most states leads to part-time vocational schools and higher vocational schools.

It is now possible for students with high academic achievement at the Realschule to switch to a Gymnasium on graduation. The Gymnasium leads to a diploma called the Abitur and prepares students for university study or for a dual academic and vocational credential. Curricula differ from school to school, but generally include German, mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, art as well as crafts and design , music, history, philosophy, civics, social studies, and several foreign languages.

In recent years many States have changed the curriculum so students can get the " Abi " at the end of the 12th grade. Other States are making the transition but may still require a 13th grade. The Gesamtschule , or comprehensive school, is only found in some of the states. It takes the place of both the Hauptschule and Realschule. It enrolls students of all ability levels in the 5th through the 10th grades.

Students who satisfactorily complete the Gesamtschule through the 9th grade receive the Hauptschule certificate, while those who satisfactorily complete schooling through the 10th grade receive the Realschule certificate.

Beyond the Hauptschule and Realschule lies the Berufsschule , combining part-time academic study and apprenticeship. The successful completion of an apprenticeship program leads to certification in a particular trade or field of work.

These schools differ from the other ones mentioned in that control rests not with the local and regional school authorities, but with the federal government, industry and the trade unions.

A student dropping out of a Gymnasium , for example, must enroll in a Realschule or Hauptschule until nine years have been completed.

Students are required to study at minimum one foreign language for at least five years. A second foreign language is required in Gymnasium. German students at public schools normally attend school in the morning. One sign of a good school is that it not only provides high-quality instruction, but also offers extracurricular activities such as theatre, sports, language and music clubs, and school trips.

A good school also encourages parent involvement. In addition to finding out whether the school has a place for your child, you should also ask about extracurricular options. If your children are not yet fluent in German, make sure that the school offers German classes, usually referred to as "German as a foreign language". Here the teachers will make sure that your child understands the lessons and can keep up with the curriculum.

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Recognition procedure Academic qualifications. Our younger one will be turning 5 in January and our goal on a long run is to stay in Germany therefore do not want to consider international schools for them. Both of our kids speak English and our native language and we are hoping they will be able to pick up German quickly I do see certain challenges ahead of us but hoping that it's easier to move and integrate while they are still young.

With the support of an real estate agency, we are currently on a hunt for apartments. We are quite flexible on where we want to live but i do have concerns on the schools as the move will be a big change for the kids.

The real estate agency would logically be able to tell you your best options if that's a top requirement about location. If they can't, you probably need a different one who has more specialism there. While it's a good idea to put the child in a language summer camp, the established German as Second Language approach that we get exposed to here whatever our age and definitely including schoolkids is very different from doing it somewhere else as a foreign language. As others posts say, the whole learning process is quite structured.

Can you afford to live in the areas with good schools? Based on the info in your other thread you might not have that much choice in where you end up living. Hi Engelchen, many thanks for the input. You are right, but we would be willing to increase our apartment budget in favour of a good school.

From what I hear, you'll probably need to substantially increase your budget. Sorry I live in Berlin and can't help you with specifics on Munich. Perhaps Conquistador can offer some recommendations. AFAIK he has school age children and takes an active interest in their education.

Morgen Schuleingangsuntersuchung Bayern - was erwartet uns? Und: evtl. Machen Sie den Test - Elternwissen.