Kindergarten or the first learning cycle

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Kindergarten is one of the unique features of the French education system. This early learning cycle lasts 3 or 4 years and includes:

 

​-Toute Petite Section (TPS): from age 2, optional (offered at LFM)

-Petite Section (PS): first year, from age 3

-Moyenne Section (MS): second year, from age 4

-Grande Section (GS): third year, from age 5

 

LFM’s kindergarten welcomes children from the age of 2, with the implementation of open classrooms since the 2023 school year. This approach allows for the sharing of spaces, human resources, and teaching methods. The main goal is to tailor each student’s learning path according to their age, rhythm, and needs. Students work in various group formats (based on needs, levels, or mixed levels), in areas primarily organized by learning domains. At certain times, they can also choose among different activities and explore them independently while being guided by teachers. Emphasis is placed on discovery, hands-on learning, and play-based instruction.

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The main goals of this cycle are as follows: 

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• To offer a living and learning environment that promotes autonomy and early experiences.

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• To place the child in specific discovery situations that lead them to develop new ways of interacting with their environment—primarily through play, verbalization, group experiences, autonomous exploration, and sensory-motor learning, following their own individual path.

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• To encourage learning through guided, semi-guided, or free workshops that alternate throughout the day, depending on the objectives set by the teachers.

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• To promote socialization and exploration of the world, which lay the foundation for future learning.

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Five domains defined by the French National Education Program:

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• Mobilizing language in all its dimensions: The development and structuring of oral and written language are at the heart of the curriculum and part of daily work. Mastery of the French language remains a priority, but LFM also promotes a multilingual environment through the PARLE and EMILE programs (English).

• Acting, expressing, and understanding through physical activity: Physical activities support motor, sensory, emotional, intellectual, and social development. Movement sessions (30 to 45 minutes) are held daily and include a variety of exercises (balancing, moving, throwing, catching, cooperating with others, etc.).

• Acting, expressing, and understanding through artistic activities: Artistic activities stimulate and enrich the imagination. Through music, dance, and exposure to various works of art, children are invited to express emotions and experience new sensations. They can draw inspiration from these experiences for their own creations, and creativity is encouraged.

• Acquiring early math skills: Many skills are practiced daily to develop thinking and reasoning. Mathematics is not limited to number construction and solving arithmetic problems—students also explore spatial awareness, solids and plane shapes, coding, patterns, and algorithms.

• Exploring the world: Beyond spatial and temporal awareness, students are encouraged to explore their environment by discovering different materials and phenomena. They observe and try to understand concepts such as magnets, gears, floating and sinking, plant growth, animals, and more.

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