Wurzelkinder -
die deutsche Kita in Brooklyn
Giving your child roots and wings to soar.
We are an innovative German preschool with an important purpose: to accelerate your child’s personal growth while nurturing their social-emotional development. We use the German language for everyday activities. This comes with the benefit of educating bilingual children with broader cultural awareness and a focus on language skills.
Meet us on Zoom to learn more.
Offering your family an authentic German Immersion program for children ages 2-5.
Our Mission.
“Zwei Dinge sollten Kinder von ihren Eltern bekommen, Wurzeln und Flügel”. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“There are two things children should get from their parents: roots and wings”.
Wurzelkinder exists to give your child roots and wings.
Our program plants roots so your child has a strong moral compass, becomes a lifelong learner, and has a strong cultural connection to Germany. At the same time, we give your child wings to soar into life’s further adventure by giving them ownership over their own educational journey.
We build an intercultural bridge between Germany and the US, a foundation for your child to become a responsible citizen who challenges the status quo and lives sustainably.
What sets us apart.
German Immersion.
We apply the German Immersion concept. The German language is not systematically taught but rather used for everyday activities in the classroom. Our highly educated German teachers received their degrees in Germany.
Mathematics and science.
Children ask up to 350 questions a day, many of which deal with fundamental mathematical concepts. Using our students’ own intrinsic motivation to learn about the world around them, we strongly emphasize the German program MINT (STEM in the US). Research suggests that early experience in mathematics and science is critical for academic success in later years.
Children’s rights.
Children’s rights are a treasure we all have to keep safe. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international agreement on childhood, describes childhood as a special, protected time, in which children must be allowed to grow, learn, play, develop and flourish with dignity. We want our Wurzelkinder to grow up in a family-like environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love, respect, and understanding. We prepare our students to live an individual life in society, and in the spirit of dignity, tolerance, freedom, peace, equality, and solidarity.
Participation and democracy education.
We encourage our students to be active participants in their education. Together we experience first hand, what democratic values are and what it means to live in a democracy. Sharing ownership in our daily routines, and collectively deciding on the focus of our curriculum is a powerful tool to instill democratic values.
Collaborative education.
We believe that education happens in a collaboration between the child, the educator, and the environment around them. Listening deeply, responding with interest, leading with questions, and authentic engagement, all foster in-depth learning for life. We thoughtfully observe our students and discuss their interests. We enhance their surroundings to meet their individual needs by providing choices. We live and learn alongside each other. We create new experiences, through hands-on learning. This is how projects are born at Wurzelkinder.
Anti-Bias education.
Children want to feel like they belong. Anti-bias education is interwoven in our educational style, it shapes how we build our curriculum each day. We believe in the importance of equity, social justice, diversity, and the dream for each child to achieve all they are capable of. Each child should bloom and reach their full growth. We embrace the 4 main goals of anti-bias education: identity, diversity, justice, and activism. Our role is to create a community that embraces all aspects of human differences (but not limited to): language, culture, learning style, ethnicity, family structure, race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender.
Seamless education.
We seamlessly get children ready for their next adventure: kindergarten. Studies suggest growing up bilingual teaches your child the underlying concepts of language in general. Your child will smoothly continue their education in a German School in New York / Germany or an English-speaking school.
Sustainability and environmental education.
Starting early on, we want to be part of educating a new generation who feels responsible about the impact we as humans have on forests, air, water, and animals. We engage your child in natural processes that will not only make nature and growth more real for them but also instill a sense of responsibility. For example, our children will plant seeds, observe their growth, nourish them, and discuss the process and how it compares to their own growth.
Academics.
All academic skills evolve. Children at Wurzelkinder use them across the board: naming and sounding out letters, words, and numbers, pattern/form/shape recognition and completing, literacy, love for books, rhymes, visual perception, fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, visual discrimination, body strength, and perception, rhythm recognition, and singing, sorting, counting, comparing size, shape, quantity.
At Wurzelkinder we view every child as a whole and individual person who brings their own learning style, gifts, and talents.
Entwicklungspartnerschaft.
Together with you the parents, we form a strong teacher-parent relationship that reinforces your child's progress in school and at home. We accomplish this through transparent and open communication.
What parents say about us.
“Luisa not only has an inherited knowledge of the German language but also a deeply rooted understanding for children. The combination of both allows her to find the sweet spot with every kid and spar interest in language learning.”
— Matthaeus D.
