Would you like to know what babies are thinking when they are not yet able to speak? You can find out, with baby signing – it is fascinating.
By giving babies the means to communicate, you will also be relieving their frustration: when they want to tell you so much but are not yet physically able to talk about it. Baby signing is revolutionary and can make a huge difference to both the communication and happiness levels of your child. Babies are able to manipulate and control their hands long before they are able to say words. Using even just a few simple signs and gestures with babies can help them to express their interests, wants or needs. Language begins with communication, and baby sign language supports the development of both skills.
Research has shown that using signs can help develop your baby’s overall language skills. Babies taught sign language gain great confidence from their early communication, with many making early first attempts at initial speech sounds. Baby signs also alleviate their frustration and avoid the need for the baby to be totally dependent on pointing or crying to communicate their needs. Using signs will help to boost your baby’s self-esteem and will enrich interactions between your child and their carer. Signs can also benefit older children, helping to increase their understanding and expression of language. It is inclusive for all children and, best of all, it is great fun to sign.
Our nursery team was trained, and individually assessed by TinyTalk, to use a range of everyday signs with the children who attend our nursery. Whenever a caregiver uses a sign, the spoken word is always used in combination. The baby sign language helps your child to communicate their needs to you and the nursery team. Of course, you need to learn the sign language, too. Give it a try! Not convinced yet? Read our blog to learn more.
Our daughter Milla started in Kindergarten 1 and finished in grade 6. We are so thankful to all the teachers, management and administration for the great work they do with the children. Tandem IMS offers a friendly environment and the warmth of a family. Milla had a lot of fun but she also learned a lot. She is not only academically strong in English and German and advanced in French but she developed as an individual who loves and respects people, who is independent and confident, who is free to express her opinion, who knows how to organize her daily life and work under pressure. As she said in her graduation speech: «Here in Tandem I had the best time of my life! I am looking forward to the future because I know I am well prepared for the next step of my life.»
Valentina und Mateo gingen beide mit 6 Monaten in die Krippe und anschliessend in die Vorschule. Es war faszinierend zu erleben, wie schnell sie Englisch lernten und mit welcher Leichtigkeit nun beide zwischen Deutsch, Englisch und Spanisch wechseln können. Valentina und Mateo fühlten sich immer sehr wohl und wir Eltern hatten dank der offenen Kommunikation mit dem Team stets die Gewissheit, dass die Kinder in besten Händen sind. Wir sind Tandem IMS sehr dankbar für den wertvollen Abschnitt im Leben unserer Kinder.
We experienced Tandem IMS as a happy place to learn and to prepare students in many fields of life, not just school subjects but also social skills and community spirit. The teaching style and the multicultural environment is nurturing a growth mindset and lifelong learning which are so important in these times of constant changes. Our son Francesco has spent his whole primary school time at Tandem IMS and graduated after 6th Grade well prepared for the next step (Sek A, Küsnacht). He had a fantastic start there with many advantages already in French, English and an independent and self-organized homework attitude. His brother Lorenzo is still enjoying Tandem Primary school and will graduate in a couple of years.
Tandem IMS's sense of community and the depth of care and dedication teachers and staff bring to the school, is what makes it so special. At Tandem IMS, teachers get to know each child individually and take time to understand the best ways to help them learn and grow. Children learn to treat each other with respect, work together, and to appreciate differences of background, identity, and perspective. Both socially and academically, our son greatly benefitted from Tandem IMS's nurturing learning environment.
It was an incredible journey for the last 6 years and we will be missing every single day of this experience. Dedicated teachers truly loving the kids and the daily job they do, dedicated educational team, and outstanding curriculum to make sure kids are not only prepared for day-to-day life, but also for the school after. But more importantly, are the social skills which Arthur and Andrew watched and learned every day. Something, one can’t buy for money but have it in your heart.
Massi grew up in the translanguaging environment of Tandem IMS, becoming fluent in both English and German from an early age. The enquiry-based learning allowed him to be himself, learning easily by asking questions constantly. We are grateful to all the teachers that accompanied him since he was two years old. Thank you for your patience, professionalism, creativity, and engagement. Tandem IMS and its teachers are putting a lot of effort in recognising each child's needs, adapting to their rhythm, their curiosity, making everyone feel unique.
Seeing our children becoming less and less happy attending public school, we felt compelled to look for a better alternative that could meet their needs. What we found turned out to be so much more than expected: an inspiring culture, motivating teachers, and an exciting multilingual spirit. While learning is never easy and often demanding, for our children, it suddenly became a fun and productive experience. The depth and breadth of the learning opportunity offered by this school is nothing short of great!
Mariana thrived in the familiar atmosphere of Tandem IMS. The bilingual education prepared her well for further language study, and the teachers were very professional, committed and caring of my child’s needs. After leaving Tandem IMS, Mariana settled exceptionally well in her new school and was academically well prepared for the new demands. Thank you, Tandem IMS!
At Tandem IMS, I really felt that the children were growing their knowledge and improving their language skills in both, English and German. Caspar entered at the age of 4 into kindergarten 1 and stayed for 2 years. He could not speak one word of English and German when he joined, since we speak Italian and Russian at home. When he finished kindergarten 2 at the age of 6, he could communicate very well in both English and German and we were very proud of him.
Tandem IMS was the best choice and the best investment for our child. Tandem IMS makes parents confident that their child is in the best hands. The experience, the education and the engagement level of the teachers is set at the highest standards. And as a bonus, our little son was taught in 2 languages, so that for the Kindergarten he is well prepared and speaks, without any difficulties, German and English on top of Russian. Without any hesitations, our younger little baby was also enrolled at Tandem IMS.
Emma enjoyed the inspiring environment, the caring teachers and the super interesting curriculum. Each day was different and the children learned a lot by going through the various subjects that were spread throughout the year. A lot of effort also goes into organising special events through which the children can discover the entire world. Emma benefited a lot from Tandem and was now ready to go to kindergarten. We are very grateful for the great time Emma spent at Tandem IMS and are missing the team a lot!