In the 1980’s a German psychologist, Kuno Beller, noticed that many children in kindergarten got sick, as a result of the emotional stress caused by the sudden separation from parents. In a set of experiments inspired by John Bowlby’s Attachment theory and Mary Ainswroth’s Strange Situation, Beller devised a transition model that allowed children to settle in kindergarten more peacefully. As a result, the number of sick kids dramatically decreased!
the full story
In the 1980s a German psychologist noticed that many kindergarten children got sick and wondered whether the reason wasn’t just the typical flu, but the result of a trauma the kids experienced from being suddenly separated from their parents.
Kuno Beller and a group of educators then tested a new model of settling children into kindergarten, whereby one parent stays with the child until the little one can bond with a teacher. The results were clear: kids who were not allowed to bring their fathers or mothers along were 3 times more likely to miss a day due to sickness compared to those who were allowed. This is how the model works.
Phase 1: Parent presence
In phase 1, the parents get informed about their role in accompanying their child and the reasons for this, so they understand why this is important for their little one. Then one caretaker, parent, or grandparent, chooses to join the child on this journey.
Phase 2: Bond formation
In Phase 2, the parent then spends the first three days or so with the child in the new environment, providing reassurance and comfort whenever necessary. During this period the child can make friends and explore the setting without fear.
phase 3: gradual separation
In Phase 3, often on the fourth day, a short separation is initiated. This so-called “Strange Situation”, helps to evaluate the child’s anxiety when being left alone. After the experiment, the parent and the teacher decide on an appropriate settling-in time — often another 10 days, although some kids may need weeks or months.
Phase 4: teacher role
From Phase 4 onwards, the teacher takes full responsibility for the child’s care. The parent remains present in the background, and leaves for short periods: first 5 minutes, then 15 minutes, then an hour — which can be an eternity in a young child’s world. Through these separations the child learns another important thing: mommy or daddy will return.
phase 5: End of the transition
Phase 5 marks the end of the transition. The adjustment is completed when the child has accepted the new caretaker as a “safe base”. For example, if the parent leaves the crying child at the entrance and the teacher can provide enough comfort for the little one to relax and soon after play cheerfully, then the settling-in is successful.
key practice
The German model is especially crucial for children aged seven to 36 months, who are more vulnerable to the stress from separation anxiety. To make it work, four things should be considered:
- 1. The parent should clearly say “goodbye” whenever he or she leaves, so the child understands that they are with the teacher now.
- 2. The same dedicated teacher is present throughout the process so that the children can form that trusting relationship with a familiar face.
- 3. The child can bring their favorite stuffed animal from home to provide additional comfort.
- 4. Until the process is complete the child stays only half a day with no nap time.
Signs that the settling-in has worked include when the child has built a healthy relationship with a teacher, cries only for a short period of time when left alone, can calm down after saying goodbye to the parents, and eventually wants to go to kindergarten.
attachment theory applied
The model was developed based on the attachment theory, which argues that a strong bond to one primary caregiver in our first years of life is critical to a child’s development. If our bond is strong we become securely attached, and we feel safe to explore the world — knowing we can always return. If our bond is weak, we feel insecurely attached and as a result, are afraid to leave home and explore a scary-looking world.
secure bonding
The model’s objective is for the child to form a secure attachment with a teacher before the bond with their mother or father is interrupted. This enables the new caregiver to act as a “safe base” during the parents’ absence. As John Bowlby, the father of attachment theory, warned: “When a relationship to a special loved person is endangered, we are not only anxious but are usually angry as well. As responses to the risk of loss, anxiety, and anger go hand in hand.”
What do you think?
What do you think? Are there aspects of this model that you can apply in another context? And how was your experience going to school when you were little? Tell us your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Sources
- Adjusting to daycare under the Berlin adjustment model – Uni-ulm.de
- The first days at a new daycare – Sprouts.co.th
- Ernstberger, M. (2020). Transition of Children to the First Day Care – How Does Migration Background Influence Children’s Settling Process?. European Journal of Education Studies, 8(1).
- Attachment theory – Wikipedia.org
- Berlin, L. J., Dunning, R. D., & Dodge, K. A. (2011). Enhancing the Transition to Kindergarten: A Randomized Trial to Test the Efficacy of the “Stars” Summer Kindergarten Orientation Program. Early childhood research quarterly, 26(2), 247-254.
Dig deeper!
- A guide to adjusting to daycare under the Berlin Adjustment Model (the Berlin model is a bit more flexible than the Munich model).
- Watch our award winning video on The Attachment Theory.
- Read about how anxiety modulates the immune response.
- Learn about how attachment in childhood shapes adult immunity.
- Read the summary of Reduction during Early Daycare Enrollment through Transition Management (the actual study, which we translated for you from German): The results of a research project conducted at the Free University of Berlin in 1984/85 provide the first empirical evidence that irritations in early childhood attachment relationships, the general development of children, and the duration of illnesses in the first half-year after entering the daycare center could be related to the design of the settling-in situation. The transition phase when the child enters a daycare center or daycare facility has so far been relatively neglected in research on the quality of daycare, even though social science authors have pointed out its potential importance (Beller 1977; Hock 1984; for older children see Haefele/WoleFilsinger 1986). The study identified factors in the child’s accompaniment by a parent during the first days of their daycare visit and the pattern of mother-child attachment before the child’s daycare entry, which were associated with the duration of the children’s illness during the first 7 months of the daycare visit, with the security of attachment to the mother, and their general developmental status after this time, as well as the children’s coping behavior after 7 days of unaccompanied stay in the daycare center (Laewen 1989). Neither the duration of the settling-in period accompanied by a parent nor the quality of the mother-child attachment had clear effects in and of themselves. Only the interaction of both characteristics showed significant and highly significant correlations with the child’s development in the first months after entering the daycare center for children aged between 9 and 14 months at that time.Children with a secure attachment to their mothers (attachment type B), who had been accompanied for more than 6 days, and insecurely attached children (attachment types A and C), who had been accompanied for up to 6 days, had up to 3 times fewer sick days in the first 7 months of their daycare visit, demonstrated a higher general developmental status (Bayley test) and fewer irritations in their attachment behavior (avoidance of the mother in the “strange situation”) after this time, and more often a positive coping behavior that utilizes existing resources (see Hock/Brookhart Clinger 1981) and less anxious behavior after 1 week of unaccompanied stay in the daycare center.
Classroom activity
In this activity students are going to learn about attachment theory and its application in kindergarten.
- First ask students how they felt on their first day of school or kindergarten
- Take all their answers and create a word cloud (do feelings like anxiety or loneliness come up? If so, how often?)
- Then ask them if they think whether our feelings on that day could affect our physical well being and attitudes towards learning in the long run (and if so, how?)
- Show them Sprouts’ video on the topic.
- Discuss how our knowledge of attachment theory and the German Kindergarten model could be applied to schools or workplace settings to reduce sick days. Doing so you may encourage students to think about how bullying or interpersonal conflict could affect physical health, especially in the context when there is no trusted adult around.
Collaborators
- Script: Jonas Koblin and Ludovico Saint Amour di Chanaz
- Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
- Voice: Matt Abbott
- Coloring: Nalin
- Editing: Peera Lertsukittipongsa
- Production: Selina Bador
- Sound Design: Miguel Ojeda
