Have you ever heard of a school having a dog to help children concentrate better, to strengthen self-esteem, improve social competencies, learn empathy and encourage motivation to participate and learn? Our Pre-School teacher, Michaela Suter, presented her concept for a «school dog» in 2021. Two yea...

Version originale (français) In most countries around the globe, index or flash cards are often used to teach children. However, not only do they serve the conveyance of basic concepts, they also support memorising vocabulary, dates and historical facts, and even help when learning a language.

Another school year begins in 6th grade, and everyone involved knows that this will be a different experience for the child, since the thought of possibly entering the Gymi afterwards is just around the corner. The expectations for 6th grade are rising as it is, but on top of that, in about half a y...

Do you remember your first day at school? What feelings rise up in you when you think back to it? Many people still remember this moment years later, because it is a big step for every child. A step on the way to growing up. As parents, it is important to make this day and the transition from kinder...

For the past two years, despite an ongoing global pandemic, a small number of the students of Tandem IMS have been meeting at least once a month to represent their peers, promote positive action and decision-making within the school, engage in the community and learn about the democratic process. We...

As the students at Tandem IMS' Primary School shuffle in from their break, there is a buzz of energy that moves with them. They are still chatting about their lives, what has happened during their outdoor break time and what their plans are for the weekend. Listening closer to their words, they are ...

Our curriculum for Early Years and Pre-School is a strong partnership between two important ideals within a child’s development: Social and emotional growth, a strong component of the Swiss «Krippenmodell», is combined with the need for learning through discovery and exploration. These areas of deve...

Are you aware of the difference in the curriculum between a Swiss and English Kindergarten? When one thinks of the word «Kindergarten», different images come to mind for people in different parts of the world. For those coming from a Swiss background, Kindergarten is a very social time. Teachers cre...

First things first: every child is unique and language acquisition proceeds at varying speeds and in different ways for each child - regardless of whether the child acquires one or more languages at the same time. However, regarding multilingual education, there is a persistent prejudice that the br...

Our French teacher Amaia Areitio writes about her experiences in language teaching - from the children's first contact with a new foreign language to the first language exam DELF Prim. She explains what such an early exam experience means for the children's personality development, for their school ...

Have you heard the term Enquiry-Based Learning (or Inquiry-Based Learning) and wondered what teaching method it is, what its benefits are and what the difference is between this teaching method and the frontal (traditional) one? Let me look back at my 20 years of teaching.

The Swiss school system can appear confusing (and even intimidating at times), especially for parents who have not gone through it themselves. The path your child can take after primary school is more like a network of branches reaching high for success. Success and the routes along the branches com...

Have you heard of baby sign language? Are you wondering whether it works and if it can really improve communication with your baby? Our teachers at Tandem IMS have been consistently using baby sign language in our early years and pre-school groups for several years and they confirm it makes a big di...

Over the last 15 years, visiting parents have often queried whether their children should be learning a second or third language from an early age and if it is beneficial to their development into adulthood. Such questions are of course still pertinent as our international society has diversified. M...

As we start to emerge from isolation after the corona virus measures, we begin to appreciate the importance of having a strong and robust immune system to help us avoid illness. To boost the immune system we need a healthy foundation combining a nutrient diet and active lifestyle. Whatever your fami...