Prve reči

The first three years of life are the most important period for language development. During this time, children build the foundations of speech, comprehension, and the development of all future language skills. When a child grows up in a multilingual environment, preserving a heritage language requires a thoughtfully designed environment in which that language is alive, engaging, and present in everyday life.

This program is designed for children ages 1–3 and their parents or other adult family members. It is based on play, songs, movement, shared reading, and social interaction, because young children acquire language most naturally through positive and meaningful shared experiences. Activities are designed to support the development of speech, comprehension, attention, social skills, and a positive connection to the Serbian language and culture.

A unique and essential part of this program is the active participation of parents in every class. At this age, a parent is not simply an observer—the parent is the child’s most important partner in language learning. For this reason, a significant part of the program focuses on encouraging parents to create more opportunities for conversation, play, and reading in Serbian outside of class. One class per week can be a valuable beginning, but without daily communication within the family, its impact remains limited. Our goal is to provide parents with practical ideas, support, and confidence so that Serbian becomes a natural part of family life.

The program includes carefully selected works from classic Serbian children’s literature, high-quality translations of world literature, as well as original texts created specifically for our classes. Each week, families receive a short “talking activity”, a suggested activity or shared reading idea designed to help continue language development between classes.

Classes take place in a small group of no more than 10 children. Each child attends with at least one parent or another adult family member. The small group size allows for an individualized approach, meaningful interaction, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere for every family.

For this age group, individual class registration is also possible (depending on availability; we will announce this on September 8), as we understand that life with toddlers is unpredictable. However, we strongly recommend enrolling for the full semester, as the program is carefully designed as a connected whole, with each topic building upon the previous one. This allows the entire family to experience gradual, consistent, and meaningful progress.