The difference
In a horizontal group, children of the same age are placed together. This often includes separate groups for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. In a vertical group, children of different ages from zero to four years old are placed together. Both groupings have their own characteristics. In a horizontal group, your child plays and grows up with peers in the same age phase. In a vertical group, your child grows up with children of various ages for four years.
The best choice for your child
Children are engaged in their motor development, forming their own personalities, and learning from others from birth. Because of this, every child has different needs and benefits from different groupings. For some parents, the choice between vertical and horizontal is straightforward. However, it might be a bit more challenging for you to determine which group is best for your child. To help you making this decision, we've listed some facts below.
Horizontal group
- Your child has more peers to play with.
- There are often fewer children in a group compared to a vertical group.
- We have specific knowledge of the development of children in a particular age category.
- There are more age-appropriate activities and materials.
- There is less chance of physical and mental dominance from older children.
- Your child may become competitive due to being with peers in the same age group.
- Just before transitioning to the preschool group, your toddler may become bored because younger children no longer provide a challenge.
Vertical Group
- Younger children learn from older ones.
- Older children learn to consider the needs of younger ones.
- Your child usually has the same caregivers for four years and does not need to change groups.
- Your child grows up with other children, which can lead to friendships forming earlier.
- Your child can be placed on the same group as siblings more easily.
- If there are not many children in the group, there may be no peers of the same age to play with.
- There are more activities suitable for all ages, resulting in less focus on age-specific activities.
Looking for childcare?
Haven't decided yet whether to go for a vertical or horizontal group? We have over 700 locations in the Netherlands with various group setups. Find a Partou near you and come take a look. We'd be happy to provide you with more information about the group setups.