What comes naturally
The gestures, questions and impulses a child returns to without being asked.
Families & professionals · Children aged 3 to 12
What if you looked beyond the child others describe?
Some talents speak quietly. They appear in a persistent question, a distinctive way of playing or a deep focus that keeps returning. Let us learn to recognise them without reducing a child to their results.
Observe · Understand · Help children grow
An approach born from experienceMore than 35 years alongside children
35+ yearswith children and families
Ages 3–12at the heart of this approach
7 guidepoststo support observation
1 convictionsee before drawing conclusions
The Papillons de Jour Method
Talent cannot be guessed.
It reveals itself over time.
This method grew from working with children, families and educational teams. It helps adults recognise recurring interests, spontaneous impulses and individual ways of learning, without confining a child to a behaviour, a difficulty or a label.
What holds their attention
The situations in which they engage, refine their attempts and seek to understand more.
What changes with the context
The conditions, relationships and spaces that allow their strengths to become visible.
“Before trying to guide a child, let us first understand what they are showing us.”
The book is available
A different perspective can change a path.
A practical guide for families and educators who want to recognise a child’s natural strengths, even when they do not resemble the achievements usually expected of them.
- Notice the strengths that appear in everyday life
- Distinguish a passing interest from a lasting impulse
- Build confidence without creating pressure
- Work in partnership with the professionals around the child
Choose your path
Resources designed to turn observation into action.
For families
Observe without labelling
Practical guideposts for seeing your child beyond grades, comparisons and labels.Discover ↗For professionals
Transform everyday practice
Training grounded in daily experience to support observation, relationships and learning environments.Discover ↗The book
Au-delà de l’enfant qu’on vous décrit
A practical guide to recognising a child’s natural strengths and nurturing their confidence.Discover ↗For families
You do not need to become an expert on your child.
What you need most are simple guideposts to observe what inspires them, support their attempts and talk with the adults who accompany them.
Write to me“Behind a challenging behaviour, there may be a strength searching for its rightful place.”— Cássia Deferne
Seminars & training
Observe differently.
Act more wisely.
I offer seminars and training grounded in everyday practice. The Papillons de Jour Method helps teams recognise a child’s resources, understand what supports engagement and turn observations into practical professional adjustments.
Not a test, diagnosis or ranking: an approach for observing without labelling and building more appropriate responses.
Two ways to work together
Seminars
Open up a new perspective, share common guideposts and spark collective reflection.
Team training
Build a shared culture of observation and support lasting changes in practice.
Training topics
- Observe without labelling
- Distinguish facts, interpretations and hypotheses
- Natural talents and multiple intelligences
- Attachment and emotional security
- Challenging behaviour: understand before acting
- Design spaces that support independence
Who is it for?
Daycare centres & nurseriesAfter-school careEarly-years schoolsChildcare networksEducational & social institutions
Let us build an intervention around your reality.
Every request begins with a conversation about your audience, objectives, country and institutional context.
A method born alongside children
Observe differently to act more wisely.
Early childhood educator · Director and founder · Creator of the Papillons de Jour Method
For more than 35 years, I have worked alongside children, families and educational teams.
The Papillons de Jour Method grew from this daily experience: observe before interpreting, understand before trying to correct, then create an environment that allows each child to reveal their natural abilities.
At the Les Papillons de Jour daycare centre, this approach was part of everyday life: in play, the way spaces were arranged, mealtimes, transitions, welcoming families and teamwork.
What this approach made possible
For children
Spaces and activities that encouraged independence, curiosity, creativity and confidence. Each child could experiment, try again, make choices and share their discoveries.
For families
A perspective beyond results, difficulties and comparisons. Conversations with the team often revealed abilities or preferences that the child expressed differently at home.
For professionals
A precise observation framework to understand each child’s needs, interests and strengths, then plan activities with clearer educational purpose.
For leadership
A shared educational approach that brought coherence to recruitment, team support, learning spaces, projects and relationships with families.
« The Papillons de Jour Method was not created to produce high-performing children. It was created to teach us to see more clearly what is already present within them. »Discover the Papillons de Jour Method
Contact
Let’s discuss your question or project.
Would you like to talk about the book, the Papillons de Jour Method, or organise a seminar or training session? Use the form below.