Space for toddlers in the guidelines and curricula for early childhood education and care in Finland

Childhood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 526-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niina Rutanen
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Policies And Practices

In Finland, the policies and practices in early childhood education and care (ECEC) have been characterized by a division into practices and forms of care for children under and over 3 years old. This study analyses the construction of space in the national and local level curricula for the very youngest children. These documents both present ‘child’s best interests’ as age-related, and generalize and distinguish the needs and abilities of the ‘younger’ and the ‘older’ children. At the local level, the space offered for the youngest children is linked to the emphasis on the daycare group as a community of social actors; the youngest ones are seen as inexperienced newcomers, faced with adaptation to the group and its rules.

scholarly journals Democratic Participation in Early Childhood Education and Care - Serving the Best Interests of the Child

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Eriksen
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Democratic Participation ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Key Terms ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract: The meaning of democratic participation in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) remainsvague and difficult to implement. Thus, the aim of this paper is to contribute to this gap of knowledge by shed light on the meaning of democratic participation in relation to the best interests of the child, by analysing General Comment No. 14 (2013). The research uses theories on democracy in ECEC to discuss the results (Biesta, 2014, 2015; Moss, 2007, 2011; Pettersvold, 2014; Einarsdottir, Purola, Johansson, Broström, &Emilson, 2015). The study investigates how key terms (rights, participation, unity/collective, equality, influence and responsibility) relate to democratic participation. Findings indicate that these terms are used to align with ideas about the “best interests of the child”. Furthermore, the study identified specific groups of children who can be in vulnerable situations and their explicit right to express their views and to influence decisions affecting them in ECEC institutions. I therefore argue that understanding democracy in ECEC must focus on inclusion of children who can be in vulnerable situations because this is in the best interests of the child. Keywords: Best Interests of the Child, Democratic Participation, Document Analysis, General Comments

scholarly journals Learning history in early childhood: Teaching methods and children’s understanding

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yngve Skjæveland
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Historical Consciousness ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Learning History ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Positive Assessment ◽  
Positive Experiences

This article discusses the teaching of history in early childhood education and care centres and children’s understanding of history. Based on interviews with eight Norwegian early childhood education and care teachers and on interpretative phenomenological analysis, the article shows how the early childhood education and care centres teach history, how children respond to the teaching, and what kind of understanding of history and historical time children express. The findings are discussed in light of theories of history didactics. The teachers had positive experiences with the implementation of history projects and developed a variety of methods and teaching approaches. They also expressed a highly positive assessment of children’s ability to acquire knowledge of history. In particular, it appears that physical and bodily experiences, along with teachers’ storytelling, stimulated the children’s interest and understanding of history. Some of the older children – the five- to six-year-olds – expressed an emerging historical consciousness. This indicates that although historical understanding in early childhood might be limited, the teaching of history in early childhood education and care can lay the foundation for historical consciousness and its later development at school.

scholarly journals Policies and practices of early childhood education and care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives from five countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-216
Author(s):  
Adrijana Visnjic-Jevtic ◽  
Anikó Varga Nagy ◽  
Gulsah Ozturk ◽  
İkbal Tuba Şahin-Sak ◽  
Jesús Paz-Albo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Social Ecology ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Educational Inequalities ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
The Social ◽  
Education And Care

The COVID-19 pandemic, which affects all areas of life, has also affected children in need of education and care. It is of great importance to develop policies that take into account the best interests of children in this process. In this review article, the policies developed for early childhood education and care during the pandemic period in five countries (Australia, Croatia, Hungary, Spain, and Turkey), how they are implemented, the problems that arose, and the solutions produced are discussed. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that we need to focus on eliminating the educational inequalities, set policies for the welfare of children on foundations that are more realistic, rebuild teacher training, and improve the welfare of families. Priorizating the best interests of the child in the policies to be developed and building the social ecology on justice will ease overcoming the crises that will be faced.

Social Investment and Childcare Expansion

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita León
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Perfect Match ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Conceptual Level ◽  
Social Investment ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education And Care

The chapter first examines at a conceptual level the links between theories of social investment and childcare expansion. Although ‘the perfect match’ between the two is often taken for granted in the specialized literature as well as in policy papers, it is here argued that a more nuance approach that ‘unpacks’ this relationship is needed. The chapter will then look for elements of variation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) expansion. Despite an increase in spending over the last two decades in many European and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, wide variation still exists in the way in which ECEC develops. A trade-off is often observed between coverage and quality of provision. A crucial dividing line that determines, to a large extent, the quality of provision in ECEC is the increasing differentiation between preschool education for children aged 3 and above and childcare for younger children.

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