Studies show that a child's math skills at the start of kindergarten are a better predictor of future academic success than reading skills, social skills, or the ability to focus, says Laura Overdeck, the founder of Bedtime Math Foundation.

Therefore, it is important to help children to get comfortable with math concepts like measuring and counting at home.



With these tips you can add some math to your child’s day!

The curriculum should reflect ideas of the children – once it does, everything goes well and learning will be fun!

Early childhood education curriculum lays the base for learning and later education. Quality early childhood education brings several positive outcomes for the children but also for the society. Good curriculum explains good teaching methods:

• interact in a sensitive manner
• take into children’s interests into account
• create learning environments together with the children
• care for the children
• enable play and learning

Curriculum is a guide that tells how to offer equal and consistent early childhood education. By working along those guidelines, all children receive the same possibilities for learning.

Offer children activities based on Finnish Curriculum - get free lesson plans!

Childhood is an important phase in life

Early childhood is a major phase in our lives: many developmentally important steps are taken already before going to school. Therefore, what happens in early childhood is important not only because of this moment, but also because of the future.

Curriculum is like a path that starts in early childhood and continues much further, creating a consistent and life-long path of learning.

Let the curriculum serve as a guide path but do not forget that each child is unique! Not all children need to move strictly along the path; some children might jump over some rocks while others slip and slide in muddy puddles and someone moves backwards.

Get Kindiedays and use a curriculum of choice!

Starting point for learning: the children

In early childhood education, child’s previous experiences, interests and skills are the starting point for learning. Children are part of planning, implementation and assessment according to their age level.

Curriculum contains information about the pedagogical activities in early childhood education. It is important that the activities interest the children and are challenging, but not too hard. Activities should encourage children to learn and develop their capabilities.

Children are "the boss"

Curriculum should show the voice of children. Children’s ideas, interests, opinions and thoughts must guide the activities and curriculum forward. It is important for the children to experience being part of the group and get the feeling that their ideas and opinions are important.

Teaching methods and learning environments should encourage children to experiment, test and practise things. Children should also get support for their learning when needed.

Curriculum must give space for play. Play is important for both learning and well-being of children. Play motivates children and brings joy.

Learning through play - What is Finnish ECEC?

Imagine yourself as a child and look at the classroom from different perspectives: What can I see and reach?

According to Resilient Educator the classroom environment for preschoolers should be a safe, creative landscape that enhances the learning process.

That is true.

Learning environment should be all that and more. The classroom should be specifically designed for little learners, the children - and with children!

These days when many children are also learning from home - home is the classroom!  These tips apply in home classrooms too. The order of furniture can be changed every now and then as well as the order of materials and toys that are available for the children. One thing that could always remain the same in home classrooms, is the place for table activities and homework, so that children know that on this chair and around this table is time to focus and pay attention.

How to assess the classroom as learning environment?

Typical learning environment is the classroom. Imagine yourself as a child and look at the classroom from different perspectives:

• What can I see and reach?
• What interests me in the room?
• What kind of possibilities are there for child initiated creative play or visual arts? How about ball games or resting?
• Are children "present" in there, are their art works and photos visible?
• Ask children's opinions about the classroom; what do they like and what would they like to change?

Keep the "child glasses" on and make a list of things that could be changed or added in the classroom. Make sure to double check that the environment is safe for the children (electrical cords, scissors, small items, steps...).

Versatile learning environments promote learning

Learning can happen anywhere, both in the built environment or in nature.

In Finland we think that learning does not only happen inside classrooms, but the entire city can actually be the learning environment!

Get 6 free lesson plans aligned with the Finnish curriculum!

Therefore, think about the environments you can incorporate in learning and add them in your curriculum. Libraries, forests, beaches, museums, football fields, neighborhoods... Learning can happen anywhere, both in the built environment or in nature.

When you plan the learning environments, take the children's ideas and wishes with you.

Ask the children:

• What kind of classroom would you like have?
• What would you like to do in your classroom?
• Where would you like to go for a visit outside the classroom?
• What is your favorite place?

After you get some ideas, introduce ways to incorporate both indoor and outdoor activities into the schedule. Think of proper supplies and materials that are considered developmentally appropriate for preschool classrooms.

Also think about the details inside your classroom: alternative seating, interesting displays on children's level, toys and materials available, place for resting and reading...

Happy learning - in and out!

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Here are steps about how to create a preschool curriculum! Define in a written form....

1. Learning goals & guidelines

This is an important, theoretic part of the curriculum. Pay attention to the quality of research you use and also to the accuracy of learning goals. Keep in mind that it is not necessary for children to accomplish a set of learning goals in a specific order, but at their own individual pace as we all are unique learners.

• Key elements of the state/city early learning standards
• Learning goals for children in each learning area
• Relevant and up-to-date research on childhood development
• Description of the group of children (needs, streghts, interests...)
• Introduction of the educators

2. Values, ethos & teaching

As much as children learn from teachers, teachers learn from children. In this section of the curriculum, discuss about the values and ethos of your preschool or early learning center. Open up how you communicate with the children and families, what type of behaviour and cooperation you value, how do you plan the activities and what drives your work community.

For example, in the Finland's National Core curriculum for ECEC defines values as follows:

• Intrinsic value of childhood
• Growth as a human being
• Rights of the child
• Equity, equality, and diversity
• Diversity of families
• Healthy and sustainable way of living.

GET 6 FREE LESSON PLANS ALIGNED WITH THE FINNISH CURRICULUM

Discuss and define the values that you stand behind of and list them clearly in your curriculum along the other important framework:

• Underlying values, ethos
• Communication styles with children and families
• Teaching styles
• Planning of activities

3. Learning environments

Imagine yourself as a child and look at the classroom from different perspectives: What can the child see and reach?

According to Resilient Educator the classroom environment for preschoolers should be a safe, creative landscape that enhances the learning process.

That is true.

Learning environment should be all that and more. It should be designed for children - and with children! Typical learning environment is the classroom. Imagine yourself as a child and look at the classroom from different perspectives: What can the child see and reach? What interests the child in the room? Are there possibilities for creative play and visual arts? How about ball games or resting?

In Finland we think that learning does not only happen inside classrooms, but the entire city can actually be the learning environment! Therefore, think about the environments you can incorporate in learning and add them in the curriculum. Libraries, forests, beaches, museums, football fields, neighborhoods... Learning can happen anywhere, both in the built environment or in nature.

• Ask the children what kind of classroom would they like have
• Ask the children where they would like to visit outside the classroom
• Introduce ways to incorporate both indoor and outdoor activities into the schedule
• Provide information on supplies and materials considered developmentally appropriate for preschool classrooms
• Think about the details inside your classroom: alternative seating, interesting displays on children's level, toys and materials available, place for resting and reading a book...

When the pandemic hit a year ago, early childhood education centers faced a huge challenge in educating children in India. Podar Jumbo Kids Platinum in Mumbai, a New Nordic Partner school, looked at the situation as an opportunity to learn and grow as a team of parents, teachers and children with the thought that “Learning should never stop.” 

The solution

Podar Jumbo Kids Platinum team implemented the New Nordic School education system online. New Nordic School’s early years offering consists of the Nordic Baccalaureate Exploration curriculum, global pedagogy and the Kindiedays Pedagogical Management solution. The three components helped the team to make a smooth shift from physical school to virtual school.

The Nordic Baccalaureate Exploration curriculum enables teachers to design activities with resources available at home that will help children learn. The teachers emphasized on interaction, motivation and mainly on providing choices to children in the process of making them independent. The curriculum provided flexibility and agility for the teachers with the primary objective that learning should be fun.

In this virtual implementation, Kindiedays platform helped teachers to document their learning by collecting picture evidence from parents and for parents to understand the development progress of their child. 

Podar Jumbo Kids Platinum realized that new ways of working are required

We asked ourselves  “Why should learning stop?”.  And saw the value of what we have, and decided to get the most of it. Rather than having nothing, we can do so much and let the children get the opportunity to continue learning.

The opportunity in crisis is learning & growing together as parents, children, teachers and friends. Then virtual sessions and new technology was the solution to keep us growing.