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At daycare, children participate in early childhood education – what does it mean? What is early childhood education like at Pilke daycare centres?
On this page, we compiled information on early childhood education and how we implement it at Pilke’s daycare centres. You can also find frequently asked questions at the end of the page!
Early childhood education care is a rather new concept that has largely replaced the previously more common term daycare. Early childhood education and care refers to a planned, goal-oriented entity of upbringing, education and care that places emphasis on pedagogical approaches.
Early childhood education is planned, assessed and developed on a regular basis. In Finland, all children have the right to participate in early childhood education that aims at ensuring their well-being.
Finnish early childhood education emphasises the Nordic principle of involving play, care and safety. At Pilke, we focus on the children’s safety and comfort, and our professional educators know how to encounter and activate the children and listen to their needs.
An early childhood education and care plan, or ECEC plan, is one of the first new terms a family encounters when their child starts at daycare.
What is the ECEC plan about? The ECEC plan states the goals and actions to support the child’s development, learning and well-being. The ECEC plan is prepared jointly by the family and the daycare centre when the child starts to attend daycare. The plan also takes account of the child’s own perspectives.
“ECEC discussions are held at Pilke daycare centres on an annual basis. The purpose is to discuss common guidelines and objectives and to agree on how the individual development, learning and well-being of the child will be fostered in early childhood education.”
The ECEC plan is reviewed and updated annually in an ECEC discussion between the family and the daycare centre.
Children’s individual ECEC plans are based on the National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care issued by the Finnish National Agency for Education. Municipal early childhood education and care curricula are prepared based on the national core curriculum, and they provide a framework for the local ECEC plans.
Pilke’s flexible learning environments are formed by three dimensions: physical, psychological and social.
The environment provided by the daycare centre plays a key role in supporting the child’s growth, development and learning. A learning environment comprises, for example, the facilities, equipment and materials at the daycare centre as well as its courtyard and surroundings. The learning environment also encompasses aspects not related to physical space. As a whole, the learning environment is formed by physical, social and psychological factors.
The learning environments at Pilke’s daycare centres are open, communal environments that children can explore based on their interests. They encompass music and exercise spaces, ateliers, adaptable play rooms and a canteen, for example.
At Pilke, we consider each child an active learner. Children learn gradually in interaction with their environment. They structure new things in relation to their earlier experience, knowledge and views. They learn when things are connected to their own world of experiences and interests.
In order to learn new things, children must feel safe, comfortable and happy. Children are naturally curious, creative and active, and they explore the surrounding world through play. Positive feedback encourages them to learn more and builds a robust self-esteem.
At Pilke, everyday pedagogy is an important topic. Under school-age children learn most efficiently through play and everyday activities. Everyday pedagogy means that Pilke’s educators are keen to seize learning opportunities in various daily activities, such as mealtimes and dressing for outdoors.
Pilke’s primary objective is to provide children with a good day to learn – every day. Our safe and encouraging atmosphere provides a solid foundation for friendship, surprises and communal learning. It makes a daycare centre where children feel welcome starting from the first day. Read more about starting at daycare here!
With the youngest children, we emphasise care and gradually increase the role of upbringing and learning through everyday pedagogy.
Learning sessions aimed at 5-year-olds.
At pre-school, children learn skills required on the first grades of primary education and participate in school visits.
Like other private daycare centres, Pilke typically acts as a service provider that complements and supports municipal services. We provide early childhood education services in compliance with the local policies.
Children who need special support are often placed in municipal daycare centres. Pilke may provide daycare places to such children if the service is purchased from us by the municipality. We employ special education teachers in early childhood education and care and acquire increased support as required.
Municipal practices with regard to special support children may vary, but the priority is to secure the best interests of the child. If your family has a child who needs special support and you wish to apply for a place at a Pilke daycare centre, we recommend you to discuss the matter with the daycare centre manager and the municipal early childhood education service guidance.
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Early childhood education and care is a rather new term that entered common usage after the reform of the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care in 2016. Prior to that, it was common to use the term daycare. Early childhood education and care refers to a planned, goal-oriented entity of upbringing, education and care that places emphasis on pedagogical approaches.
Daycare used to fall within social services, but nowadays education authorities are responsible for early childhood education and care activities on the municipal level. For the youngest children, care is the most important aspect of a good day, but as the child grows, increasing emphasis is placed on education and upbringing.
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Like all Finnish early childhood education, Pilke’s activities place emphasis on care, play and safety. Children learn school-like skills very quickly when the time is right – there is no need to rush them. We focus on the children’s safety and comfort, and our professional educators know how to interact with the children, motivate them and listen to their needs.
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Pilke daycare centres comply with the same laws, quality requirements and staff allocations as any other Finnish daycare centre – both municipal and private.
Our units adhere to the municipality’s local early childhood education and care curriculum. At Pilke, our operating methods are warm and caring, and we show heartfelt consideration to each other and the children.
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The ECEC plan states the goals and activities to support the child’s development, learning and well-being. The plan is prepared jointly by the family and the daycare centre when the child starts at daycare.
The ECEC plan also takes account of the child’s perspective. The plan is reviewed and updated annually in an ECEC discussion between the family and the daycare centre.
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A learning environment comprises, for example, the facilities, equipment and materials at the daycare centre and in its courtyard and surroundings. The learning environment is divided into physical, psychological and social environments.
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At Pilke, we find it important to welcome every child and family to our daycare centres.
Pilke applies the three-step support model of development and learning. It provides our personnel with tools for identifying the child’s need for support and for implementing the support in practice. Pilke employs special education teachers in early childhood education and care who provide consultation in support matters at our units. If required, Pilke purchases special education services from external providers.
Private daycare providers typically support and supplement the municipal services. Private daycare centres often provide early childhood education services within the framework conditions set by the municipal authorities. If a municipality identifies the need to purchase services for special support children from the private sector, a private daycare centre may provide them. However, children who need special support are often placed in municipal daycare centres. As municipal practices may vary, you should discuss the matter with the manager of the Pilke daycare centre and the municipal early childhood education service guidance. The child’s best interests are the priority.
Pilke has a working group for development and learning support. It monitors Pilke units’ needs for special support and related training and develops our national support services.
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All private daycare centres are approved and supervised by the municipality’s authorities. Private daycare centres such as Pilke comply with the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (540/2018) and the National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care just like municipal daycare centres. In addition, municipal authorities supervise our operation through inspections, steering and audits.
As a whole, Finnish private early childhood education is at the forefront of its field in the Nordics. Surveys on customer satisfaction and the opinions of municipal decision-makers indicate that private operation is considered of high-quality and cooperation with municipalities functional.
The high quality of private daycare centres is based on constant development of pedagogic practices, investment in the personnel’s well-being and provision of services that meet the client families’ needs, utilising the opportunities of digitalisation, for example.
What would you like to know or ask about early childhood education and care at Pilke?
Mirka Laaksonen, Head of Early Childhood Education, will be glad to help. You can also contact the Pilke daycare centre managers or regional directors of your area.
Head of Early Childhood Education Mirka Laaksonen
mirka.laaksonen@pilkepaivakodit.fi
