According to the Finnish Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, every child has the right to receive education and care that is systematic and goal-oriented.

In order to achieve this, an individual learning plan is created for every child together with the child and their guardians. These plans include goals that are set together and promote the systematic care and education provided for the child. Read more: What is Finnish ECEC?

How is the child's individual plan created?

A child’s teacher is responsible for creating and evaluating the child’s individual learning plan. This is a process and involves several steps. In addition to a discussion and the writing process, the creation of a plan includes an assessment and observation of the child’s strengths, needs, and views, as well as an evaluation of the child’s previous plan. All staff members working with the children take part in the process, and the creation, observations, documentation, and evaluation are conducted multi-professionally.

The plan is based on the child’s strengths and interests, as well as on their best interest and needs. The pedagogical goals and measures, and any support measures and their implementation, are recorded in the plan. The linguistic and cultural background and linguistic skills and abilities of a child who speaks a foreign language or is bilingual are factored in when creating their individual plan. The child’s cultural and religious background will also be considered when creating the plan.

This is how the City of Helsinki plans the child's individual learning:

Wondering what a curriculum framework really is?

"Curriculum is an organized framework that delineates the content children are to learn, the processes through which children achieve the identified curricular goals, what teachers do to help children achieve these goals and the context in which teaching and learning occur.”  

- National Association for the Education of Young Children  (NAEYC)

The Center's Curriculum consists of information related to the children's learning process in one tight package. It is a guideline for the staff in their everyday work, and it also tells a lot about you and your values to the families. Therefore, it is a nice idea to have your Center's Curriculum available for the families too. With this as starting point, you can then plan your daily work and create the syllabus consisting of the weekly plans, preplanned lesson plans, etc. 

How to create the curriculum framework?

It is very important to think about how your center operates and what are the core values that everyone should know. Writing down the curriculum with the staff unites your team and sets everyone on the same page.

When planning, arranging and developing early childhood education and care, the primary goal must always be the overall wellbeing of the children. Children’s interests, wishes and needs guide the teachers work forward.  

I  have prepared a list of questions that guide you when writing down your Center’s Curriculum. The checklist is based on Finnish best practices. Naturally, you should adapt these to your local needs and requirements. Think of the questions in detail, as thinking of the topics and issues ahead makes it all easier when the situation hits you - for example, a case when someone is bullied. When your team has a clear practice of how to deal with bullying, families trust your professionalism and most of all children feel secure, valued, and happy.

Take a look at the topics and issues and include the relevant ones in your Center’s Curriculum!

When the new term starts, mornings can be tough. Going to a new preschool, with new educators, and new children, might be scary for many children. When parents drop off the children at daycare everything is not always that quick and simple. Saying goodbye can make children feel sad and upset. Tears are falling and the child is clinging to the caregiver's leg - how to get out of this situation without more distress and panic??

Here are some tips on how to manage separation anxiety and how educators can help children feel safer and more secure.

What is separation anxiety?

Many children experience separation anxiety as it is a normal part of child development. Separation anxiety is a sign of a meaningful attachment.

• Infants

Separation anxiety develops after a child gains an understanding of object permanence. Once an infant realizes the parent is gone, she might get restless. Most infants develop separation anxiety around 9 months of age. The separations might feel worse if the infant is hungry, tired, or otherwise not feeling well.

• Toddlers

Some toddlers might not have separation anxiety during infancy but start demonstrating it around 18 months of age. Again, separations are more difficult if children are hungry, tired, or ill. As toddlers become more independent they can also act more dramatic during the separations.

• Preschoolers

By the time children are 3 years of age, some can still have separation anxiety. It is the key to being consistent with the morning routine and sticking to the original plan. At this age, children understand much more, so it is a good idea to explain for example when the parent is coming back to pick the child up.

Get to know each other

When you start a new preschool or the new term starts, it is good to stop and evaluate where you stand and what should be done next.

Early childhood education should be the start of lifelong learning. But educators are tied up with old ways of working. They cannot be the champions they deserve to be. Parents feel locked out from their child's learning journey. Many childcare centers are also in a competitive market and want to provide the best education and care. A major change is required to respond to the need for quality education.

You must take the lead and make it happen in your preschool!

A successful Early Education Center has 3 guiding principles:

• Support children's learning
• Engage families
• Secure success for the preschool

You should reimagine how the goals can be achieved by working smarter - not harder - and with the help of new technology.

It is actually straightforward

Children's learning should be organized like this

We are excited to announce an awesome enhancement to the Kindiedays Family App, designed to further enrich the family engagement experience. At Kindiedays, we believe that collaboration between educators and families is vital for a child's development and wellbeing. With the latest update, families can now express their appreciation and support for their child's learning journey with the all-new 'Likes' feature!

Celebrate Milestones Together

With the 'Likes' feature, families can now celebrate and acknowledge significant milestones in their child's learning journey. Whether it's a beautiful artwork, a memorable performance, or a breakthrough moment, families can express their joy and pride by giving a virtual thumbs-up to their child's accomplishments. A simple 'Like' shows support, encouragement, and appreciation, strengthening the sense of community within your childcare center.

Instant Feedback, Instant Motivation

For educators, the 'Likes' feature provides instant feedback on the content shared. Via the new My Posts tab in the Menu, the educators can follow the posts they have created and the reactions received. The positive reactions from families act as a motivation, fostering an atmosphere of encouragement and recognition in your childcare center.

Ensuring Privacy and Security

Rest assured, Kindiedays remains committed to safeguarding your data and privacy. The 'Likes' feature has been thoughtfully designed to ensure that only authorized family members can engage with the content shared for their child.

How to Get Started

Updating your Kindiedays Family App to access the new 'Likes' feature is quick and easy. Simply visit App Store/Google Play Store to download the latest version or enable automatic updates on your device.

We are thrilled to introduce the 'Likes' feature as part of our commitment to enhancing family engagement and strengthening the bond between educators and families. We look forward to seeing the heartwarming connections and joyful interactions that this feature will bring to your childcare center.

For any inquiries or assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our dedicated support team at info@kindiedays.com. Let's celebrate together as we embrace the next level of family engagement with Kindiedays!