Innovative Early Childhood Education: The Finnish Method

Description

Across Europe and beyond, early childhood teachers are facing growing pressure for rising academic expectations at young ages, concerns about children’s wellbeing, and the challenge to build meaningful partnerships with parents.

Many teachers are asking the same questions: how do we support the holistic development of children without rushing them to learn? How can play and learning co-exist? How to consistently work with families in meaningful ways?

This course is designed to shed light on these challenges from the perspective of Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC).

Throughout this course, participants will explore the foundations and everyday practices of the Finnish ECEC, including the core values, curriculum, learning environment, pedagogies and daily routines (e.g., meals, rest, play, outdoor, etc.).

They will discover how important play-based learning, positive pedagogy, and outdoor and nature-based experiences are as core parts of the Finnish ECEC to support the children’s holistic development and wellbeing, and how ECEC in Finland helps build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

Participants will also visit a Finnish ECEC unit/daycare center to explore the role of pedagogically designed learning environments.

The course will also discuss how the Finnish way of home-school collaboration supports consistency and wellbeing in the child’s learning journey.

To engage you in a meaningful learning experience, this course is facilitated in an interactive and participatory approach. Participants will participate in seminars, group discussions, hands-on practices, and reflective activities.

A guided study visit to a Finnish ECEC unit/daycare and a nature-based learning experience will offer them a lived experience of the Finnish approach to play and learning, as well as building a connection with nature.

Final reflection and action planning throughout the course will help participants connect theories with practices.

By the end of the course, they will leave with a deeper understanding of how Finnish ECEC balances learning, play, and wellbeing.

Participants will gain valuable and practical ideas to design daily routines, learning environments, outdoor learning experiences, and home-school collaboration in their contexts.

Most importantly, they will take away with them inspirations and a clear action plan with widened and deepened perspectives to strengthen holistic and child-centered early childhood education in their schools.

Concept by Pui Ying Law

Learning outcomes

The course will help the participants to:  

• Explain the core values and principles of the Finnish education system and analyze how these values shape Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) policies, curriculum, and everyday pedagogical practices;
• Describe the structure and key features of Finnish ECEC, including holistic pedagogy, transversal competences, and support for children’s learning processes, and compare these with their own educational contexts;
• Apply principles of play-based learning by identifying the pedagogical purposes of play and designing learning experiences that support children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development;
• Integrate wellbeing and positive pedagogy into daily practice, using routines, interactions, and learning environments that promote joy, safety, inclusion, and a sense of belonging for all children;
• Design and evaluate learning environments that are pedagogically intentional, safe, accessible, and supportive of diverse learners, drawing inspiration from Finnish ECEC settings;
• Recognize the educational value of outdoor and nature-based learning and plan age-appropriate outdoor activities that foster curiosity, resilience, and positive relationships with nature;
• Strengthen home-school collaboration strategies by applying trust-based approaches and effectively using Individual ECEC Plans to support consistency in children’s learning and development;
• Develop a context-sensitive action plan to transfer key insights from Finnish ECEC into their own professional practice, reflecting critically on possibilities and limitations in their local settings.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Course introduction

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Introduction to the core values in the Finnish education system

• Finland as a value-driven society and its deep-rooted values in education; 
• The Finnish Education system in a nutshell. 

Day 2 – Overview of the Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

• Finnish ECEC in a nutshell: values, curriculum, and pedagogical activities guided by transversal competence and support for learning processes; 
• Holistic pedagogy: Typical daily schedule in Finnish ECEC; 
• Positive pedagogy and wellbeing throughout the day. 

Day 3 – Play-based Learning in Finnish ECEC 

• The benefits and importance of learning through play in Finnish ECEC; 
• Outdoor and nature experience in Finnish ECEC; 
• Let’s play: the Finnish way of outdoor learning experience.  

Day 4 – Pedagogically built environment in Finnish ECEC (Study Visit)

• Physical environment tips for engaging learning space design;  
• Safety, accessibility, and comfort for all children; 
• Visit to a Finnish ECEC unit/daycare center.

Day 5 – Home-school collaboration in Finnish ECEC

• Trust and shared responsibility; 
• Regular discussions on the child’s Individual ECEC plan for consistency;  
• Action planning and reflective discussion to round up the course 

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

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