New Approaches and innovative models

in standard setting and/or curriculum

development

8th Meeting of the OECD Network on Early

Childhood Education and Care

Paris, 6th – 7th of December 2010

Thomas Moser, Vestfold University College, Norway

1

Vestfold University College (VUC) - Location

2

STRUCTURE

• NORDIC model?

• Common Nordic issues – New Approaches and innovative models in standard

setting and/or curriculum development

• Norwegian Curriculum

– Basic values, goals

– Experiences

– Future challenges

Early Childhood Education Research

Centre - VUC

SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES 19 million inhabitants

80-90 % of the 1-5/6 years old are enrolled in ECE-institutions

5,5 mill.

4,6 mill.

9,0 mill.

Nordic:

Scandi-

navian:

John Bennet & Thomas Moser - EECERA

Fundamental similarities and differences in

ECEC in Nordic countries DENMARK SWEDEN ISLAND FINLAND NORWAY

NAME

“Day offer”

-Crèche/ Familydayc. -Kindergarten

Pre-school Pre-school Day care

Pre-school Day-care

Kindergarten

AGE OF THE

CHILDREN

0-6 +Kinder-garten class

(0)1-6 +Kinder-garten class

0-5/6

1st class in school

0-6

+ Kinder-garten class

0-5

1st class is in school

MINISTRY

Family and Consumer Affairs

Education Education, science and culture

Social Affairs and Health

Education and Science

Public inst.

Private inst.

~100 % 90 %

10 %

~91 %

~9 %

~99 %

~1%

~47 %

~53 %

THE LATEST LAW REGULATING ECEC -

OR OTHER REGULATIONS

DANMARK SWEDEN NORWAY ICELAND FINLAND

Law about Pedagogical Curricula 17.12.2003

Implement.: 1.8.2004

Kindergarten Act: 1.8.1998

General advices and comments for quality in preschool 2004

Kindergarten Act: 8.4.2005

Implement. 1.1.2006

Pre-primary School Act

1994

National Policy Definition on Early Childhood Education And Care 2002

THE LATEST REVISIONS OF THE

NATIONAL CURRICULUM

DANMARK SWEDEN NORWAY ICELAND FINLAND

2003

First Pedagogical curriculum

1,5 pp*

(+9,5 pp)

1998 Curriculum for preschool

2004 General advices and comments for quality in preschool

~17 pp*

1996: 1st Curriculum Framework

2006: Revised

Framework Plan for the Content and Tasks of Kindergartens

139/55 pp*

1985 Framework-plan

1999

National Curriculum Guide for Pre-schools

47 pp *

2003

National Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care

45 pp *

*Number of pages – national curriculum

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING - ACADEMIC

DANMARK1 SWEDEN2 NORWAY ICELAND FINLAND

A merged education for pre-school teachers, social workers and after school teachers

A merged teacher education

Specific

Specific Specific

1 “Non-research based” education; 2 Early years teacher: age 1-12

STAFF – CHILD – RATIO DANMARK SWEDEN NORWAY ICELAND FINLAND

No formal national regulation

Average: < 3 years old: 1 staff pr. 3,3 children

> 3 years old: 1 staff pr. 7,2 children

No formal national regulation

1-6 years old: 1 staff pr. 5.4 children

< 3 years old: 1 acad. staff pr. 7-9 children*

>3 years old: 1 acad. staff pr. 14-18 children*)

*) Without “non-academic trained” staff! Regularly there will be 1-3 additional staff for each group.

0-2 years old: 1 staff pr. 4-5 children

3-5 years old: 1 staff pr. 6-10 children

Fulltime: 1:4,8

< 3 years old: 1 staff pr. 4 children

>3 years old: 1 staff pr. 7 children

Italy 3-6 = 1:12-14; France 2-6 = 1:25; Germany 3-6 = 1:12-15; Spain 0-1 = 1:8; 3-6 = 1:25;

• A significant (but somewhat decreasing) sense of solidarity and trusting in public solutions

• Strong agreement on public responsibility for ECE in the society

• Some agreement about accomplishing a just and equal society – a holistic view on society (equal opportunities: independent of income, gender, ethnicity; family structure, etc.)

• Political will to finance family- and early childhood policies

• A specific life long learning perspective (in perspectives of democracy, participation and citizenship)

DISTINCTIVE NORDIC FEATURES

POLICY AND POLITICS

• Long and strong traditions: ECE an important task for the society

• High public investment in ECEC (1.2-2.3 %)

• Relatively low parental fees, approx. 25 % (liberal economies: from 50-100% of costs)

• Good conditions for high structural quality (e.g. highly educated staff; good staff-child-ratio; large space and equipment)

• Accessibility to ECE for almost everybody and all age groups in all Nordic countries

• Parents have primary responsibility for education and care prior to the social/national/governmental responsibility

DISTINCTIVE NORDIC FEATURES –

STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF ECEC

• Holistic approach to caring, upbringing and learning – Resist/disapprove result goals – Resist/disapprove of school-model and school-praxis (sequential,

discipline-based learning; cognitive skills and school readiness) – Resist/disapprove of testing and of assessments that rank young

children – Primacy of play

• Pedagogy seen as an ethical, values-driven activity

• Focus on social competencies, care, play and learning in a broad sense (holistic and intefrated approach)

DISTINCTIVE NORDIC FEATURES -

PEDAGOGY

• Kindergarten as a cultural institution – Transmission and renewing of culture – Children as active creators of culture – Awareness for different cultures (own and others’)

• The child as subject, an human being (not only an human becoming) and citizen -> participation of the child; The child as actor of her own development and learning (child-based – not primarily curriculum and teacher-based)

• Integrative perspective on and approach to “small small” children (0-2/3) and “big small” children (2/3-6) (exception: Denmark)

DISTINCTIVE NORDIC FEATURES

CHILDREN’S PERSPECTIVE

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National Framework Plan in 1995

National Framework Plan in 2005

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PURPOSE

“The kindergarten shall, in collaboration and close understanding with the

home, safeguard the children’s need for care and play, and promote learning

and formation as a basis for an all-round development. The kindergarten

shall be based on fundamental values in the Christian and humanist heritage

and tradition, such as respect for human dignity and nature, on intellectual

freedom, charity, forgiveness, equality and solidarity, values that also appear

in different religions and beliefs, and are rooted in human rights.

The children shall be able to develop their creative zest, sense of wonder

and need to explore. They shall learn to take care of themselves, each other

and nature. The children shall develop basic knowledge and skills. They shall

have the right to participate in accordance with their age and abilities.

Kindergartens shall meet the children with trust and respect, and

acknowledge the intrinsic value of childhood. They shall contribute to well-

being and joy in play and learning, and shall be a challenging and safe place

for community life and friendship. Kindergartens shall promote democracy

and equality and counteract all types of discrimination.”

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PART I THE SOCIAL MANDATES OF KINDERGARTENS

Chapter 1 The purpose, values and tasks of kindergartens 5

1.1 Mission statement for kindergartens 6

1.2 Kindergartens with other mission statements 6

1.3 The fundamental values of kindergartens 6

1.4 Children and childhood 7

1.5 Children’s participation 8

1.6 Collaboration with the homes of the children 9

1.7 Kindergartens as pedagogical undertakings 10

1.8 Physical environments that promote the development of all

children 11

1.9 An inclusive community with space for individual children 12

1.10 Kindergartens for Sámi children 12

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PART II CONTENT

Chapter 2 Care, play and learning 14

2.1 Care and upbringing 14

2.2 Play 15

2.3 Learning 16

2.4 Social skills 17

2.5 Linguistic competence 18

2.6 Kindergartens as cultural arenas 19

Chapter 3 Learning areas 21

3.1 Communication, language and text 21

3.2 Body, movement and health 22

3.3 Art, culture and creativity 23

3.4 Nature, environment and technology 24

3.5 Ethics, religion and philosophy 25

3.6 Local community and society 26

3.7 Numbers, spaces and shapes 27

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PART III PLANNING AND COOPERATION

Chapter 4 Planning, documentation and assessment

4.1 Planning 29

4.2 Documentation as a basis for reflection and learning 30

4.3 Assessment of the kindergarten’s work 30

Chapter 5 Collaboration 31

5.1 Primary school 31

5.2 Child welfare service 32

5.3 Mother and child health clinics 33

5.4 Pedagogical-psychological counseling service 33

5.5 Educational establishments 33

5.6 The Sámi Parliament 34

5.7 Other partners 34

3.7 Numbers, spaces and shapes 1

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From an early age, children are preoccupied by numbers

and counting, they explore spaces and shapes, and they

form arguments and search for connections.

Through play, experimentation and everyday activities,

children develop their mathematical skills.

Kindergartens have a responsibility for encouraging

children in their own investigations, and for facilitating early

and good stimulation.

3.7 Numbers, spaces and shapes 2

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Through work on numbers, spaces and shapes,

kindergartens shall help to ensure that children

• enjoy exploring and playing with numbers and shapes

• acquire accurate and applicable mathematical concepts

• experience, explore and play with shapes and patterns

• experience different types of sizes, shapes and

measures through sorting and comparing

• experience position and orientation, and thus develop

their abilities to navigate.

3.7 Numbers, spaces and shapes 3a

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In order to work towards these goals, staff must

• listen and pay attention to the mathematical ideas that

children express through play, conversation and

everyday activities

• support the mathematical development of children on

the basis of their interests and modes of expression

• be conscious of their own use of terms in relation to

mathematical phenomena

• support children’s curiosity, love of mathematics and

desire to explore mathematical connections

3.7 Numbers, spaces and shapes 3b

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In order to work towards these goals, staff must

• reason and wonder together with children about

similarities, differences, sizes and quantities, and

stimulate children ability to use language as a tool for

logical thought

• ensure that children have access to and make use of

various types of games, technology, counting materials,

blocks, toys and modeling materials, and provide

materials that give them experiences of classifying,

ordering, sorting and comparing

3.7 Numbers, spaces and shapes 3c

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In order to work towards these goals, staff must

• provide children with design impulses and experiences

through exploring, discovering and creating different

shapes and patterns

• ensure that children encounter different types of

measures, units and measuring equipment in their play

and everyday activities, and stimulate children to think

about distances, weights, volumes and time.

Green Paper (“Brenna commission”, Report

2010:8) proposes

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Continuation within a “Nordic model paradigm”, e.g. by

maintain process oriented goal formulations and avoid a

“general testing strategy” of all children

In addition to goals for the subject areas;

• goals for the kindergarten’s work with play, care and social

competence

• goals for what basic competence all children should

develop

• goals set by children themselves for their own learning

and development

Green Paper (“Brenna commission”, Report

2010:8) proposes

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The framework plan should have

• clear (clearer than today) demands concerning the

kindergarten’s annual planning process (progression)

• clear (clearer than today) demands on progression in

children’s learning and development

• demands focusing on formal and informal learning

situations

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

3.1 Communication, language and text 1

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Providing early and good linguistic stimulation is an important

part of the role of kindergartens. Communication takes place

through interplay of receiving and interpreting messages, and

sending messages oneself. Both non-verbal and verbal

communication plays an important role in developing good

verbal language skills. Varied and rich experiences are essential

prerequisites to understanding concepts. It is necessary to

converse about experiences, thoughts and feelings in order to

develop a rich use of language. Text covers both written and oral

stories, poetry, rhymes, nonsense verses and songs. Important

aspects of the transfer of cultural values are linked to

communications, language and texts.

3.1 Communication, language and text 2

29

Through work on communications, language and texts, kindergartens

shall help to ensure that children

• listen, observe and respond to mutual interaction with children and

adults

• develop their understanding of concepts, and use a varied

vocabulary

• use their language to express feelings, wishes and experiences, to

solve conflicts and to create positive relationships through play and

other social interaction

• develop a positive relationship with texts and pictures as sources of

aesthetic pleasure, knowledge and conversations, and as inspiration

for fantasies and creativity

• listen to sounds and rhythms in the language and become familiar

with symbols such as numbers and letters

• become familiar with books, songs, pictures, the media, etc.

3.1 Communication, language and text 3a

30

In order to work towards these goals, staff must

• be conscious of their position as role models for how to listen and

respond constructively, and how to use body language, speech and

text

• promote trust between children, and between children and adults, so

that children enjoy communicating and feel confident using different

types of language and texts in their everyday lives

• facilitate meaningful experiences, and create time and space for the

use of non-verbal and verbal language in everyday activities, play

and in more formal situations

• create an environment that stimulates all children to use language

well, and that encourages listening, conversation and play involving

sounds, rhymes, rhythms and fantasies with the aid of language and

song they are communicating.

3.1 Communication, language and text 3b

31

In order to work towards these goals, staff must

• understand the importance of children's mother tongues

• encourage children with bi- and multilingual backgrounds to use their

languages, whilst helping them to gain experiences that build up their

conceptual understanding and vocabulary in Norwegian

• support children who have various communication difficulties, who do not

use language much or who are late developers in terms of language

• allow children to encounter symbols such as letters and numbers in

everyday situations, and support children’s initiative in terms of counting,

sorting, reading, playing at writing and dictating texts

• create an environment in which children and adults every day experience

excitement and joy through reading aloud, telling stories, singing and

conversation, and being conscious of the ethical, aesthetic and cultural

values that they are communicating.