Study Guide

Objective

Students recognise and are able to verbalise resources and risk factors related to children’s and families’ life situations and they are familiar with the principles of early intervention in early childhood services. Students know how to support children and family according to the principles of educational partnership. They are aware of the importance of dialogical interaction when working in cooperation with families. Students know how to start from the children’s needs and how to take children’s rights into consideration in their professional practice. They are familiar with early childhood education and other services provided by various actors. Students know how to support and help children and families to become heard and participate in various communities.

Content

- early childhood services and services for families with children
- educational partnership and multiprofessional co-operation in early childhood education
- recognizing strenghts and risks in childrens and families situation and bringing them up for discussion
- principles of dialogical interaction
- principles and implementation of early support
- the child's best interests and child-centered activities as part of early childhood services
- promoting participation in early childhood services

Location and time

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Materials

-Ahonen, Liisa (2019). Haastavat kasvatustilanteet. Lämpimän vuorovaikutuksen käsikirja.
-Pienet tuetut askeleet. Varhaiskasvatuksen uudistuva tuki ja kehittyvät käytänteet (2022). Heiskanen, Noora & Marja Syrjämäki (toim.). PS-kustannus.
-Sandberg, Erja (2021). Pedagoginen tuki varhaiskasvatuksessa ja esiopetuksessa. PS-kustannus.
-Varhaiserityiskasvatus (2019). Päivi Pihlaja & Riitta Viitala (toim.). PS-kustannus.
-Pulkkinen, Lea (2022): Lapsen hyvinvointi alkaa kodista. PS-kustannus.
-Pöyhönen, Julia & Heidi Livingston (2023). Hyvän vanhemman salaisuus. Tuuma.
-Ahonen, Liisa (2023). Tiimin voima varhaiskasvatuksessa. PS-Kustannus.

Other material will be announced at Moodle platform.

Teaching methods

The course implemented online. Can be performed completely independently.
Non-Stop course on the Moodle platform. Primarily for early childhood education students
Includes: Online orientation, orientation lectures on the online platform, literature exam, independent assignments.

Employer connections

Does not include training.

Exam schedules

It will be announced on the course's Moodle platform.

International connections

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Completion alternatives

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Student workload

3 credits = 81 hours

Content scheduling

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Further information

The course is first aimed at degree students studying early childhood education.
Before participating in the course, the student must have completed other studies related to early childhood education: 1) Child development and learning, 2) Early childhood education pedagogy, 3) Small group activities and community spirit in early childhood education

The course is also available for other interested students: The course is suitable for freely chosen studies for those who do not complete the comprehensive early childhood education. In this case, the above-mentioned previous study courses do not need to have been completed.
If student wants to obtain the qualification of an early childhood education social worker, he/she studies all the study courses belonging to the whole of early childhood education according to the plan made at the beginning of the studies.

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Students are able to name some of the principles of educational co-operation and dialogical support. Students are able to recognise some principles concerning the the rights of the child and child-centered practices.
They are able to describe needs of different families, also families and children at risk. Students are able to name some principles of early support. They know providers of services for children and families and they can describe how the services could be used. Students are able to describe some factors which effect promoting participation of children and families.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Students are able to support children and families according to the principles of educational co-operation and partnership. Students know how to interact with both children and parents. Students know the rights of the child and principles of child-centered actions. They are able to detect needs of different families, also families and children at risk. Students know the principles of early support and are able to support child and parents by using them. They know main the factors of services of early childhood education and other providers of services for children and families and they can use the services while supporting children and families. Students know and are able to make use of methods which promote participation of children and families in communities and various environments.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Students are able to support children and families according to the principles of educational co-operation. Students know how to interact with both children and parents using dialogical interaction methods. Students take the best interests of the child into account and they are able to detect needs of different families, also families and children at risk. Students are able to use the methods and the principles of early support taking account his/her individual professional streghts and challenges. They have an overall picture of services of early childhood education and other providers of services for children and families and they can fix the services together to support children and families. Students are able to ensure that the voice of children and parents is heard and their participation in communities and various environments promoted. Students help children and families express their opinions. Students are able to analyse preconditions of early support of children and families.

Assessment methods and criteria

Evaluation based on activity on the Moodle platform, assignments and exam of litterary.

Qualifications

Study Cources: The Child's Growth and Learning, Early Childhood Pedagogy, Small Group Activities and Communality in Early Childhood Education

Further information

For the students, who take Early Childhood Studies.