Study Guide

Objectives (course unit)

1. Early Childhood Educator
Students
- deepen and clarify own pedagogical awareness and can apply own perceptions in practical situations
- understand the meaning of pedagogical relationship
- can apply child orientation and child participation in own work
- recognize and question own beliefs, values, and attitudes concerning childhood, parenthood, and professionalism
2. Theoretical Principles of Early Childhood Education
Students
- can apply key principles and values of early childhood education
- know the main objectives of early childhood education and the documents governing it
- understand the learning and development process of a child
- can explain and justify own decisions and the principles of own work
- recognize the characteristics of children’s culture and community and can use them in own work
3. Education and Pedagogy
Students
- can support and guide a child in the different stages of growth, development, and learning
- can observe and assess the development and needs of a child
- can plan, implement and evaluate pedagogically meaningful activities for children
- can guide a child individually and in a group taking key pedagogical principles into account
- recognize the meaning of care, upbringing, and education in a child’s everyday life
- know the most important contents and methods of early childhood education
- can plan and construct a meaningful growth and learning environment for a child
- can support and promote a child’s spontaneous play and guide it if necessary
4. Environment and Basic Task of Day Care
Students
- know and can apply documents and legislation governing early education and day care
- can take the basic task of day care into account in own work and in the development of own work
- know and understand the different forms of day care
5. Multi-professional Networking and Educational Partnership
Students
- know the basic principles of educational partnership
- can initiate and maintain educational partnership in the different stages and situations of a child’s development
- can help to consolidate the different growth environments of a child
- can assess the need for early support and know what early intervention is
- understand the principles of multi-professional networking and can apply them in own work

Content (course unit)

- The values and philosophical basis of early childhood education
· The role of early childhood education in sóciety
· Alternative pedagogies
· Theories and concepts of children’s learning
- Support of children’s growth and learning
· Child participation and belongingness in early childhood education
· Pedagogical activities: observation, planning, guidance, documentation and assessment
· The child’s individual Early Childhood Education and care Plan
· Transversal competencies and learning areas
· Learning environments of early Childhood Education and care
·The importance of children’s play, plays as a source of learning, play theories
· Challenging educational situations
· Different forms of Early Childhood Education and care
· Evaluation and development of operations in Early Childhood Education and care
· Cooperation with guardians and multidisciplinary cooperation

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

Can identify and define phenomena related to the field and basic concepts and theory.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

To structure the relationship between phenomena and concepts in the field. Can apply concepts and theory in a structured way. Is able to justify one's own views and is able to apply theoretical knowledge to practice. Relation to knowledge: self-contained, problematizing.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

Understand wide-ranging entities and the relationships between them. Analyze theory and practice and the relationships between phenomena. Combines pedagogical competence with professional context. Creative, developing, innovative and / or personal touch. Relation to knowledge: exploratory, argumentative and analytical.

Assessment criteria, pass/fail (course unit)

Rejected Neither recognizes nor can define phenomena and basic concepts in the field, or the identification and definition of key phenomena remains very limited. Relationship to Knowledge: Borrowing.

Assessment scale

0-5