Early Education and Day Care Services (8 cr)

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)

Bachelor of Social services as an early childhood educator
The historical and theoretical background of early childhood education
Education and pedagogical understanding
The environment and basic task of day care
- Legislation, statutes
- Children’s culture
Multi-professional networking and educational partnership

Exam schedules

ilmoitetaan syksyllä

Assessment methods and criteria

Kontaktiopetuksessa on pakollinen läsnäolo.

Student workload

8 x 27 = 216h
Kontaktiopetus 104 h syksy 2014
Kontaktiopetus 16 h kevät 2015
Vierailukäynnit 12h
Itsenäinen 84 h

Content scheduling

Yhteinen aloitus syyskuussa

Completion alternatives

Ei valinnaisia suoritustapoja

Further information

Kokonaisuus jakautuu 3 opettajan kesken
Riikkaelina Susipolku 1 op psykologinen näkökulma
Tapio Salomäki Filosofinen, historiallinen ja varhaiskasvatuksen lähtökohtiin perustuva näkökulma 3op
Raija Yliniemi Varhaiskasvatuksen pedagogiikan näkökulma 4 op