Multiculturalism in Early Childhood Education

Multiculturalism in Early Childhood Education in Rauma

Culturally aware education recognizes, values, and makes use of children’s diverse cultural backgrounds. It promotes equality and strengthens children’s sense of inclusion and participation.

Multiculturalism is reflected in early childhood education in many ways. Every daycare center in Rauma operates with cultural sensitivity. This is evident in everyday interactions and educational content. Early childhood education includes activities and events where children can learn about different cultures and languages.

Language- and culture-aware education means having a respectful attitude toward a child’s linguistic and cultural background.

Language-aware teaching

Language-aware teaching is an approach in which language is seen as both a tool and a subject of learning. Its purpose is to support a child’s growth into a full and active member of their language communities. Through teaching, children are provided with opportunities to learn and develop.

Language-aware teaching supports children’s language development and increases their awareness of language and how it is used. A child’s first language provides the foundation for learning a new language. Proficiency in one’s first language is important because it is the language of emotions and thinking.

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Finnish as a Second Language (S2)

Finnish as a Foreign Language instruction (S2 ) is intended for children whose home language is not Finnish. The aim is to support the learning of Finnish and ensure that every child receives the support they need for language development.

The instruction strengthens children’s multilingual skills and supports the development of their identity. The goal is functional bilingualism, where Finnish is used in all teaching and interaction situations.

Each child progresses in language learning at their own pace, following their own individual learning path. Based on the child’s starting level, teaching is planned to meet their needs and progress. We use a lot of play, singing, chatter and everyday situations to support language learning. In this way, children learn Finnish naturally and meaningfully as part of their day in early childhood education.

S2 Teaching Services in Early Childhood Education in Rauma

There are two consultant teachers of Finnish as a second language in the City of Rauma’s early childhood education.

The responsibilities of the consultant S2 teacher include

• developing Finnish language teaching and language-aware working methods
• planning and organising regular S2 teaching in cooperation with the groups’ staff
• strengthening the consideration of cultural diversity
• mapping children’s language skills and linguistic development together with the groups’ staff
• mapping the language skills of pre-school children and consulting them on school changes and working with S2 teachers in basic education schools
• organising various training courses and workshops
• cooperation with guardians, including discussions about the curriculum.

The consultant S2 teacher in early childhood education collaborates with the staff of the groups, the directors of the daycare centers, the consultant special education teachers in early childhood education and the S2 teachers in basic education.
You can contact the S2 teacher if you need support in any of the above areas or if there are concerns about your child’s language skills or progress in the group.

S2 teaching is provided by