7703.11 - The Kindergarten and Elementary Education

7703.11

The Kindergarten and Elementary Education

10.5

In this course, students will acquire knowledge of how the kindergarten and social educators working in kindergartens prepare children for school. Students will • gain thorough knowledge of the main laws and regulations in effect for schools and institutions working with children (i.e. the law for day institutions and for the public school system, and curricula for elementary education and for kindergartens and similar institutions) • gain a clear understanding of how social educators, who work with children, 5-6 years old, organise their work in order to prepare the children for school • understand the challenges and difficulties children face when transitioning from kindergarten to school • gain insight into language development and how the social educator can help children their develop linguistic competence before starting school • learn to use didactic preparation and evaluation models, which purpose is to guarantee a well-founded pedagogical approach in one’s work • learn to organise a lesson plan aimed at children, 5-6 years old, which purpose is to prepare them for their first year of school • try this lesson plan hands-on in a practicum, as well as evaluating and documenting its results

The course consists of a theoretical and a practical part. In the latter part, students plan a learning process based on a workshop model, which they will use in a 3-week long practicum. The first part consists of the following subjects: • The institutional child as sociological phenomenon • Social Education in the kindergarten • Legal framework, curricula and didactic processes in the kindergarten and in elementary education • Linking kindergartens, schools and after-school programmes • Theories on play and learning, with reference to both kindergartens and schools • Development of language skills, and linguistic awareness as condition for elementary teaching in reading and writing • Teaching material used in kindergartens and elementary education • Individual development and pupil focused education • Evaluation as pedagogical tool

• Students have a 3-week practicum in a kindergarten. The practicum will be based in a well-founded lesson plan, which the students have developed beforehand. • On completion of the practicum, students write a paper, integrating theory and didactic goals with their practicum experience. Further instructions on the paper will be provided in-class. In order to pass the course, students must pass the practicum. Grades will be awarded according to the current grading scale and will be based on the paper.