WELCOME TO PRE- PRIMARY EDUCATION!

VANTAA EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

SERVICES

WELCOME TO PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION

Pre-primary education will begin on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, and end on Friday, June 3, 2022.

Pre-primary education is part of the life-long learning path that begins at home and in early childhood education, and continues after pre-primary education in basic education. Pre-primary education aims to promote children’s development and learning facilities, as well as to boost their social skills and healthy self-esteem together with their families. Pre-primary education is obligatory, goal-oriented and based on ’s pre-primary education curriculum. A learning plan will be compiled for all children together with the children and their parents.

In pre-primary education, children experience and learn new things as part of a peer group. Pre-primary education consists of learning modules—of various scope and implementation—that are based on the children's interests as well as on pre-primary education's shared goals. In pre-primary education, learning takes place largely through play, and there is always time for play during the pre-primary education day. In addition to play, different experiential and operational approaches offer experiences and boost the children's motivation to learn.

Remember to enroll your child in pre-primary education on January 7-24, 2021! You can enroll in pre-primary education online through the VaSa service or you can submit an application at your child's day-care center. You can browse the pre-primary education decision on the VaSa service during week 14. Read more in Finnish online at: vantaa.fi/esiopetus and in English at: vantaa.fi/preprimary.

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City of Vantaa Education and Learning Department Early childhood education

Pre-primary education is free of charge and includes a meal

Pre-primary education is arranged on schooldays for four hours per day. Pre-primary education takes place mostly on day-care centers’ premises. Pre-primary education is free of charge and includes a daily meal. In addition to pre-primary education, children are entitled to early childhood education related to pre-primary education subject to a charge.

If your child participates in early childhood education in addition to pre-primary education, submit a separate early childhood education application no later than four months before the child needs the place. You do not have to submit an application if your child is already in early childhood education in Vantaa before pre-primary education begins.

Language choices in pre-primary education

During the year, each pre-primary education group will introduce the languages and cultures of the members of the child group. A few most common words of the languages of those belonging to the pre-primary education community will be taught. Families’ expertise in their own cultural backgrounds will be utilized in planning and implementing pre-primary education.

If guardians wish to choose a stronger language focus in pre-primary education, Vantaa has the following options:

• English-enriched pre-primary education • Swedish-language immersion pre-primary education or • extensive English-language pre-primary education

For more information on the language options, go to: vantaa.fi/kaksikielinenesiopetus

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City of Vantaa Education and Learning Department Early childhood education

Cooperation with schools

Children will familiarize themselves with the school's operational culture and the learning environment already during the pre-primary education year. Every Vantaa pre-primary education place has a partner school with which it cooperates. This can take the form of, for instance, joint activities between the children participating in pre- primary education and those participating in elementary instruction, as well as school visits. In the spring term, information on the children in pre-primary education will be transferred to their future schools in cooperation with their guardians. The aim is to ensure the children’s easy transition from pre-primary education to school and the continuum of learning support.

Come and learn more about us!

All day-care centers in Vantaa that provide pre-primary education will arrange an introduction to families during week 20 to the extent allowed by the coronavirus pandemic. The day-care centers will inform guardians about these events. Additional information on pre-primary education and enrollment is provided by day-care centers and Vantaa's websites in Finnish at: www.vantaa.fi/esiopetus and in English at: vantaa.fi/preprimary.

Facilities for studying in Finnish in preparatory basic- education instruction

Preparatory basic-education instruction will be arranged for those children with immigrant backgrounds whose Finnish-language skills are not sufficient for studying in a pre-primary education group.

Preparatory basic-education instruction will be given on schooldays, five hours per day. Four hours of instruction is given as part of pre-primary education and one hour is arranged in a smaller group. 4

City of Vantaa Education and Learning Department Early childhood education

First, the child needs to be enrolled in pre-primary education and after that the guardians can discuss participation in preparatory instruction together with the personnel of the day-care unit.

Further information on preparatory instruction is given by language-cultural coordinators: − Myyrmäki, Kivistö, , tel. 050 303 5163 − , Hakunila, tel. 050 303 4970 − , Koivukylä tel. 050 303 5081

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City of Vantaa Education and Learning Department Early childhood education