Early literacy practices and the Finnish national core curriculum

Abstract

In 2004 the Finnish National Board of Education launched a new curriculum framework that includes principles, instructional aims, and a brief list of content by subject areas. The intent of this framework is that teachers should interpret the core curriculum at the local level and apply it in their own schools and classrooms. This approach encourages teachers to use their professional knowledge and take into account their students and the learning environment in applying and implementing the curriculum. This case study sought to understand how this core curriculum has been implemented by way of observations of language and literacy lessons in 8 grade 1 and grade 2 classrooms during a 2-month period. The observations and the analysis were guided by earlier research conducted in classroom identified as 'excellent' in the US. The resulting data, in turn, were compared with the core curriculum. The findings show that, although some of the principles and the content of the core curriculum were reflected in practice, there were inconsistencies between the instructional methods used in the classrooms and the principles set in the core curriculum. Although some areas of the core curriculum were well represented in classroom language and literacy practices, others were covered only in part or not at all during the observation period.

State-based curriculum-making: approaches to local curriculum work in Norway and Finland

“…In addition, the curriculum also devotes attention to the principles of pupil assessment, special needs education, pupil welfare and educational guidance (Korkeamäki & Dreher, 2010). The national core curriculum, content and criteria for both satisfactory performance and final assessment are given almost equal attention as learning objectives and content (Mølstad & Karseth, in press).…”

Finnish Preschool and First-Grade Children's Use of Media at Home

“…Similar results have been found in studies in several countries (e.g., Common Sense Media, 2011;Ofcom, 2010). This trend, thus, presents a challenge to preschools and schools: Evidence indicates that instructional practices typically do not take advantage of young children's developing knowledge of diverse technologies (e.g., Korkeamäki & Dreher, 2011).…”

“…Moreover, even the use of children's trade books is rare in firstgrade classrooms (Korkeamäki & Dreher, 2011). Preschool classrooms are even less well equipped with technology, such as computers and access to the Internet, than the classrooms in schools.…”

“…Evidence indicates, however, that Finnish first-grade classroom instruction has not taken into account children's developing competencies with newer technologies (Korkeamäki & Dreher, 2011), even though the national core curriculum for first and second grade states that (a) instruction should continue the learning that has begun at home, and (b) children's reading and writing skills, including media literacy and skills in ICTs, should be developed (National Board of Education, 2004). Moreover, even the use of children's trade books is rare in firstgrade classrooms (Korkeamäki & Dreher, 2011).…”

Teacher emotions and change in literacy learning. Insights to literacy learning in the contemporary world through self-reflection of teacher emotions

“…These practices coincided with the Finnish core curriculum principles and contents in teaching and learning literacy (National Board of Education, 2004). The implementation aimed to change the prevailing, traditional literacy practices in Finnish classrooms that do not follow the communicative view of learning and the use of diversified practices in the curriculum, but instead focus on teacher-directed instruction of using textbooks and workbooks in teaching the code and on pupils' individual work (Holappa, 2007;Korkeamäki & Dreher, 2011). The traditional instruction is thus based on a behaviourist perspective on learning with one-sided interaction and product-orientation (e.g.…”