A safe transition from pre-primary education to first grade

During their pre-primary education year, the children at Finno daghem have the opportunity to gently try out school life through joint lessons and recess games. Contact between the first-graders and younger children makes the start of school safe and smooth.

The school yard rings with laughter and noise. The first-graders of Finno skola have a joint break with the children attending pre-primary education at Finno daghem. Special education teacher Erika Nordlund gathers the children around for a memory game using sticks and cones.

“Close your eyes, everyone. When you open them again, try to notice which object was removed.”

The children seem enthusiastic, clapping their hands happily when they get the answer right. After the memory game, they pretend to be trees with sturdy roots and branches swaying in the wind.

Close by in the school yard is the principal of Finno skola, Pia Björkenheim. For some years now, the local curriculum for the Swedish-speaking schools in Espoo has included the concept of integrated pre-primary and primary education (sammanhållen förskole- och nybörjarundervisning, SFN).

“For us the concept has worked really well. We have adapted the model so that it is suitable for our school and day care centre,” says Björkenheim.

“It's such a success. I see it as us building a safe bridge between pre-primary education and school,” adds Nordlund, who is responsible for the school’s SFN activities.

At Finno skola and Finno daghem, SFN means many common breaks where the first-graders and the kids attending pre-primary education play together.

The first joint lessons will be held before Christmas, and the plan includes, among other things, Christmas crafts. During the spring term, cooperation will increase and the kids will have more joint lessons, including music, visual arts, language skills and mathematics.

Tove Nummelin-Lång, who is the early childhood education director at Finno daghem och förskola, says that SFN is especially important for children who are a bit nervous about the start of school.

“But after the children have visited the school and become familiar with both the premises and the staff, the start of school will not be as dramatic,” says Nummelin-Lång.

Younger children also get the chance to ask questions from the school kids. The children usually want to know if they can play in school and if there is homework every day.

Special education teacher Erika Nordlund says that SFN also benefits schoolchildren.

“They get a chance to reconnect with their memories of pre-primary education.”

The joint activities within SFN are led by staff from both the day care centre and the school. The exchange has also been rewarding for the teachers.

“For my part, it has been very valuable to collaborate with the pre-primary education unit and see what they do,” concludes Nordlund.

Text:  Sebastian Dahlström

This article has originally been published in the Espoo Magazine 3/2023.
Read other articles in the Espoo Magazine.