Inclusive support for immigrant children in early childhood education and care (ECEC)

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis is to study how the early childhood education system to support immigrant children living in Lohja. This information is intended to serve as a reference for both immigrant families and early childhood educator with immigrant backgrounds. Language is a major challenge for the integration of immigrants into Finnish society. For young children of immigrant families, early childhood stage is critical for language acquisition as well as personal and cultural identity formation. On one hand, immigrant children may face challenges integrating into a new linguistic environment, including language barriers, cultural differences, and even adaptation issues in school. But children have a strong capacity to acquire languages, especially during the early age. With proper support and encouragement, they can quickly learn a new language and adapt to new environments. Therefore, providing timely，effective language and developmental support is crucial to helping immigrant children successfully integrate into society. On the other hand, some immigrant children may also encounter difficulties in cognitive, emotional, social, or physical development and they require support.

A core principle of Finnish education is to ensure that all students, regardless of background or individual abilities, have equal learning opportunities. The main study on this thesis is how is the educator to support children with immigrant backgrounds in early childhood education system in Lohja.