On May 9, 2011 Discovery International School welcomed a visit from Leena Graeffe, Senior Lecturer at Helsinki University in Finland. Ms. Graeffe was in Japan to provide lectures at regional universities about the Finnish model of early childhood education and care.
Finland consistently ranks at or near the top in worldwide comparisons of student achievement. Early childhood practices in Finland share much in common with the Italian Reggio Emilia Approach, which serves as a model for the preschool program at Discovery.
Both models emphasize the importance of play and child-adult partnerships in crafting learning pursuits. On her observations at Discovery, Ms. Graeffe commented, “I can guarantee that children will have wonderful care here. Everybody is so warm and motivated, and the children feel at ease.”
Ms. Graeffe was accompanied by Professor Rie Yamamoto and post-graduate student Akemi Shouji of Aichi Prefectural University, and Professor Yoshie Shiraishi of Aichi Shukutoku University. The three are researching ways to improve Japan’s model of early childhood education and care.
Discovery International School is a private English-language preschool in Nagakute Town on the eastern border of Nagoya. From the school mission: “We dedicate ourselves to respect for children’s rights and voices. We share with children the responsibility of determining paths to new knowledge and holistic growth. We commit ourselves to continuous professional learning in the fields of early childhood and language development.”
During their visit, Professor Shiraishi expressed interest in how teachers at the school carefully document children’s learning. Professor Yamamoto remarked, “There are many new students since the last time we visited. It is pleasing to see that the children are so happy and having fun.”
School Director Finbar Burke stated that Discovery looks forward to maintaining close relationships with the guests and others involved in higher education. “It allows us to stay informed of new developments in education research,” he said. “We believe that society needs to pay more mindful attention to early childhood learning. We are a small school, but we are happy to play an active role in promoting children’s rights and transformative learning practices.”
Click here to find out more about Discovery International School
About Robert
