ABOUT US
Sunshine ELC is a privately-owned early education centre and preschool
Sunshine Early Learning Centre was founded in 2014 when English Daycare Sunshine was taken under new ownership and management.
Our focus is on English early childhood education and care. There are native English-speaking teachers in our groups and the learning environment is truly international, with both staff members and children from all over the world. We also have Early Education Teacher students from different countries visiting us frequently as trainees.
In the last few years Sunshine has expanded from one, to three, early education centres and a preschool. Still, our units are relatively small, offering children a comfortable and cosy learning environment.
There is a friendly and positive atmosphere at Sunshine. We believe that committed and caring teachers provide the highest quality activities for the children. We invest in the well-being and training of our staff members, so that they can concentrate on taking the best possible care of the children.
Underpinning all we do at Sunshine is our warm and positive approach towards children and learning. Our values – togetherness, quality and joy – are reflected in all of the activities and opportunities we offer to the children.
Our values
OUR CURRICULUM
The Early Childhood Education and Care Curriculum at Sunshine
Our curriculum is based on the Finnish National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care. Play is the key practice and method for teaching activities which are based on pedagogical learning areas and objectives. The activities develop children’s skills in areas such as language, mathematical thinking, environmental education, technology education, ethical thinking, creative expression and food education and exploration.
The most natural ways for children to act and develop their skills are through playing, moving, experiencing and creating art, and exploring. In early childhood education we integrate different subjects under varying themes and teach them through playful activities. For example, a trip to the forest can be an integrated lesson of mathematics, environmental studies, biology, language and social studies. These pedagogical activities develop not only the children’s language abilities but also their knowledge, skills, values, attitude and will – all of which are needed for further learning in life.
At Sunshine we have a special interest in two areas: language development and social skills. We take language development and social skills into consideration in everything we do. Our teachers use a structured plan to teach these skills to the children. We want every child in our care to feel that they are listened to and respected as a member of the group.
While our main emphasis is teaching children English, we also offer separate Finnish activities in our early learning centres. This is to support the language development of the native Finnish speaking children, and to teach Finnish as a second language to the non-native children.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Children as second language learners
If you think how your child learned their first language, the same applies to the second language too. Children learn the most while interacting and playing with their family, friends or other people around them. They are more likely to learn new words such as names of objects, when the words are used in a meaningful interaction with another person. Children are often naturally self-motivated to learn a new language without consciously trying. They imitate pronunciation and learn the grammar without using books. Often children who acquire language this way also have a better pronunciation and natural feel for the language and culture.
Any activity is an opportunity for learning – children learn through play, routines, stories, games and songs. As part of these activities, our teachers can support children’s language development by modelling and repeating meaningful words and phrases. Using gestures and visual materials such as photographs or pictures can also greatly assist children’s understanding of language and their acquisition of words. We can talk with children about their favourite food while eating lunch or discuss the pictures in a book while reading it or learn new words while doing a show and tell during a toy day. Singing and rhyming is also part of every day at Sunshine. While our main emphasis is teaching children English, we do also offer separate Finnish activities in our early learning centres. This is to support the language development of the native Finnish speaking children, and to teach Finnish as a second language to the non-native children.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Children as second language learners
If you think how your child learned their first language, the same applies to the second language too. Children learn the most while interacting and playing with their family, friends or other people around them. They are more likely to learn new words such as names of objects, when the words are used in a meaningful interaction with another person. Children are often naturally self-motivated to learn a new language without consciously trying. They imitate pronunciation and learn the grammar without using books. Often children who acquire language this way also have a better pronunciation and natural feel for the language and culture.
Any activity is an opportunity for learning – children learn through play, routines, stories, games and songs. As part of these activities, our teachers can support children’s language development by modelling and repeating meaningful words and phrases. Using gestures and visual materials such as photographs or pictures can also greatly assist children’s understanding of language and their acquisition of words. We can talk with children about their favourite food while eating lunch or discuss the pictures in a book while reading it or learn new words while doing a show and tell during a toy day. Singing and rhyming is also part of every day at Sunshine. While our main emphasis is teaching children English, we do also offer separate Finnish activities in our early learning centres. This is to support the language development of the native Finnish speaking children, and to teach Finnish as a second language to the non-native children.