The Finnish Primary School Day Is Shorter and Packed with "Käsityö"!
A basic Finnish education starts at the age 7, and they do not select students on the basis of academic achievement, aptitude or socioeconomic status yet they are the world’s leader in happy people and amazing student outcomes! Why??? 75 Minutes of Recces Minimum per Day, Educational Play, High Quality Arts Education, Ethics/Religion Classes, Old-world Handicrafts Education (Käsityö), School Equity not Accountability, Cooperative Learning, Peer to Peer Leadership, Creativity and Student Owned Learning!
A primary schedule from a basic public school in Finland.
1st Grade Schedule (7-8 year olds)
Rajakyla Elementary, Vantaa Finland
"Finland’s experience shows that it is possible to achieve excellence by focusing not on competition, but on cooperation, and not on choice, but on equity.”
"All of the factors that are behind the Finnish success seem to be the opposite of what is taking place in the United States and much of the rest of the world, where competition, test-based accountability, standardization, and privatization seem to dominate.”
"Instead of competition, Finland decided on cooperation and mutual help as a matter of policy. Students are rarely tested. Instead, they teach each other in class. Each student gets personal attention until he is on par with the other students. This attitude extends to the teachers and schools as well:
“One of the ways that teachers improve is by learning from other teachers. Schools improve when they learn from other schools. Isolation is the enemy of all improvement.” Pasi Sahlberg
Finnish Students are TOP in the world for Arts Enrichment, Recess, Käsityö and yes TEST Success! I ask a group of Finnish teachers, Pasi Sahlberg, and Finnish school administrators, “how and why do your students do so well on the Pisa Test, when primary students go to school for half days, and spend what seems like most of their day at recess, art, music or handicraft classes "käsityö"? The simple and short answer was, “Students get more done during the academic time because they own their learning, they learn to be industrious, are energized about learning, emotionally and academically engaged, truly motivated, and very excited to be at school learning amazing fun things. WOW, I was struck at the mindfulness and the wisdom of the answer. We will send our children to what is essentially test prep academies, and take out, and or reduce enrichment when students are at risk, and replace it with intensive TEST prep disguised as a scientifically researched quality curriculum.
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Käsityö Brain Break!!
Students love learning when they own their education, the American top down system can Kill this love of learning! |
A primary schedule from a basic public school in Finland.
Rajakyla Elementary, Vantaa Finland
| Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
| 8:00- 8:45 | Language arts | World Religion | Handicraft Käsityö | ||
| 8:45- 9:30 | Math | Language arts | Language arts | Math | Music |
| 9:30- 10:00 | Recess | Recess | Recess | Recess | Recess |
| 10:00- 10:45 | Language arts | Physical Education | Art or Käsityö | Language arts | Language arts |
| 10:45- 11:30 | Handicraft Käsityö | Science | Art or Käsityö | Science | Physical Education |
| 11:30- 12:15 | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess |
| 12:15- 1:00 | Math | Language arts | Religion | ||
| Dismissal | Dismissal | Dismissal | Dismissal | Dismissal | |
"Finland’s experience shows that it is possible to achieve excellence by focusing not on competition, but on cooperation, and not on choice, but on equity.”
"All of the factors that are behind the Finnish success seem to be the opposite of what is taking place in the United States and much of the rest of the world, where competition, test-based accountability, standardization, and privatization seem to dominate.”
"Instead of competition, Finland decided on cooperation and mutual help as a matter of policy. Students are rarely tested. Instead, they teach each other in class. Each student gets personal attention until he is on par with the other students. This attitude extends to the teachers and schools as well:
“One of the ways that teachers improve is by learning from other teachers. Schools improve when they learn from other schools. Isolation is the enemy of all improvement.” Pasi Sahlberg
Finnish Lessons
" Less testing, more learning”
“More creativity, less standardization”
“Prevention, not repair”
“Children must play”
“More creativity, less standardization”
“Prevention, not repair”
“Children must play”
Finnish Students are TOP in the world for Arts Enrichment, Recess, Käsityö and yes TEST Success! I ask a group of Finnish teachers, Pasi Sahlberg, and Finnish school administrators, “how and why do your students do so well on the Pisa Test, when primary students go to school for half days, and spend what seems like most of their day at recess, art, music or handicraft classes "käsityö"? The simple and short answer was, “Students get more done during the academic time because they own their learning, they learn to be industrious, are energized about learning, emotionally and academically engaged, truly motivated, and very excited to be at school learning amazing fun things. WOW, I was struck at the mindfulness and the wisdom of the answer. We will send our children to what is essentially test prep academies, and take out, and or reduce enrichment when students are at risk, and replace it with intensive TEST prep disguised as a scientifically researched quality curriculum.
Here is a typical 1st-grade school schedule for Rajakyla Elementary School in Vantaa, Finland:
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 - 8:10 - Arrival and m=Morning Assembly Ercises 8:10 - 9:00 - Lesson 1 (Math) 9:00 - 9:15 - Snack time and Recess 9:15 - 10:00 - Lesson 2 (Finnish Language) 10:00 - 10:15 - Break and recess 10:15 - 11:00 - Lesson 3 (Science, Music, Religion, Ethics, Art, or Physical Education) 11:00 - 11:45 - Lesson 4 (Finnish Language) 11:45 - 12:30 - Lunch break 12:30 - 1:15 - Lesson 5 (Math, Handicraft, Science, Music ) 1:15 - 1:30 - Most Kids Go Home 1:30 - 2:15 - Lesson 6 (Enrichment) 2:15 - 2:30 - Afternoon snack 2:30 - 3:15 - Lesson 7 (Enrichment)
Friday: 8:00 - 8:10 - Arrival and morning exercises 8:10 - 9:00 - Lesson 1 (Math) 9:00 - 9:15 - Snack time Recess 9:15 - 10:00 - Lesson 2 (Finnish Language) 10:00 - 10:15 - Break and Resess 10:15 - 11:00 - Lesson 3 (Science, Music, Art, or Physical Education) 11:00 - 11:45 - Lesson 4 (English Language) 11:45 - 12:30 - Lunch break 12:30 - 1:15 - Lesson 5 (Math) 1:15 - 1:30 - School Day is done 1:30 - 2:15 - Lesson 6 (Enrichment, Music, Social Studies, Ethics, or Environmental Education) 2:15 - 2:30 - Afternoon snack 2:30 - 3:15 - Lesson 7 (Free time or optional activities)
It's worth noting that schedules can vary from school to school, and even from class to class. However, this should give you a general idea of what a 1st-grade school schedule in Finland might look like.
"Some aver that a course of scientific training in handicraft gives a boy or girl a new zeal for school work to such an extent that the progress of such a pupil is not only equal, but often exceeds, that of pupils whose attention is concentrated on a literary curriculum. If this is true, even to the extent a pupil under these conditions holds his own, he has the additional advantage of having learnt to use his hands, and his education as a result is "all sided." It has been said that "the true aim of education is the development of all the powers of man to the culminating point of action: and this power in the concrete--the power to do some useful thing for man--this must be the last analysis of educational truth" The Pedagogy of Educational Handicraft by T.W. Berry:1909
Students in US schools are revolting because we have turned schools into testing factories!
- The Finnish elementary school schedules change every day, they start about 8-9 AM and schedule a 45-minute lesson that is followed always by 15 minutes of recces
- 15 minutes of unstructured recess every hour is required by law
- Primary student receive 25 lessons every week
- 25-35% of the daily lessons are enrichment
- Finnish teachers are addressed by their first names
- Elementary students have early out every day
- Intermediate students start learning English and at least one more language
- Student in Finland have only one Mandatory test at the age of 16!
- Classes in the primary grade are usually always combo classes K-1, 2-3, 4-5!
- Kids are not usually ability grouped or given special education labels, they are big fans of Kagan Cooperative Learning and sticky learning.
- Kids that struggle academically get any and all of the help they need without being tabled, 85% of all kids in Finland get corrective or compensatory services. In their academic career
- Classes and lessons are usually taught by two educators! Team teaching and collaborative teaching!
- All teachers collaborate and develop curriculum in house. They rarely purchase published curriculum.
- Käsityö "educative/formative handicraft" is mandatory for all students!
- 70% of Finnish students go to college! Yes it is FREE!
- Finnish students really get 75 minutes of recess a day! 15 minutes every hour.
- Finnish teachers are master teachers that are given complete autonomy to make educational decisions to meet the needs of their students! They have a minimum of a Research Masters degree.
- Students start basic/comprehensive school at the age of seven!
- All student participate in weekly Religion or Moral and Ethics classes!
- All students learn multiple languages!
- All yes all principals teach weekly lessons to multiple classes to stay current and connected!
- They have almost no administration for even the largest school systems.
- Finnish schools do not have dedicated school transportation systems they use the municipal city buses for getting kids to and from school. Big money savings!
- Finnish schools especially middle and high school do not have any vast multi-sports complexes. They use the land and the money to build central sports complexes and parks that are open to all citizens. Big money savings!
- Finnish students love school and thrive in part to the academic culture that has grown over the years!
A primary schedule from a basic public school in Finland.
Rajakyla Elementary, Vantaa Finland
| Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
| 8:00- 8:45 | Language arts | World Religion | Handicraft Käsityö | ||
| 8:45- 9:30 | Math | Language arts | Language arts | Math | Music |
| 9:30- 10:00 | Recess | Recess | Recess | Recess | Recess |
| 10:00- 10:45 | Language arts | Physical Education | Art or Käsityö | Language arts | Language arts |
| 10:45- 11:30 | Handicraft Käsityö | Science | Art or Käsityö | Science | Physical Education |
| 11:30- 12:15 | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess | Lunch and Recess |
| 12:15- 1:00 | Math | Language arts | Religion | ||
| Dismissal | Dismissal | Dismissal | Dismissal | Dismissal | |
My Adaptation of a Finnish School Schedule!
Finland’s 75/25 Rule for Educators and Teaching!
Finnish students spend 25-30% or more of their school day enjoying enrichment activities.Imagine giving students 25% of their instructional day to whatever fascinates them personally; will they build a passion for learning and succeed? Finland uses the 75/25 rule for building emotional intelligence, academic fidelity and loyalty, creating a culture of learning innovation, cultivating creative imaginative students, and acknowledging the creativity and productivity of working on self guided passions. Most Finnish students are in a band or musical group even the primary students.
The 75/25 Rule can be used as the foundation of a flipped classroom, front loaded instruction 25%, and student work/collaboration 75%.
Food For Thought on the 75–25 rule
- 90% of students success comes from intrinsic lead interest 10% of success comes from teacher lead instruction and studying
- 90% of students academic knowledge comes from 10% of the time spent on academic learning
- 80% of lessons are unproductive (meeting the needs of all students) 20% of lessons are productive
- 70% of students need differentiation (pacing, higher or lower level) 20% of students are on instructional level
- 90% of classroom behavior problems come from 10% of students (academic and social and emotional)
Finland amazingly rejected the "Accountability Movement" 20 years ago and decided to develop a teacher-student centered learning model. They do not administer standardized or criterion referenced test! Teachers are free to make students learning the priority! Teachers are trusted and bad public policy is STOPPED!
We will never "cure bad schools", we can only change bad public policy that feeds a lack of equity! We need to cure the Global Education Reform Movement! THE GERM!
Finland rejected the "GERM: Global Education Reform Movement" corporate lead model of education and empowered teachers to make educational decisions. NOW Finland has one of the best educational systems in the world!
The Message: Teachers in Finland have the freedom to do what they see is in the best interest of the child!
How to Teach Dyslexic Students to Read the Finnish Way!
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