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NATIONAL CORE CURRICULUM FOR BASIC EDUCATION 2014 OF MOTHER TONGUE AND LITERATURE, HISTORY, SOCIAL STUDIES, MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS/FINLAND

Aiming for transversal competence

Transversal competence refers to an entity consisting of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and will. Competence also means an ability to apply knowledge and skills in a given situation. The manner in which the pupils will use their knowledge and skills is influenced by the values and attitudes they have adopted and their willingness to take action. The increased need for transversal competence arises from changes in the surrounding world. Competences that cross the boundaries of and link different fields of knowledge and skills are a precondition for personal growth, studying, work and civic activity now and in the future.

Values, the conception of learning and the school culture lay the foundation for the development of competence. Each subject builds the pupil's competence through the contents and methods typical of its field of knowledge. Competence development is influenced not only by the contents on which the pupils work but also, and especially, by how they work and how the interaction between the learner and the environment functions. Feedback given to the pupils as well as guidance and support for learning influence attitudes, motivation and willingness to act.

There are seven transversal competence areas. These areas are frequently interconnected. Their joint objective is, in line with the mission of basic education and taking the pupils' age into account, to support growth as a human being and to impart competences required for membership in a democratic society and a sustainable way of living. It is particularly vital to encourage the pupils to recognise their uniqueness and their personal strengths and development potential, and to appreciate themselves.

These competences have been taken into account in the definition of the objectives and key content areas of the subjects. The subject descriptions point out the links between the objectives of the subjects and the transversal competences.

Thinking and learning to learn (T1)

Cultural competence, interaction and self-expression (T2)

Taking care of oneself and managing daily life (T3)

Multiliteracy (T4)

ICT Competence (T5)

Working life competence and entrepreneurship (T6)

Participation, involvement and building a sustainable future (T7)

Cultural competence, interaction and self-expression (T2)

The pupils are growing up in a world where cultural, linguistic, religious and philosophical diversity is part of life. Preconditions for a culturally sustainable way of living and acting in a diverse environment are possessing cultural competence based on respect for human rights, skills in appreciative interaction and means for expressing oneself and one's views.

Pupils in basic education are guided in recognising and appreciating cultural meanings in their environment and building a personal cultural identity and a positive relationship with the environment. The pupils learn to know and appreciate their living environment and its cultural heritage as well as their personal social, cultural, religious, philosophical and linguistic roots. They are encouraged to consider the significance of their own background and their place in the chain of generations. The pupils are guided to consider cultural diversity a fundamentally positive resource. They are also supported to recognise how cultures, religions and philosophies exert influence in society and daily life and how the media shapes the culture, and also to consider what is unacceptable as a violation of human rights. In cooperation within the school community and outside it, the pupils learn to discern cultural specificities and to act flexibly in different environments. They are educated to encounter other people respectfully and to have good manners. The pupils are given opportunities for experiencing and interpreting art, culture and cultural heritage. They also learn to communicate, modify and create culture and traditions and to understand their significance for well-being.

Plenty of opportunities for the pupils to practice expressing their opinions constructively and acting ethically are embedded in school work. The pupils are guided in putting themselves in the place of another person and examining issues and situations from different viewpoints. School work systematically promotes the recognition and appreciation of human rights and, in particular, the rights of the child, and actions indicated by these rights. Respectful and trusting attitudes towards other groups of people and peoples are reinforced in all activities, also by means of international cooperation.

In the school community, the pupils experience the significance of interaction for their personal development. They develop their social skills and learn to express themselves in different ways and present and perform publicly in various situations. Education supports the pupils' development as versatile and skilful users of language, both in their mother tongue and in other languages. They are encouraged to use even limited language skills to interact and express themselves. It is equally important to learn to use mathematical symbols, images and other visual expression, drama and music, and movement as means of interaction and expression. School work also offers versatile possibilities for developing manual skills. The pupils are guided to appreciate and use their bodies to express emotions, views, thoughts and ideas. School work encourages the use of imagination and creativity. The pupils are guided to act in a manner that promotes aesthetic values in their environment and to enjoy their various manifestations.

FINNISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

The task, the objectives related to learning environments and working methods as well as guidance, differentiation, support, and the assessment of the pupil's learning all described in the section of mother tongue and literature also apply to the syllabus in Finnish language and literature.

Specific task of the syllabus

The specific task of the syllabus in Finnish language and literature is to develop the pupils' Finnish language proficiency, multiliteracy, and interaction skills as well as to familiarise them with literature and culture. The instruction supports the pupils in developing multiliteracy and language awareness and in building their linguistic identities. The pupils are guided in understanding the meaning and status of the Finnish language, literature, and other forms of culture in a multicultural and multilingual society. The pupils are guided in perceiving how linguistic, media, and cultural knowledge acquired outside of school supports their learning of the Finnish language.

The instruction acknowledges the status of Finnish and Swedish as national languages and the status of Finnish as the majority language and the primary language of instruction. The Finnish language is not only the object of teaching and learning but also an instrument for studying different subjects. The essential learning-to-learn and thinking skills are supported in teaching and learning. Cooperation is important in the instruction of the syllabi in Finnish language and literature, Finnish as a second language and Finnish literature, and other syllabi in mother tongue and literature.

In grades 1–2, the emphasis of teaching and learning is on developing basic literacy as well as learning-to-learn and interaction skills. The task of instruction is to guide the pupils towards developing an interest in language, expression, and the production and comprehension of different kinds of texts.

Objectives of instruction in the syllabus in Finnish language and literature in grades 1–2

Objectives of instruction / Content areas related to the objectives / Transversal competences
Acting in interactive situations
O1 to guide the pupil to improve his or her skills in acting in different interactive situations / C1 / T1, T2, T3
O2 to guide the pupil to develop his or her language and imagination as well as interaction and team work skills by offering opportunities to participate in different group communication situations and become familiar with the related practices / C1 / T1, T2, T7
O3 to support the pupil in expressing himself or herself more confidently and to guide the pupil to all-round self-expression, also by the means of drama / C1 / T1, T2, T7
O4 to guide the pupil to build a self-image as a communicator and to understand that people communicate in various ways / C1 / T1, T2, T7
Interpreting texts
O5 to guide and encourage the pupil in learning to read and in practising text comprehension skills and to help the pupil to observe his or her own reading / C2 / T1, T4, T5
O6 to guide the pupil to examine the meanings and structures of diverse texts and to expand his or her vocabulary and resource of concepts through examining texts / C2 / T1, T2, T4
O7 to guide the pupil to use different ways of finding information / C2 / T1, T4, T5
O8 to encourage the pupil to take an interest in children's literature, media texts and other texts by providing him or her with positive reading experiences and opportunities to satisfy the thirst for information and to share reading experiences / C2 / T2, T4, T5
Producing texts
O9 to encourage and inspire the pupil to tell stories, express his or her opinions and describe experiences by spoken, written, and visual means / C3 / T1, T4, T5, T7
O10 to guide the pupil to produce simple narrative, descriptive, and other texts, also in multimedia environments / C3 / T2, T4, T5
O11 to guide the pupil to practise his or her handwriting and keyboard skills and to guide the pupil to gradually plan and structure texts and learn the basics of spelling and the conventions of written language / C3 / T1, T4, T5
Understanding language, literature, and culture
O12 to encourage the pupil to increase his or her language awareness and knowledge of the basic concepts of language, to guide the pupil to make observations about spoken and written language, and to help the pupil realise that his or her own language use influences the behaviour of others / C4 / T2, T4, T7
O13 to inspire the pupil to listen to and read children's literature, select reading material that he or she finds interesting, and develop his or her reading pursuits, and to guide the pupil to use the library / C4 / T2, T3, T4
O14 to guide the pupil to appreciate his or her own language and culture as well as cultural diversity, to introduce certain forms of children's culture and encourage the pupil to use them, and to encourage the pupil to create culture together with others / C4 / T2, T4, T7

Key content areas related to the objectives of the syllabus in Finnish language and literature in grades 1–2

C1 Acting in interactive situations: The pupils practise analysing their surroundings through language as well as naming objects, listening, asking and answering questions, and narrating. They practise the conventions of group communication in different forms of face-to-face interaction. The pupils observe different modes of communication. Children's literature, fairy tales, stories, nursery rhymes, non-fiction texts, media texts, and games are examined through various interaction exercises, discussions, and drama.

C2 Interpreting texts: The pupils learn to read and practise the necessary concepts of sound, letter, syllable, word, sentence, terminal punctuation, heading, text, and image. The pupils' text comprehension skills are supported, and the pupils practise text comprehension strategies. The pupils observe and interpret multimodal texts found in their surroundings, also focusing on the meanings and structures of texts, and work with, for instance, pictures, children's literature, simple non-fiction texts, and media texts. The pupils reflect on the meanings of words and sayings, consider word choices in texts, and expand their resource of concepts. The pupils learn different ways of expressing time, order, and place particularly in narrative, descriptive, and instructive texts and learn to use the basic concepts of narration, such as main character, setting, and plot. The pupils share their reading experiences in different ways, discuss the contents of texts, and practise relating a text in their own words. The pupils practise finding information by observing their surroundings and interpreting pictures and written texts, and practise presenting information to others.

C3 Producing texts: The pupils practise producing texts, using their imagination, telling stories, expressing opinions, and describing their own experiences, observations, and thoughts through speech, writing, and images, both independently and together with others. The pupils examine adapting spoken language into written language and practise the planning of texts. They become acquainted with the typical textual and linguistic characteristics of narration and description – such as ways of expressing time and place and the basic structure of stories – and practise applying them in their own texts. The pupils learn to print upper and lower case letters, form words with these letters, and practise keyboard skills. The development of spelling skills is supported with exercises on phonological awareness and reading. In their own texts, pupils practise the basics of spelling and certain conventions of written language, such as word breaks, hyphenation, sentence, and the use of terminal punctuation in sentences, and the use of capital letters at the beginning of a sentence and in familiar proper nouns.

C4 Understanding language, literature, and culture: The pupils' increase their language awareness by observing spoken language and becoming familiar with written language through listening and reading. The pupils make observations on different ways of speaking, the languages present at school and in leisure time, and the influence language use has on others. Together with the teacher, the pupils reflect on words, sayings, and ways of expression and play with the language with the help of nursery rhymes, poems, and wordplay. The pupils find reading material that is of interest to them, and reading is encouraged as a pastime. Through listening and reading, the pupils are introduced to diverse texts, such as s children's literature and media texts. The texts are also used to stimulate expression, and the pupils discuss their significance in their daily lives. Together with the teacher, the pupils get to know the library and its use. They are also familiarised with local children's culture and customs, festive traditions, and certain forms of folk tradition. The pupils also participate in the production of performances and other cultural products.

13.4.8 MUSIC


Task of the subject

The task of the subject of music is to create opportunities for versatile musical activities and active cultural participation. The pupils are guided to interpret the multiple meanings of music in different cultures as well as in the activities of individuals and communities. The pupils’ musical skills broaden, which also enhances their positive attitude towards music and lays a foundation for a lifelong interest in music. The teaching and learning of music guide the pupils to appreciate and be curious about music and cultural diversity.