Preschool Curriculum in Sweden

Knowledge is a complex concept, which can be expressed in a variety of forms – as facts, understanding, skills, familiarity and experience – all of which presuppose and interact with each other.

The starting point for the preschool is the experience children have already gained, their interests, motivation and their drive to acquire knowledge. Children search for knowledge and develop it through play, social interaction, exploration and creativity, as well as through observation, discussion and reaction. A theme- oriented approach can broaden and enrich the child’s learning.

Learning should be based, not only on the interaction between adults and children, but also on what children learn from each other. The group of children should be regarded as an important and active part in development and learning. The preschool should give children support to develop a positive picture of themselves as learning and creative individuals. They should be supported in developing confidence in their own ability to think for themselves, to act, to move and to learn i.e. to develop from different perspectives such as the intellectual, linguistic, ethical, practical, sensory and aesthetic.

Children should get stimulation and guidance from adults in order to increase their competence and acquire new knowledge and insights through their own activity. This approach presupposes that both different forms of language and knowledge, as well as different ways of learning are brought into balance and together form a whole.