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Nordic Families, Children and Early Childhood Education pp 193–212Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Early Childhood Education (ECE) in the Nordic Countries: Universal Challenges to the Danish Model—Towards a Future ECE Paradigm

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Part of the book series: Studies in Childhood and Youth ((SCY))

Abstract

This chapter shows how educational universalism has challenged the Nordic model. First, some main characteristics of the Danish (and the Nordic) Early Childhood Education (ECE) model will be presented. Second, key characteristics of ECE educational universalism will be spelled out. It will be explained how and why a special version of educational universalism has been highly influential in a Danish context, that is, an “academic” ECE paradigm with its cognitive goal-directed early school-preparation programmes. But what ECE model is beneficial for children’s learning and development in the long run? This will be answered by weighting the empirical evidence. Nordic ECE research is predominantly done in child care or split between child care and family. But as young children are active learners in and across their dual family/child care worlds, a relational systems model will be proposed depicting the young child’s most important ECE learning arenas. Finally, consequences for future ECE research will be drawn.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This situation is probably not only Danish, but also Nordic and seen in other countries as well. For example in the USA, a deep schism between “early academics” and “playful learning” has been depicted (Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff, Berk, & Singer, 2009).

  2. 2.

    These reviews reach the same conclusion. They also include extended references to the empirical evidence: Fisher, Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff, Singer, and Berk (2011); Hirsh-Pasek et al. (2009).

  3. 3.

    Relational systems processes between humans will be called ‘relationships’.

  4. 4.

    There are many types of families in the North. The one chosen here, however, is still the most typical with father, mother and two children. But this model can be used on all other family types. For example, constellations and combinations in a one-parent family will still be there, but fewer. For example, without tetrad relationships.

  5. 5.

    During a 24-hour schedule, family members can be involved in all constellations and combinations, for example, in the tetrad during shared mealtimes or all family members watching TV.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

    Dion Sommer

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  1. Dion Sommer
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Correspondence to Dion Sommer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Susanne Garvis , Sonja Sheridan  & Pia Williams ,  & 

  2. Nord University, Bodø, Norway

    Heidi Harju-Luukkainen

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Sommer, D. (2019). Early Childhood Education (ECE) in the Nordic Countries: Universal Challenges to the Danish Model—Towards a Future ECE Paradigm. In: Garvis, S., Harju-Luukkainen, H., Sheridan, S., Williams, P. (eds) Nordic Families, Children and Early Childhood Education. Studies in Childhood and Youth. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16866-7_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16866-7_10

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