The Finnish Primary School Day Is Shorter and More Enriching!
A basic Finnish school (public school) does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude yet they are the world’s leader in happy people and amazing student outcomes!
"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 Brain Breaks, Recess, Happiness, and Success! I ask a group of Finnish teachers, Pasi Sahlberg, and Finnish school administrators, “how do your students do so well on the Pisa Test, when primary students go to school for half days, and they spend what seems like most of their day at recess or playing? The simple and short answer was, “Students get more done during the academic time because they are energized, engaged, motivated, and excited to be at school learning. WOW, I was struck at the mindfulness and the wisdom of the answer. We send our children to what is essentially NCLB test prep academies, and take out, and or reduce enrichment when students are at risk, and replace it with intensive TEST prep disguised as scientifically researched quality curriculum.
Students in US schools are revolting because we have turned schools into testing factories!
A primary schedule from a basic public school in Finland.
1st Grade Schedule (7-8 year olds)
Rajakyla Elementary, Vantaa Finland
My Adaptation of a Finnish School Schedule!
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
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!
How do you teach dyslexic students to
read, that can’t use phonics or just seem unreachable? Most teachers
will try anything once, reading software, boxed reading interventions,
resource help. special education services or sadly they just assume
after trying, some students will never learn to read!They are beyond any
help if the Software and Special Education programs fail. My own bad
memories learning to read, and 14 years of experience have shown me
that, there are no students beyond help!
One of the Finnish methods is put a
really good book in the dyslexics students hand, and read with them for a
very long time. We are talking about two or three hours a day, five
days a week, for many months! You may say, I can’t justify that, or my
schedule is only 45 minutes a day with the student, my school won’t
allow that, but what is really important, the student learning to read!
Learning to read always trumps the schedules and the rules, that is the
Finnish way. Give students the time they need to learn to become sight
readers. The Finnish way is do what ever works without worrying about
rules or schedules. The only real secret to this method, is spending a
very long time on task reading great books, and the student must track
each word with their finger as their partners read to them to speed the process of becoming a sight reader. Teachers and
staff can hand over the read-athon to students and just keep up the
marathon of reading. I have used this with students that everyone gave
up on, the method has never failed. The students of course go to
specials, participate in all enrichment activities, have snacks, go to
recess but all academic time is spent reading books with a partner,
books like Hatchet or The Giver for my sixth grade boys. The students
also play lots of board games, I make copies of all the rules and read
them with the students having them track each word with their fingers or
a book mark. The best methods are try everything and never give up! Sean
 |
Hand Weaving Brain Break!!
Students Love Learning, the American System can Kill this Love of Learning! |
"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 Brain Breaks, Recess, Happiness, and Success! I ask a group of Finnish teachers, Pasi Sahlberg, and Finnish school administrators, “how do your students do so well on the Pisa Test, when primary students go to school for half days, and they spend what seems like most of their day at recess or playing? The simple and short answer was, “Students get more done during the academic time because they are energized, engaged, motivated, and excited to be at school learning. WOW, I was struck at the mindfulness and the wisdom of the answer. We send our children to what is essentially NCLB test prep academies, and take out, and or reduce enrichment when students are at risk, and replace it with intensive TEST prep disguised as scientifically researched quality curriculum.
Students in US schools are revolting because we have turned schools into testing factories!
The Amazing Truth about Finnish Schools!
- Student in Finland have only one Mandatory test at the age of 16!
- 70% of Finnish students go to college!
- Finnish students get 75 minutes of recess a day!
- Finnish teachers are master teachers that are given complete autonomy to make educational decisions to meet the needs of their students!
- Students start basic/comprehensive school at the age of seven!
- All student participate in weekly Religion classes!
- All students learn multiple languages!
- Principals teach weekly lessons to their students!
- Finnish students love school and thrive!
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 | ||
| 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 | Language arts | Language arts |
| 10:45- 11:30 | Handicraft | Science | Art | 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!
