Who belongs?: Making space for differences in kindergartens

Written by Tega Oke

Edited by Wena Ho

On September 8th, Art is More hosted the first session of the dialogue series ”Shall We Talk? (Ska Vi Prata?)”, exploring the theme “Who Belongs? Making space for differences in kindergartens.” We invited early childhood educators Linda Juslenius and Stefanida Ermala from Ankkalampi to share their experiences of working with different learning needs and creating inclusive practices for both children and staff. The conversation was facilitated by Wena Ho, founder and director of Art Is More.

Seeing beyond the behaviour

Many teachers are familiar with the everyday ways of supporting different needs: using images to bridge language gaps, or fidget toys to support children who find sitting still challenging.

The underlying questions are: What is preventing this child from participating, and what can we change to make it easier? At the same time, individual needs have to be balanced with those of the wider group. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Linda and Stefanida also emphasized the importance of really knowing the children and noticing forms of communication beyond words: eye contact, facial expressions and body language.

At Art Is More, we explore some of these alternative ways of communicating and participating through the arts. A child might express themselves through movement, sound, drawing and storytelling rather than words. We also think about how an activity itself can offer different ways to enter, so that children do not all have to engage in the exact same way. Making space is an active practice: noticing who is present, who is on the edges, and what might help them move closer.

 "There is no 'difficult' child. It's the situation they are struggling with. Our job as educators is to understand the underlying emotional need and adapt the environment to support them," said Linda.

What can we learn from the “Ankka”-way?

What is interesting about Ankkalampi’s units is the linguistic diversity between its units, with different combinations of Finnish, Swedish and English. English-speaking units naturally attract international families but also educators from diverse backgrounds, bringing varied teaching styles and multicultural celebrations like Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s day. 

Swedish-Finnish units attract families that want to ground their children in domestic languages, especially Finnish-only-speaking families whose child is also partaking in traditions like Lucia and Svenska dagen.

Each Ankkalampi daycare retains its own identity with its own children and educators, while operating under the shared commitment to early childhood education. As Stefanida puts it, “we are really passionate, and proud of what we are doing.” 

Using difference as a strength 

To work with children is also to nurture the adults around them. We touched on differences between educators themselves. Some communicate very directly, while others prefer to listen first. Some are structured and organized, while others are more spontaneous.

These differences can sometimes create misunderstandings, but with the right soil, they can also be a strength. Different working and teaching styles bring different perspectives and energy to the team, precisely helping educators respond to the different needs of children.

For us at Art Is More, this is where the magic of the arts sparkle. The arts can create a space where different ways of thinking, communicating and participating are not something to overcome, but something to celebrate.

To belong is not about being the same as everyone else, but to know that your way of being has a place, where we meet one another with openness and curiosity.