Finland

Kälviän Kirkonkylän koulu (Finland)

Kälviän Kirkonkylä school is a primary school in a rural area near the city of Kokkola. We have 140 students, aged 7-13 years. We have classes from the first to sixth grade, including two groups for children with learning disorders. There are nine teachers working in our school, three of whom are specialized in supporting the children with learning disabilities. In addition to that we have five assistants working with the students. Four of the assistants work with the children with special needs. Kälviän Kirkonkylä school is specialized in including students with special learning problems in the regular class groups.

Children with learning problems are integrated in ordinary classes with a school assistant or a special teacher. The main task of this is to give the students with special needs a possibility to be included in the peer group as members of it. That is facilitated by arranging the learning activities and providing them support, so that they are able to participate. They use tablets/iPads both in the peer group of their age and in their special groups as well. In that way they feel themselves as a part of the group with students in the same age. When it’s not possible to arrange the activities so that they can participate, the children with special needs study in their own, small groups with specialized teachers and assistants. Kälviän Kirkonkylä school is focused on providing support for children with learning problems in the area, working together with neighboring schools. We provide support via small group studying for the children from the neighboring schools as well.

Kälviän Kirkonkylän koulu

Koulukuja 3, 68300 Kälviä, Finland

www.kokkola.fi/palvelut/opetus_ja_kasvatus/perusopetus/luokat_1_9_fi/kalvian_kirkonkylan_koulu/