Open Daycare Centre LASTU

We implement English language-enriched teaching.

Two- and three-time groups

Two times a week, LASTU's groups provide three hours a day of high-quality early childhood education for 2–5-year-old children in the premises of the Faculty of Education and and Psychology of the University of Oulu. The daycare centre manager and two early childhood education teachers are responsible for the operations. LASTU's activities are free of charge.

• Tuohet: Monday and Wednesday 9.00 – 12.00
• Kaarnat: Tuesday and Thursday 9.00 – 12.00
• Päreet: Tuesday and Thursday 12.30 – 15.30

Family groups 

• Pilkkeet: Wednesday 13.00 – 15.00
• Klapit: Friday 10.00 - 12.00

The Lastu family groups are intended for children aged 0–5 years in home care and their guardians. The family group offers high-quality pedagogical activities, play company and the opportunity for children to practice social situations safely in the company of their parents. For guardians, the family groups Pilkkeet and Kapit offers support for everyday situations and the opportunity for peer support in the company of other parents.

N.B! Communication between families and groups mainly takes place through eVaka.

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Open daycare centre LASTU is part of the City of Oulu's daycare centre network. The daycare centre is located at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the University of Oulu, on the Linnanmaa campus.

Open daycare centre LASTU offers free part-time early childhood education for children aged 2–5 years and family group activities for children accompanied by their own adult. The early childhood education activities carried out in cooperation between the City of Oulu and the University of Oulu combine practical early childhood education work, teacher education and scientific research.

Our operations are based on multidisciplinary research. We learn through unhurried interaction with each other. We support the child's natural, creative desire to learn, taking into account each child as an individual and a member of the community. We encourage children to find the joy of learning.

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Our operations are based on the Basics of the Early Childhood Education Plan (2022), the Basics of the Preschool Curriculum (2014), the unit-specific action plan of Sampola Daycare Centre and Open Daycare Centre LASTU, and the local policies of the City of Oulu.

The starting point for the open daycare centre LASTU is the participation of children and families. We attach importance to cooperation with guardians. Our goal is honest and open interaction with guardians. In this way, we lay the foundation for mutual trust and good cooperation. 

We support the child's growth, development, learning and well-being through positive pedagogy, utilising the child's character strengths. We practice interaction and emotional skills together in a safe atmosphere. We respect and listen to the child, taking into account each child's individual needs and interests.

We use STEAM pedagogy to guide children to grow into persistent, cooperative and courageous problem solvers.

STEAM = SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, MATHEMATICS

Our work is project-based. We explore the surrounding nature and our own hometown. We go on adventures in nature and in the yard of the daycare centre, collect the harvest from the research garden, and observe and explore the world in different ways. We guide children in different everyday situations to learn new things by wondering and experimenting, through new experiences.

Children can learn by playing, exploring, moving and through many forms of artistic experience and expression. The starting point for our pedagogical activities is an inspiring learning environment that enables children's participation, natural curiosity, exploration and new learning.

We operate according to the principles of full-time pedagogy: every everyday situation is seen as an opportunity for practice and learning. Our activities take place in small groups.

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Our daycare centre is visited by international teaching and education professionals interested in Finnish early childhood education. In addition, we offer international students of the University of Oulu the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the pedagogical activities of our unit.

In our daily operations, we use language-enriched pedagogy, the aim of which is to add foreign languages to children's everyday lives. We use English and the home languages of the children in our groups in different everyday situations on a daily basis.

Open daycare centre LASTU provides English-enriched teaching.

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Open daycare centre LASTU operates as a research and development daycare centre for teacher education and early childhood education at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the University of Oulu.

At LASTU, student teachers can observe and practice teaching young children at different stages of their studies. Our daycare centre is involved in various research projects, doctoral dissertations and master's theses at the University of Oulu. LASTU offers a diverse environment for childhood research.