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Våra Klasser (EN)
Curriculum & Programs
Our school is conducted on Saturdays between 9:30am- 12:00pm, about 30 times per year. We have 7 teachers and 2 teachers aids. Our school is lead by a Headmaster, who is also a teacher. He is responsible for reaching the curriculum goals and managing the teachers. Our school has small classes each with a separate room. We prefer that the students use Swedish actively at home as we do not offer beginners Swedish. We teach foremost the Swedish language, also dependent on the child's age, we also teach: Swedish history, geography, biology, and social science. We follow The Swedish Board of Education's curriculum for international Swedish part-time education SKOLFS 2000:152. It’s goal is defined as:
“The Swedish education is intended to give the students an opportunity to use and develop their ability to speak, listen, see, read, and write, as well as experience and learn from literature, movies and theater” (http://www.skolverket.se/sb/d/477).
To encourage students' independent study, The Swedish School for Children has a large library. Children and parents are able to borrow books, periodicals, audio tapes and films every two weeks when the library visits each classroom.
For the last two years, our teachers have written a teaching plan at the beginning of the year. This plan is distributed to the parents and then reported at the end of the school year. The teachers and principal hold seven meetings a year to discuss educational issues and share experiences. The teachers will also visit each other's classes to facilitate students' transition from one group to another. The groups overlap in age. The group classification takes into account both linguistic skills and social maturity.
Below is a summary of individual class goals for the year:
Knattegruppen- 4 year olds:
Knattengruppen was started during the current academic year. The goal is to work with parents at an early stage in the child's language development to strengthen the Swedish language and Swedish identity. By a conscious use of play and seasonal themes in different forms of expression such as photography, music & song, drama & rhythm, dance & movement, Knattegruppen seeks to promote children's development and learning of the Swedish language. Readings of texts and children’s books is also an important part of the curriculum.
Teaching materials from both Bornholmsmodellen and the Bromma collegians are used. At this level, the children also learn to count to ten, as well as the difference between "on - off - in - under - between" etc. Other areas of study include animals and seasons.
The 5-6 years group:
The goal for this group is to develop students' vocabulary in Swedish and teach all students how to write and pronounce the Swedish alphabet. Each week a new letter from the alphabet is studied. The students bring to school a favorite item from home that starts with the corresponding letter of that week. The week's alphabet letter is reinforced also by stories, songs and crafts. Other areas of study are Swedish traditions, the Swedish Royal family and nature.
Teaching materials: Big ABC book including exercise book
other selected materials
The 6-8 years group:
The objective of the 6-8-Ages is to discuss and reflect on texts and images which create an enjoyable reading experience. Based on the discussions, the students write and learn vocabulary, spelling and sentence structure. Written assignments, along with other related tasks, are sent home as homework. This method is known as the LTG method (lasning på talets grund, or speech based reading in English). The LTG method gives students the opportunity to write in Swedish according to their own level.
Within the study of grammar, the following are stressed: compound words, vowels, sound analysis & pronunciation practice, and prepositions. Other areas of study include: months, days of the week, seasons, and traditions & celebrations.
Teaching materials: Glad Svenska 1 (grammar)
Kaninen Knut (reading and assignments)
Svenskbiten A1 and A2
The 8-9 years group:
The goal of 8-9-year-olds is to create an enjoyable and educational environment where students can feel proud of their Swedish origin, and reinforce their Swedish language by speaking, reading, writing and listening to Swedish with each other and their teachers.
Each lesson has a theme that is used as the basis for exercises, readings and discussions. It could include nature, friendship, or a celebration. Important areas studied are: Swedish history, Swedish celebrations, and the understanding time. The study of grammar includes: vowels, syllables, sounds and verbs.
Teaching materials: Glad Svenska 2 and 3
Skrivträna 2
Historiaboken
The 9-10 years group:
Develop vocabulary and improve students' ability to express themselves in speech and writing. The students also study geography with the year end goal of becoming familiar with Sweden’s 25 regions.The grammar teaching is concentrated on word classes of nouns, verbs, adjectives and prepositions. At this age group, both teachers and students read aloud from textbooks, and work on the accompanying exercise book which reinforces the student’s reading comprehension.
Teaching materials: Pojken och Tigern
Boken om Sverige
Maskot (grammar + game)
The 11-12 years group:
In addition to increasing vocabulary and grammar knowledge in creative writing, the goal of this group is to learn Swedish history from the Stone Age to the Viking Age. Independent projects are done on the Viking Age.
Teaching materials: Puls historia Forntiden
EKO Historia 1 and 2
Pojken och Tigern
Tidsmaskinen
Gnugga stavning 3 + 5
The 12-18 years group:
The Class goal is to intensify the study of grammar, especially through written presentations and group discussions on current issues and Sweden's modern history (the last 50 years).
Grammar instruction focuses on writing rules of syntactic weight. The texts, which are read collectively, contributes to increased reading comprehension, vocabulary, and lends itself to interesting topics for discussion in class.
On October 25, 2008, Maria Borgström, associate professor at Södertörn University College, visited this class to discuss multilingualism.
Teaching materials: Sagor och Sanningar
current newspaper articles
The Swedish School For Children, Inc. programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity employer.
