The project's objective was to create a positive change in the quality and teaching in the preschools through competence development within the expanded language concept and to introduce new teaching methods. In addition, the intention was to develop the learning environments to promote the children's learning and development. Through the participation of several preschools, we strove to increase the equivalence between the units by spreading the knowledge across borders and promoting a culture of sharing and learning culture between the preschools. Through the competence development that the participants received from the project, positive effects were expected in practice, in that the children in the preschool would have more opportunities and greater variety to experience, shape and communicate through different aesthetic forms of expression based on their interests, skills and needs. It was also expected that this would contribute to increasing the children's knowledge, abilities and self-confidence in learning, which in turn would affect their future school performance in lifelong learning. It meant giving the children the opportunity to communicate and express themselves in different ways, regardless of their mother tongue, which is a democratic right. Furthermore, the Administration wanted to develop different networks based on the project for principals, pedagogues and staff centrally from child health and Quality and Development. By making the project visible to society and parents, the goal was also to increase understanding of the preschool's important role as an integral part of lifelong learning.
In the Preschool Administration's quality report on language, writing and reading development in all mother tongues and aesthetic forms of expression (191213), several areas of development were made visible. Educators needed to broaden their perspectives to not only work with language verbally but also non-verbal, for example with drama, music and dance to a greater extent. Relevant learning environments needed materials and accessibility to express themselves through aesthetic means of expression throughout the day to be developed. Principals highlighted during quality dialogues that the aesthetic forms of expression had fallen into obscurity in recent years and that the Preschool Administration jointly needed to highlight the aesthetic forms of expression by offering various efforts to the preschools. The preschools' learning environments as a whole were also highlighted as an area for development. This led to the application for this project. The purpose of the Preschool Administration's project was to broaden knowledge and understanding of the extended language concept and the ability to translate it into pedagogical practice through learning environments and teaching. By increasing educators' competence in how to meet children based on a broadened concept of language, opportunities are created for all children to express and communicate based on their abilities and interests. The project also links to the EU's Agenda 2030 and the goal of ensuring inclusive and equal education of good quality and promoting lifelong learning for all.