For parents
- When should my child start attending a preschool?
It depends on your family’s wishes and needs. From the standpoint of your child’s development it is recommended that the child would be able to walk and care of the most simple basic personal needs (dressing, holding a spoon, drinking from mug). - What kinds of preschools are there and how large is the class size?
Depending on the age and needs of your child, the following categories of schools exist::
- Nursery (up to 3-year-olds)
- Kindergarten (up to 7-year-olds);
- Special kindergarten (up to 7-year-old children with handicaps);
- Kindergarten-elementary school (combined school).
Group sizes are as follows:
- Nursery 14
- Compound group 18 (2- to 7-year-olds)
- Kindergarten 20
The number of children can be increased by up to four children (and in compound groups by up to two children) if the necessary conditions for children’s development are met. - How to choose the preschool that is right for you?
Parents can choose from the following schools.:
See Kindergarten contact information
In choosing a preschool, parents should consider:
- a suitable location (such as proximity to work or home)
- growth environment
- methods used in teaching
- Type of groups (nursery, kindergarten, compound and special group)
If there are no openings in the preschool you desire, your child can be entered on a waiting list until there is an opening at that preschool. - What sorts of costs does preschool entail?
The following:
- Meal money is determined by a board at each separate preschool institution. A rough estimate for Tallinn preschools is 17-24 kroons;
- The cost of materials for children between the ages of 3-7 is 38 kroons a month or 342 kroons a year and for children between the ages of 1-3, 22 kroons a month or 198 kroons per year;
- The so-called parent fee is 100 EEK if the net income per family member is under 3000 EEK a month. The fee is 200 kroons if the net income per family member is above 3000 kr a month. Income per family member is determined by a written application of the parent or guardian. Families with three or more children are not required to pay the parent fee. If the parent or guardian cannot pay the fee in its entirety, a corresponding statement must be made to the preschool.
See: Establishing the level of other fees of municipal institutions to be covered by parents - What kinds of meals are served at preschools?
Children are fed three times a day at preschools: a breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. Children in the all-day group get dinner as well.
The daytime meals served take into account the special needs of kids at that age. Food is prepared from ingredients that are unprocessed and as fresh as possible, and meals are served at regular times. - What is a daily schedule like at preschool?
07.00 – 08.30 children arrive
08.30 – 09.00 breakfast
09.00 – 10.30 learning activity
10.30 – 12.30 playtime and outdoor recess
12.30 – 13.00 lunch, preparing for afternoon nap
13.00 – 15.00 naptime
15.00 – 15.30 waking up, getting dressed
15.30 – 16.00 learning activity
16.00 – 16.30 afternoon snack
16.30 - until time to go home: free time and individual activity
The schedule can vary depending on the ages of the children and the preschool. - What are children taught at preschools?
Teaching takes place according to a set curriculum at each preschool, through topics related to the child’s life and surroundings.
Learning and formational activities take place in the following fields:
- language and speech
– math
– art
– music
– physical activity
In children’s institutions where instruction does not take place in Estonian, Estonian is an additional subject that is taught starting from the age of 5-6.
Depending on the preschool curriculum, kids take part in the following number of activities:
- 1-3-year-olds: 9-16 activities per week
- 3-6-year-olds: 12-17 activities per week
- 6-7-year-olds: 15-21 activities per week.