ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide an overview of the content and organisation of early childhood education in Estonia. Early childhood education in Estonia has developed in the European historical and cultural context and has been mainly influenced by the traditions of German and Russian pedagogy. In the development plan for children and families, one of the strategic goals states that Estonia is a country that supports positive parenting and provides the necessary support for children and parents so as to improve children’s quality of life. The first curricula for Estonian preschools were compiled during the Soviet period. The renewed national curriculum for preschools came into force in 2008. In Estonia, the training of preschool teachers is accomplished in higher education settings like universities. Estonian preschool education draws on long national traditions and has developed in the context of different historical and societal periods.
