The thesis provides insights into concrete implementation and promotion of participation of children within the project entitled Let’s Make Our Own Children's Play, namely from a different perspective of a teacher and the responses of children to this approach.
In the first chapter of the theoretical part of the thesis I present the reader with a short historical review of the changing perspectives on the children and their role. The next chapter is intended for the presentation of the alternative educational approach of Reggio Emilia, who is known for being the most motivating during the implementation of (children’s) participation. The theoretical part finishes with an extensive chapter on participation, where I among other things write about important documents, which create a basis for the realisation of participation, dedicate a few words to criticism and dilemmas, which arise in connection with participation approach and describe the role of the teacher.
In my thesis I continue with the presentation of the open-ended problem-solving project Let’s Make Our Own Children's Play, which I carried out in a kindergarten. The objectives of the project were to introduce and encourage the participation of children, and through individual activities and ongoing evaluation of the activities to establish, how the role and responses of the teacher as well as children change.
Important discoveries, as described in the final part of the thesis, establish that a teacher must in order to achieve a successful realisation of the participation actually exceed established traditional educational practices; next discovery is that children become equivalent creators, the teacher's authority is not compromised nor reduced. At the same time the atmosphere in the group improves and the connection between the teacher and children as well as among children themselves is increased.
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