Unstructured materials are recognised as a good starting point for kindergarten children’s
first contact with natural and human-designed surroundings. In the first age group (1–2
years), children are curious and explore the world through their senses and get to know
each other (especially by touching and tasting). This is how they explore materials
themselves, but it also represents the beginning of technical and technological literacy.
The purpose of this diploma thesis is to show the education and professional staff how to
integrate unstructured materials and to provide children with learning opportunities. At
the same time, the purpose is to encourage professionals to include unstructured materials
and work processes in their everyday work not only with the older age groups, but the
youngest ones as well.
In the theoretical part of the diploma thesis, games and toys are presented along with
developmental characteristics of children. In the practical part, we first examined how
familiar the educators are with unstructured materials and how they feel about including
unstructured materials in preschools. We wanted to hear their opinions, especially on the
use of unstructured materials in the first age group. We have found out that most
education and professional staff regularly include unstructured materials in their work.
Most of them include it through planned activities and free play, learning corners are
hardly ever used. Most educators believe that children are not afraid of the use of
unstructured materials.
Based on the findings of the situation analysis, we have designed and implemented a
project to integrate unstructured material into the age group of 1–2 years. We have come
to the conclusion that some children at this age are afraid of unstructured materials. We
have found out that children do not need additional motivation to play with unstructured
materials and they are able to persist in a play for a long time. When researching and
learning about new materials, using their feet is very important for them.
The children were offered materials and opportunities to use them independently. The
first working process was gluing. Children in this age group experienced this work
process for the first time.
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This work process proves to be most suitable for this age group, as it does not represent
any danger to the children and can perform it independently. All the children used a brush
to apply the glue. They came into contact with the glue at the point of sprinkling materials
over the glued surface. At the end of the project, the children already mastered the process
(glue application, sprinkling the material and pressing it to the base).
Findings of The Project on the inclusion of the unstructured materials in the age group of
1–2-year pre-schoolers are useful for professionals working in the field of preschool
education (especially the age group of 1–2 years) and to all those who have concerns
about the inclusion of unstructured materials. It enables education and other professional
staff to gain insight into how to introduce the world of technology to preschoolers. The
findings are also useful for parents, as they get insight into a different category of play,
different play tools. In addition, the findings help us include unstructured materials into
preschools in a different way, in a way where children, through their primary activity
(play), achieve all Kindergarten Curriculum goals, as well as goals not listed in the
curriculum, technical education, a very specific goal, for example. The diploma thesis
could be improved and upgraded to actually monitor how the inclusion of unstructured
materials differs between the age of 1–2 years (the youngest group) and the age of 5-6
years (the oldest group of preschoolers).
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