The thesis addresses the topic Winter in Kindergarten through Selected Winter Stories.
The purpose of the research was to determine how fairy tales, literary characters and activities based on five selected winter stories contribute to young children's understanding and experience of winter, as well as to their perception of changes in nature and within themselves among three-year-old children.
In the theoretical part, we focused on the professional foundations of the topic. We presented the importance of fairy tales in early childhood and their impact on child development. We emphasized the role of fairy tales as a stimulus for imagination and creativity, as well as the role of adults in encouraging reading in children. We also highlighted the importance of quality children’s literature, with special attention given to the children’s magazines Ciciban and Cicido. Furthermore, we introduced the seasons, with special attention given to winter, and explained the importance of learning about the seasons in the preschool period. An important part of winter is also the winter holidays, along with their associated customs and traditions. We presented their origins and main characteristics, and highlighted various mythological figures typical of the winter season. We described Christmas symbols and the characteristics of New Year celebrations.
In the empirical part, we presented the implementation of activities based on five selected fairy tales from the thematic anthology Grandmother Winter, which includes various winter stories for the festive season. Out of fifty tales, we selected five that are suitable for three-year-old children and that served as a stimulus for imagination, diverse creative activities and activities related to the direct experience of the environment.
Based on the review of theoretical foundations and empirical findings, we concluded that fairy tales help children understand the world around them more easily and effectively.
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