Preschool period is of fundamental importance in an individual’s life and in the society as a whole as this is the time when children develop very quickly in all areas. The thesis researches the NTC program adapted to be used with preschool children. The program focuses on brain development and is mainly aimed at children from the age of 7 onwards. However, the author adapted the program for children aged between 3 and 6 years as well. The aim of my research was to determine whether the program can be also used with the youngest children.
The theoretical part presents early childhood education, the Kindergarten Curriculum, which is the basis for the work in the kindergarten, and a stimulating learning environment along with spontaneous or experiential learning. I also highlighted the NTC program, its characteristics and its use, but also the role of the preschool teacher in implementing these activities.
The aim of the empirical part is to determine whether the program may be adjusted to be able to work with the youngest children and to what extent. NTC enriches the Kindergarten Curriculum with specific examples of activities and recommendations for parents and preschool teachers. I developed and tested five blocks of activities (felt board with toys, interactive wardrobe, rice, moving balls and obstacle course) from different areas and recorded the findings.
The purpose of the felt board with toys was to encourage the child’s thinking regarding the position and the movement of the object and develop fine motor control as well as visual accommodation. The interactive wardrobe allowed children to gain experience regarding different textures of objects and different or similar senses, and to develop associations. Children also developed fine motor skills and visual accommodation and experienced sensory stimuli by playing with rice. The game with balls had a positive impact on their balance and rotation in particular. The obstacle course in the gym allowed children to develop their motor skills and challenge themselves. These activities have shown that the implementation of the NTC program with adjusted activities can be used with the youngest children.
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