In the master's thesis, we want to highlight the problem of employing a speech therapist as a consultant in kindergarten. We present the possibilities of employing a speech therapist, his tasks and work in kindergarten, the role of kindergarten and kindergarten staff in the development of speech, language and communication of children, the difficulties they face in establishing inclusion and quality early childhood education. We emphasize the importance of preventive logopedic action and cooperation between kindergarten staff. The aim of the research is to analyze the views on the speech therapist's work of kindergarten staff (teachers and assistant teachers), where they do not have a speech therapist employed as a consultant and compare them with the results of the research of the kindergarten where they have a speech therapist employed. The data were collected using the Alenka Vidmar questionnaire Stališča strokovnih delavk v VVZ Kekec Grosuplje do različnih dejavnosti znotraj preventivnega logopedskega programa (2015). The questionnaire covers speech therapist's activities in four main areas: kindergarten activities for supporting language development in children (25 items), speech terapist's activities (10 items), development and preventive activities in kindergarten (15 items) and activities of planning and evaluation of speech therapy in kindergarten (9 items). The questionnaire assesses the importance and actual implementation of these activities. The results show that teachers and assistant teachers would want all logopedic activities to be performed more often, as they consider that all activities are very important, and most activities are rarely performed. It follows that the entire work of the speech therapist is very important to them. Compared with the views of the techers and asistant teachers of the kindergarten where the speech therapist is employed, there have been great differences, which is expected, since the employment of the speech therapist has a decisive influence on the implementation of these activities. For most activities, teachers and assistant teachers of kindergartens, where they do not have an employee of a speech therapist, takes the view that activities are rarely performed. Teachers and assistant teachers from the kindergarten with a speech therapist take the view that the activities are frequently performed. Everyone, however, believes that speech therapist's work is very important. Survey results suggest that the employment of a speech therapist in the kindergarten as a counselor is necessary and crucial for the implementation of higher-quality pre-school education in kindergarten.
|
