In the preschool period, the promoting of fine motor skills plays an important role in motor development, which is crucial for the further development of writing abilities. In the thesis, we presented wooden toys designed to develop fine motor skills in the preschool period. The purpose of the thesis is to introduce wooden didactic toys for the development of fine motor skills in activities for preschool children aged 2-3 years.
The central part presents theoretical foundations on the development of fine motor skills in preschool children, why development is important, and the use of wood as a sustainable material for making toys. It also defines technical education in the preschool period, which is not defined as a separate area in the Kindergarten Curriculum (1999), but the objectives related to technical education can be found written under individual areas.
In the empirical part, we analyzed and presented the results of a survey questionnaire that was sent to professionals in kindergartens. The questionnaire was designed in the form of an online survey using 1KA to determine the educators' stance on promoting the development of fine motor skills, the use of various unstructured materials, especially wood, in the preschool period, and how much they independently engage in toy making at home. 133 professionals responded to the survey questionnaire. Most of them consider the development of fine motor skills important, and at the same time, it is important to them to promote development in the preschool period with various materials.
In the practical part, we presented the designed didactic toys to a group of children aged 2-3 years, where they had access to 5 didactic toys. Observation took place over a month, where we aimed to explore and determine how the crafted toys influenced the children's fine motor skills. The observation was conducted individually, and observations were recorded using an observation checklist.
Through the thesis, we found that promoting the development of fine motor skills is important, and this is also agreed upon by the surveyed professionals. We discovered that wood is a durable material that performs well in toy making. Children interacted independently with the toys, and through observation, we also noted their progress in playing with such toys.
The thesis is intended for all professionals employed in kindergartens who are interested in how various didactic toys can influence the development of fine motor skills. It is also intended for all students studying in the preschool education field.
|