This research study investigated the effectiveness of a child-centered play therapy intervention conducted by trained high school students on the behavior of preschool and kindergarten children with adjustment difficulties. Specifically, this research determined if play sessions conducted by high school students trained in child-centered play therapy skills and procedures facilitated change in the children's behaviors. The experimental group children (N=14) each received 20 weekly individual play sessions from a high school student enrolled in a Peer Assistance and Leadership class. The high school students were randomly paired with a referred child. The high school students completed 7 one-hour training sessions in child-centered play therapy procedures and skills prior to beginning the weekly, supervised play sessions. The control group (N=12) received no treatment during the study. Pre and post data were collected from parents who completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and teachers who completed the Early Childhood Behavior Scale (ECBS). Multivariate analyses of variance of gained scored revealed statistical significance in 2 of the 4 hypotheses. Specifically, the children in the experimental group showed significant decreases in internalizing behaviors (p = .025) and total behaviors (p = .025) on the CBCL. Although not in the statistically significant range, positive trends were noted in externalizing behaviors on the CBCL (p = .07) and total behaviors on the ECBS (p = .056). All play sessions were conducted in the primary school that the children attended. The high school student facilitated play sessions helped to maximize the school counselor's time by meeting the needs of more students. Implications for school counselors are noted with suggestions for how to begin and maintain a similar program in schools. This study supports the use of child-centered play therapy by trained high school students as an effective intervention for helping young children with a variety of adjustment problems.

Preschool attendance is widely recognized as a key ingredient for later socioeconomic success, mothers' labor market participation, and leveling the playing field for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, the empirical evidence for these claims is still relatively scarce, particularly in Europe. Using data from the 2011 Austrian European Union Statistics of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), we contribute to this literature in all mentioned dimensions. In particular, we investigate the effect of preschool attendance on an individual's later educational attainment, the probability that they work full time and their hourly wages, the likelihood of the mother working when the child is 14 years old, and on the overall distribution of wages. We find strong and positive effects of preschool attendance on educational attainment, the probability of working full time, hourly wages, and the probability that the mother is in the labor market. Full time workers at the bottom and the top of the distribution tend to benefit less than those in the middle. Women in particular benefit more in terms of years of schooling and the probability of working full time. Other disadvantaged groups (second migration migrants; people with less educated parents) also often benefit more in terms of education and work. (authors' abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

Purpose: Production and utilization of buildings contributes immensely to global carbon dioxide emissions. The construction sector today accounts for over a third of global energy use will increase as the world population increases. According to the EU Directive from 2010, all new buildings in EU member countries as of December 31, 2020 are to be classified as near-zero energy buildings (NZEB). The goal is to investigate the various energy-affecting measures of the involved architects, structural engineers and planners that can improve the energy performance of a kindergarten to be closer to near-zero and identify obstacles that make it more difficult to achieve NZEB. Method: The investigation strategies for the project are qualitative methods in the form of semi-structured interviews with architects, planners and ventilation engineers for six different kindergartens. The interviews were conducted by telephone in which the questions were sent in advance to those interviewed. Mail interviews were conducted early on which resulted in either short answers or not answers at all. The energy performance documents of the different kindergartens were analyzed to get information about the different energy performances. Findings: The result does not contain a solution as to what the near-zero energy definition is or how to define it, but is more like guidance concerning what factors you can influence to get closer to near-zero energy for a kindergarten. Recurring problems surfacing in the interviews is that not all the involved roles have been able to influence predetermined choices of shape and space that, among other things, contribute to a limited space for services that planners are having difficulty influencing afterwards. Implications: The result helps contribute to making sure buildings are built in a more energy-efficient way and by such reducing the construction sector's share of the global energy consumption. The building's energy efficiency may not contribute to poor indoor climate in such a way that it affects children's health in a negative manner. This results in a need for careful planning where all parties can contribute with their best energy efficiency solutions without being too limited by the architectural constraints of shape and space. Alternatively, better communication between planners and architects in the earlier stages. Good planning contributes to a better result. Limitations: The result is based on Swedish kindergartens in a Nordic climate and should not be applied in countries without a Nordic climate. The result is not only applicable to kindergartens but is largely applicable to most similar buildings. Contact with more architects, constructional engineers, planners and more kindergartens would have given a better result.

This study investigated the conflict resolution abilities employed by 3-4 year old children within an Israeli kindergarten that was inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach in Italy. Conflict resolution is a significant phenomenon worldwide and the subject of considerable research, due to potential negative outcomes from involvement in conflict, and escalation of the conflict to a stage of violence. Nevertheless, a gap in knowledge was identified, regarding the Reggio Emilia educational approach, as an intervention to support the development of children‘s social-emotional competence to enable them to resolve interpersonal conflicts using pro-social strategies. An in-depth case study was conducted using grounded theory principles to develop a model to answer the question: To what extent might a Reggio Emilia inspired approach support resolution of interpersonal conflicts between 3-4 year old children in an Israeli kindergarten class? The rich qualitative data were gathered through video filmed observations, teacher's semi-structured interviews, children's interviews, documents, and field notes. A four-phase content analysis of the data enabled conceptualisation of the characteristics of the educational setting and the children's conflict resolution strategies. The findings allowed the emergence of a model evidencing that both direct and indirect intervention strategies were used to support the conflict resolution among the children. Teachers responded in a range of ways to children's request for direct intervention, and most especially used a clarification-mediation conversation. Indirectly, they promoted democratic pedagogy with children through participation, listening and dialogue. The findings reveal the children's development in their conflict resolution, which indicate a significant advancement in their pro-social negotiation abilities. Additionally, the findings show a significant increase in the children's spontaneous intervention as peer observers of the conflict and a decrease in their request of teacher intervention. The research suggests that over time, no extra-curricular intervention is needed within a supportive and democratic educational approach, such as the Reggio Emilia inspired approach provides. It illuminates strategies to support teachers, teacher trainers and policy makers for enabling children resolving conflicts independently using pro-social strategies. The research contributes to knowledge regarding selecting an intervention for improving kindergarten children's conflict resolution strategies.

This study is limited to the mathematics performance of two intact groups of culturally deprived kindergarten students, mostly blacks, with a few whites and Mexican-Americans, who were enrolled at Robert E. Lee Elementary School (Denton, Texas) for the entire school year of 1970-1971. The purposes of the study are to compare the effectiveness of two methods of teaching mathematics to culturally disadvantaged children and to check for interaction of treatments when these children are classified by sex.

The present study was designed to investigate the discrepancy in test performance between the upper-middle-class and lower-class kindergarten-age child as a function of differential familiarity with test content.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship between the learning style of a kindergarten child and the level of achievement in language arts. The study was done at the request of the school district of a small community in north Texas, and it incorporated the total public school kindergarten population, 110 subjects. Instruments were the Learning Style Inventory: Primary by Perrin, the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, and an achievement test developed by the regional education service center. The LSI:P was administered to all students by one person while the two achievement tests were administered by individual teachers to their own classes. The children were divided into groups according to their rating on the LSI:P, using the Prescription Circle by Dunn and Dunn as modifier. ANOVA and chi square analysis were utilized to compute frequencies and percentages at the .05 level to determine relationships between learning styles' group membership and attainment in language. A definite relationship was found between a child's learning style and achievement on the language arts objectives. Indications were that the elements of motivation, persistence and responsibility, and perceptual mode preferred by the learner had strong relationship to success in achievement. It was concluded that a relationship exists between the ability to conduct successful word analysis and a child's learning style. It was also determined that children of kindergarten age can self-report learning style as measured by the Learning Style Inventory: Primary. It is recommended that longitudinal studies be conducted to discover if learning styles change with maturity. Other studies could be done on subgroups of the kindergarten population to find what impact preschool experiences, English as a second language, or sex of the child may have on the relationship between a child's learning style and achievement in language arts.

The aim of the work was to objectively examine the physical activity of children in two different types of preschools, in forest kindergarten and common kindergartens. The theoretical part deals with the characteristic of movement in the preschool children, with factors influencing physical activity, the benefits for this age and the means for measuring objectively physical activity. Research is focused on one particular forest kindergarten. Pedometer was elected for measuring the examined physical activity. According to the results children in the forest kindergarten make more steps during their stay in school as well as overall per day than children in regular kindergartens. Conversely in the afternoon after leaving the nursery they are less active than the children from regular kindergartens. The most prominent difference in the level of physical activity between the two groups of children showed during their stay in pre-school facilities. Forest nursery could be a good alternative to preschool education in terms of sufficient physical activity.

The thesisdeals with theuse ofurban andsuburbanparksand cycle routes by neighbouringkindergartens. The theoretical part ofthe thesissummarizesthe basic terminology, explains the concept offorest,park, forest park, bicycle path.Furthermore,it is trying todefinetermsrelatedto the topic(movement, motor skills, and sports). Separatechaptersare alsodevoted toforestpedagogy, its history andthe emergingtrendof forestnurseries. The practicalpart of thethesisintroducesmethodsof research.Theseare thequestionnaire survey, interview and observation.Research ispart ofthe weeklyproject for childrenfrom kindergartens, created specifically forthis topic. Subsequently, thethesisseeksto answer the stated hypotheses. It examines therange ofthe activities of childrenduring their stayoutside,motivationof childrento activities, the use of cyclingkindergartens. It examines whichoutdoorlocationchildrenin kindergartenprefer for their morningactivities. Thethesisconcludeswith an overview of significant Pragueparks. Keywords: park, forest, cycling, physical activity, nature, kindergarten

A dissertation "Integration of a boy with atypical autism into regular kindergarten" has the aim to present a particular process of integration in the regular kindergarten. It gives you a brief characteristic of preschool age, education in preschool age and a procedure of integration and related circumstances. A theoretical part brings you a view of child development in preschool period, specifics of preschool education and a process of integration in the Czech Republic. A research project has the aim to chart how is the integration perceived by three people who are involved in the integration. It is about the attitude of a mother, a headmistress and a class teacher who has been teaching the boy this year. Next there are given the tests that have the aim to determine the boy's current school maturity. These diagnostic tools were used - Orientational graphic test of the school maturity (Jirásek, 1970), Observational scheme for assessment of the school maturity (Kondáš, 1984). Key words individual integration in kindergarten, atypical autism, school maturity