<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>In this essay, I have performed a study on peer cultures and how these peer cultures are expressed in a group of pre-school children. My questions are as following:</p><ul><li>What positions/power positions can be seen in children’s play, and how will these be expressed?</li><li>How do the children gain access to play?</li><li>How do children act when they want to exclude other children?</li></ul><p>In order to understand this I have chosen to do observations as a method. In order to investigate these questions I chose to spend six whole mornings with a group of pre-school children, closely observing their behavior. The focus was on children, three years of age or older. The results show that children are very resourceful, when it comes to making up strategies for either giving access to, or excluding, other children from their play. For example they could make up a rule which would make it impossible for another child to be a part of the game. One rule could be that you in order to be able to play with the others must possessed a particular toy that the children used in the game, which the new child did not own. But there are also many strategies for children to be a part of a game. For example, if they had a toy that the other children wanted as well, this could be a way of joining in on the play.</p><p>We as adults must be aware of that these cultures exist everywhere. Sometimes we are not even aware of that a child is not being allowed to play with the others. It is not fun for those children who always have to stand beside the play. We need to try and discover who these children are and help them to be a part of the group.</p><p>Keywords: Pre-school Peer culture, Access play, Excluding play</p> / <p><strong>Sammanfattning</strong></p><p>I mitt examensarbete har jag genomfört en undersökning, med syfte att bidra med kunskaper om kamratkulturer och hur dessa kulturer uttrycks i en förskolegrupp. Mina frågeställningar är följande:</p><ul><li>Vilka positioner/maktpositioner finns i barns lek och hur synliggörs de?</li><li>Hur får barn tillträde till leken? </li><li>Hur gör barnen när de utesluter andra barn?</li></ul><p>Frågeställningarna har jag valt att undersöka, genom att observera barnen i en barngrupp under sex förmiddagar. Fokus har varit på barn som är tre år och äldre.  Resultatet visar att barnen är väldigt påhittiga vad gäller olika strategier, både för att ge tillträde till eller att utesluta andra barn från att vara med i leken. Bland annat kunde de hitta på regler, som gjorde att det nya barnet inte kunde vara med. En regel kunde vara att man var tvungen att ha någon leksak som barnen använde, som det nya barnet inte hade. Men det finns också många strategier för att få vara med i leken. Till exempel om de hade en leksak, som de andra barnen också ville ha kunde detta vara ett sätt för att få vara med i leken.</p><p>Vi vuxna måste vara medvetna om att kamratkulturer existerar. Ibland är vi inte ens medvetna om att det finns något barn som inte får vara med och leka. Det är inte roligt för de barnen som alltid blir uteslutna. Vi måste försöka upptäcka dessa barn och hjälpa dem att bli en del av gruppen.</p><p>Nyckelord: Förskola, Kamratkultur, Tillträde lek, Uteslutning lek</p>

<p>Talperceptionstest har skapats för att få information om hur en person kan uppfatta ochdiskriminera mellan språkljud. HöraTal Test 1.1 är ett omfattande analytiskt datorbaserattalperceptionstest. Testet är anpassat för icke läskunniga barn från fyra års ålder. Det ärframtaget för barn med hörselnedsättning och/eller cochleaimplantat men kan ävenanvändas för barn med neurologisk skada, specifik språkstörning och/eller annatförstaspråk än svenska. Huvudsyftet med studien är att ta fram ett referensmaterial för hurnormalhörande barn med normal språkutveckling i åldern 4;0 till och med 5;11 årpresterar på HöraTal Test. Därutöver undersöks om det finns ett samband mellantalperceptionssvårigheter och talproduktionssvårigheter. Detta prövas genom att resultatenpå vissa delar av talperceptionstestet jämförs med resultatet på ett talproduktionstest. Istudien ingick 16 fyraåringar och 19 femåringar. Studien visade att de flesta fyraåringarinte klarar av att genomföra testet. Femåringarna hade ett högt medelresultat vilketindikerar att femåringar med normal hörsel bör få ett högt resultat, många rätt, på HöraTalTest och att testet är lämpligt för att testa talperception. Det krävs dock ett större antalförsökspersoner för att man säkert ska kunna uttala sig om förväntade resultat på HöraTalTest i populationen. Studien visade inget samband mellan perceptions- ochproduktionssvårigheter men det var för få försökspersoner som hade uttalsavvikelser iproduktionsuppgiften för att bekräfta eller förkasta ett samband mellan perceptions- ochproduktionssvårigheter i populationen.</p> / <p>Speech perception tests have been developed to receive information about a person’sability to perceive and discriminate between speech sounds. HöraTal Test 1.1 is anextensive analytical computer based speech perception test made for children ages fourand up. The children do not need to be able to read to take the test. The test wasdeveloped for children with hearing disabilities and/or cochlear implants but it can also beused for children with neurological damages, specific language impairments and/or adifferent first language than Swedish. The aim of this study is to receive reference datafrom children of the age 4;0 to 5;11 years with normal hearing and normal speechdevelopment. The study also included a speech production test. The results from theproduction test were compared with the results from the perception test in order to find apossible connection between speech perception difficulties and speech productiondifficulties. 16 four-year-olds and 19 five-year-olds participated in the study. One of theconclusions from this study was that four-year-olds are not able to take the test. The five-year-olds had high mean scores on all the subtests which indicate that a five year old childwith normal hearing should receive high scores on HöraTal Test. This also indicates thatHöraTal Test is suitable for testing speech perception. To be able to generalize to thepopulation more test subjects are needed. No connection between speech perceptiondifficulties and speech production difficulties was found. Only a few of the test subjectshad speech production difficulties in the speech production test and therefore conclusionsabout a possible connection between speech perception difficulties and speech productiondifficulties in the population can not be made.</p>

<p>A pre-school-based dietary survey, using seven-day records, focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews, was carried out in a suburban area of Stockholm. The overall objective was to investigate the individual food and nutrient intake of pre-school children at all meals during the day, as well as factors that might influence children’s intake. </p><p>The average energy and nutrient intake per day for the whole week was satisfactory for the 109 pre-school children, but the temporal distribution throughout the day was skewed. The energy and nutrient intakes of food at the pre-school were lower than recommended. This was, however, compensated for by meals eaten at home. The children had a more varied food intake during weekdays than weekend days. This study has not provided any evidence to support the selection of water versus milk as a preferable lunch beverage in terms of pre-school children's total milk consumption and general dietary quality. However, the dietary analyses showed that there could be a reason to limit pre-school children’s daily milk and fermented milk intake to half a litre, according to the existing guidelines. </p><p>The children associated food and eating with rules and norms. They did not categorise food as good or bad, as adults often do, but as "food" and "non-food"; for example, sweets were not food. The method used in this study, the focus group interview, was judged to be a useful tool for exploring how children think about and jointly reflect upon food. The role of the teacher had changed over the past years and they had not yet found a solid ground for integrating food and meals into their everyday work. </p>

A pre-school-based dietary survey, using seven-day records, focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews, was carried out in a suburban area of Stockholm. The overall objective was to investigate the individual food and nutrient intake of pre-school children at all meals during the day, as well as factors that might influence children’s intake. The average energy and nutrient intake per day for the whole week was satisfactory for the 109 pre-school children, but the temporal distribution throughout the day was skewed. The energy and nutrient intakes of food at the pre-school were lower than recommended. This was, however, compensated for by meals eaten at home. The children had a more varied food intake during weekdays than weekend days. This study has not provided any evidence to support the selection of water versus milk as a preferable lunch beverage in terms of pre-school children's total milk consumption and general dietary quality. However, the dietary analyses showed that there could be a reason to limit pre-school children’s daily milk and fermented milk intake to half a litre, according to the existing guidelines. The children associated food and eating with rules and norms. They did not categorise food as good or bad, as adults often do, but as "food" and "non-food"; for example, sweets were not food. The method used in this study, the focus group interview, was judged to be a useful tool for exploring how children think about and jointly reflect upon food. The role of the teacher had changed over the past years and they had not yet found a solid ground for integrating food and meals into their everyday work.

Bakgrund Föräldrar har en viktig roll som förebilder för sina barn och har därigenom uppgiften att främja en hälsosam utveckling av ätbeteende och matpreferenser hos dem. Syfte Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka småbarnsföräldrars uppfattning och tankar om kost. Frågeställningarna berörde föräldrarnas associationer till hälsosam kost, vad som kunde påverka följsamheten av denna samt om intresse för mer kunskap inom ämnet fanns.Metod Studien utgjordes av en kvantitativ undersökning som genomfördes på sex förskolor i Umeå stad. 230 enkäter delades ut till förskolepersonal, som i sin tur vidarebefordrade dessa med ett medföljande informationsbrev till föräldrar med barn i åldrarna 2-5. Efter sex dagar samlades enkäterna in, vilka uppgick till ett antal om 77 stycken.Resultat Majoriteten av föräldrarna i studien utgjordes av mödrar med hög utbildning. En klar majoritet ansåg sig ha goda kunskaper om hälsosam mat, vilket de flesta associerade med en varierad kost. Kokböcker utgjorde en av de tre främsta kunskapsskällorna. Enligt föräldrarna var tidsbrist den faktor som i störst utsträckning påverkade följsamheten till en hälsosam kost, följt av undvikande av omtyckt mat. Ett signifikant samband mellan högutbildade och upplevelsen av tidsbrist, som något som försvårar följsamheten till en hälsosam kost, konstaterades. Familjemedlemmars önskemål, följt av matkvalitet, ansågs främst påverka föräldrarnas livsmedelsval. Slutsats Kostmedvetenhet och ett intresse för matlagning fanns hos föräldrarna, vilka angav att de hade goda kunskaper om hälsosam mat. Trots detta ansågs utrymme för förbättringar finnas. För att i praktiken kunna tillämpa kostkunskap, i enlighet med svenska näringsrekommendationer, upplevde författarna att hjälp, i form av insatser i kommun och landsting, kan behövas. 

Syftet med vår studie är att få en inblick i om förskollärare är medvetna om hur de utformar innemiljön på förskolan och vilken barnsyn som speglar sig i deras pedagogiska miljö. Vi vill veta om förskollärarna utformar miljön så att den lockar till meningsskapande aktiviteter för varje barn. Frågeställningar: Vad har förskollärarna för tankar kring den pedagogiska miljön på förskolan? Vilken barnsyn speglas i de pedagogiska miljöerna? Hur utformar förskollärarna miljön så att den lockar till meningsfulla aktiviteter för varje barn? Uppsatsen tar sin huvudsakliga teoretiska utgångspunkt i det postmoderna perspektivet. Studien bygger på data bestående av sex intervjuer med förskollärare och observation av innemiljöerna på de förskolor som de är verksamma i. Vårt resultat visar att förskollärarnas tankar och barnsyn speglar sig i miljön. Miljön bör vara föränderlig och barnens intressen samt behov ska vara utgångspunkten vid utformningen. Detta för att varje barn ska hitta någon aktivitet som är meningsfull för dem. / The purpose of our study is to get an insight into if the pre-school teachers are aware of how they design the indoor environment at the pre-schools and which child perspective is reflected in their pedagogical environment. We want to know if pre-school teachers design their environment so that it invites to meaningful creativity and activity for each child. Questions: What thoughts do the pre-school teachers have regarding the pedagogical environment at the pre-school? Which child perspective is reflected in the pedagogical milieus/environments? How does the pre-school design the environment so that it invites to meaningful creativity and activity for each child? The paper takes its primary theoretical starting point in the postmodern perspective. The study is based on data from six interviews with pre-school teachers and observations of their pre-schools’ indoor environment. Our result shows, that the pre-school teachers’ thoughts and child perspective are reflected in the environment. It should be in constant change, and the child’s interests and needs should be the primary focus in the design of the environment. Each child needs to get the possibility to find some activities which can develop them.

Syftet med studien är att beskriva hur några förskollärare och grundskollärare värderar leken inom förskoleklassen och årskurs 1. De frågeställningar som studien utgår ifrån är följande: Vad uppfattar dessa pedagoger som det viktiga i leken?  Hur uppfattar dessa pedagoger att leken kan användas som en resurs i lärandesituationer inom förskoleklassen och årskurs 1? samt Hur uppfattar dessa pedagoger att möjligheten till lek förändras i årskurs 1 i förhållande till förskoleklass? Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ ansats enligt fenomenografiskt analyssätt. I studien har sex pedagoger intervjuats, dessa pedagoger har vi valt ut från tre olika skolor, det vill säga en förskollärare och en grundskollärare från respektive skola. Intervjupersonerna är även utvalda utifrån att de har minst tio års yrkeserfarenhet. Av insamlat datamaterial har åtta kategorier utformats. Resultatet visar att de två verksamheterna, förskoleklass och årskurs 1, värderar leken ganska lika. Det viktiga i leken är framför allt att utveckla den sociala kompetensen Förskollärarna anser att allt lärande kan rymmas i leken, medan grundskollärarna anser att inlärning sker genom den pedagogiska leken och den fria leken är en paus för barnen för att återhämta sig. Fastän de båda yrkeskategorierna är medvetna om att leken ska vara en del även av verksamheten i årskurs 1, så får inte förstaklassarna alltid möjlighet till det. / The purpose of this study is to describe how playing is estimated by some pre-school teachers and primary school teachers within a pre-school class and a primary school form 1. The issues which this study is based on are as follows: What is important in playing? How can games and playing be used as a resource in situations of teaching and learning in a pre-school class and a primary school form 1? and What is the possibility of changes in playing between pre-school compared to primary school form 1? The study has been effected with a qualitatively high effort according to a phenomenographic way of analysis. In this study six pedagogues (teachers) have been interviewed, chosen from three different schools, one pre-school teacher and one primary school teacher from each school. They were also chosen by the duration of their  professional experience which is at least 10 years. From collected facts eight categories have been worked out. The result shows that the two activities, pre-school class and primary school form 1 estimate playing almost in the same way. The important thing in playing is above all to develop social ability. Pre-school teachers think that all learning can be contained in playing, while primary school teachers think that learning takes place only through educational games, and that free playing serves only as a break for children to relax and recover. Although both professional categories are aware of the fact that free playing is supposed to be part of the activity in primary school form 1, it won't  normally be possible for these children to practice it.

I have made a research about two different methods for introducing small children to Nursery School/Kindergarten. I choose to do this as I have found very little about this in the literature we have studied during my education to become a pre-school teacher. This period in the life of very small children and their parents is a big change in their daily life. The more traditional way to start pre-school is to do it very gradually during two weeks, the two-week method. This means that the parents visit the pre-school together with their child for a very short time, about one hour the first day. After one week they leave their child with the staff for about an hour and at the end of that week they try to leave it full time (6-8 hours). Today there is a new model to do this introduction to pre-school. In this model the parent spend three whole days, the 3-days method, at the pre-school together with their child. This is a very big change in routines for all parties involved.  I have made my research by interviewing 6 pre-school teachers in Södertälje and one from another municipality. I have also distributed an inquest to 40 parents whose children have recently begun attending pre-school. Four of the teachers work with the new model and three with the traditional model. In my research I have stated the following questions: How affects parents and children regarding factors as feelings and security? Which are the benefits and the disadvantages with the two models? Which are the benefits and disadvantages as the staff experiences the different models? Did the parents now anything about the different models offered? All previous research in this area agrees on the fact that a positive contact between teachers and parents are very essential. Small children relay on their parents and if the parent is comfortable and safe with the pre-school the child will be too. The Swedish curriculum Lpfö98 states that every pre-school is obliged to take in consideration the needs and the level of development for each child. Every pre-school has to learn to understand every new child and create a positive relation with it. All my interviews with the teachers made it clear that they all emphasized the aspect of security for the children. They all also try to create good relations with the parents. Some teachers and schools do it by meetings before the child start pre-school and others during the first days at the school.     Another positive affect the three days teachers brought up was the fact that the children during the three days got to know all the teachers at the school. The teachers working with the two week model stretched the fact that good relations between parents in their group are something that everybody benefits from. My inquest to parents gave me only 15 answers which mean it is hard to draw any conclusions from it. From both groups I got benefits and disadvantages regarding the different models. Most of the parents were aware of which model their pre-school offered before they started. The majority of parents in booths groups are satisfied with the model used at their pre-school.

My intention with this paper was to investigate how the teachers in pre-school thinks about the physical environment in pre-school. Both the significance for the pedagogical activity and the children’s involvement in the design. I have done five interviews with pre-school teachers. The result shows that the pre-school teachers consider that the size of the premises and the availability to the material is important factors for children’s development and learning. The pre-school teachers consider that the children should have access to both large and small rooms and that the group of children is adjusted after the size of the premises. The material should also be available for the children so that they don’t have to ask the pre-school teachers for help to access. The teachers in my examination consider that you shall see to the children’s group when to do changes in the environment. They talk about children’s needs and interested as important factors. To really their needs and interests the teachers has chosen to observe the children.

Talperceptionstest har skapats för att få information om hur en person kan uppfatta ochdiskriminera mellan språkljud. HöraTal Test 1.1 är ett omfattande analytiskt datorbaserattalperceptionstest. Testet är anpassat för icke läskunniga barn från fyra års ålder. Det ärframtaget för barn med hörselnedsättning och/eller cochleaimplantat men kan ävenanvändas för barn med neurologisk skada, specifik språkstörning och/eller annatförstaspråk än svenska. Huvudsyftet med studien är att ta fram ett referensmaterial för hurnormalhörande barn med normal språkutveckling i åldern 4;0 till och med 5;11 årpresterar på HöraTal Test. Därutöver undersöks om det finns ett samband mellantalperceptionssvårigheter och talproduktionssvårigheter. Detta prövas genom att resultatenpå vissa delar av talperceptionstestet jämförs med resultatet på ett talproduktionstest. Istudien ingick 16 fyraåringar och 19 femåringar. Studien visade att de flesta fyraåringarinte klarar av att genomföra testet. Femåringarna hade ett högt medelresultat vilketindikerar att femåringar med normal hörsel bör få ett högt resultat, många rätt, på HöraTalTest och att testet är lämpligt för att testa talperception. Det krävs dock ett större antalförsökspersoner för att man säkert ska kunna uttala sig om förväntade resultat på HöraTalTest i populationen. Studien visade inget samband mellan perceptions- ochproduktionssvårigheter men det var för få försökspersoner som hade uttalsavvikelser iproduktionsuppgiften för att bekräfta eller förkasta ett samband mellan perceptions- ochproduktionssvårigheter i populationen. / Speech perception tests have been developed to receive information about a person’sability to perceive and discriminate between speech sounds. HöraTal Test 1.1 is anextensive analytical computer based speech perception test made for children ages fourand up. The children do not need to be able to read to take the test. The test wasdeveloped for children with hearing disabilities and/or cochlear implants but it can also beused for children with neurological damages, specific language impairments and/or adifferent first language than Swedish. The aim of this study is to receive reference datafrom children of the age 4;0 to 5;11 years with normal hearing and normal speechdevelopment. The study also included a speech production test. The results from theproduction test were compared with the results from the perception test in order to find apossible connection between speech perception difficulties and speech productiondifficulties. 16 four-year-olds and 19 five-year-olds participated in the study. One of theconclusions from this study was that four-year-olds are not able to take the test. The five-year-olds had high mean scores on all the subtests which indicate that a five year old childwith normal hearing should receive high scores on HöraTal Test. This also indicates thatHöraTal Test is suitable for testing speech perception. To be able to generalize to thepopulation more test subjects are needed. No connection between speech perceptiondifficulties and speech production difficulties was found. Only a few of the test subjectshad speech production difficulties in the speech production test and therefore conclusionsabout a possible connection between speech perception difficulties and speech productiondifficulties in the population can not be made.