Malnutrition is the outcome of many complex and interrelated factors such as lack of food security, lack of health services, sanitation, knowledge, education and care. It is considered to be a major problem worldwide as well as in South Africa, and the pre-school child is especially vulnerable to developing nutritional deficiencies and diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the capacity of caregivers to provide nutrition-related care to pre-school-age children (3 to 5 years) in a resource-poor peri-urban community (Olievenhoutbosch) situated in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study followed a cross-sectional research design, using a quantitative research approach with qualitative aspects to attempt to answer the research question. The questionnaire used for data collection covered aspects such as the resources for care that caregivers had, their nutrition knowledge and caring activities used as part of caring capacity. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of caregivers (50 mothers and two crèche caregivers) of pre-school-age children as key informants for this study. The study revealed that the caregivers’ caring capacities in this community highly depended on the availability and use of certain resources such as human resources (education, time and social support in terms of the availability of alternative caregivers), economic resources (having a job or any source of income) and organizational resources (e.g. child care facilities such as crèches). The mothers had limited resources such as human, economic and organizational resources that would help in childcare practices. Time was a serious constraint that could compromise the level of care provided by the two crèche caregivers. The caregivers had basic nutrition knowledge, but did not have detailed nutrition knowledge. They could mention healthy food types for the child’s optimal growth and development, but could not defend their choices by giving nutritionally sound reasons. Some misconceptions regarding the consumption of certain foods were prevalent. Caring activities in this study involved more than just the provision of food (i.e. food choices, food preparation and feeding practices), but involved other important aspects such as allowing the child time to sleep and play (and sometimes play with the child), ensuring the child’s hygiene (i.e. bathing the child, dressing the child, washing the child’s clothes, cleaning the place where the child stays, plays, eats and sleeps) and performing educational activities with the child. There is a serious need for proper nutrition education which will impart knowledge of appropriate food choices; components of a nutritious diet (healthy types of foods, drinks and snacks); functions of foods in the child’s body; hygienic food handling, preparation, and storage methods that would be translated into good care practices and contribute to the child’s optimal growth and development. / Dissertation (MConsSci)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

1 Abstract: This diploma thesis deals with the role of a book in a preschool child's family. The aim of the theoretical part is to point out the importance of a book reading to a pre-school child in a family and also to point out the importance of books, the position of children's literature in the multimedia world. The theoretical part also deals with the description of different kinds of books a child of this age may encounter and also with the demands on children's literature. Practical part deals with the interpretation of data gained through research lead in a form of half-structured interviews of a parent with a pre-school-age child. The survey observes books in a family in three areas: Book and the parent's own childhood, Current situation in adulthood and Current situation with the parent's own child. Emphasis is put especially on the situation with the parent's own child focused on the work with a book as a means of education, on the child's interest in books and reading, on the child's and parent's book choice and their library attendance. Key words: pre-school age, book, reading

The modern world is focused on children. We care much more about the right regime of our children, about hygiene and other aspects of their daily routine. So it is not surprising that many scientists start their recent projects on or with children. Anthropology is not an exception. This study creates a smaller part of a larger sleep research study which aims to investigate whether two community based social marketing campaigns influence parents' view of pre-school children sleep requirements and healthy sleep practices. This work targets directly pre-school children and wants to determine if we are able to educate children about healthy and right sleeping habits through specifically performed game based activities. The main aim of this study is to find out which games are useful for enhancing the results of the supreme Medical Anthropology research. Secondary aim is to solve what we can generally do for a better engagement of children in our research.

Summary: Title: Creation and verification of effectivness of our new ''Music-based physical educational (MBPE) programme for pre-school children" The main aim of this research is to create and validate a comprehensive interventional programme for preschool children. The programme is aimed at all- round personal development of the children. The research also intends to validate applicability of the programme in practice as it aims to establish the impact of the programme on rhytmical, motor, sensor-motor, musical and memory skills of preschool children. The research also aims to clearly define conditions under which the programme can be performed as it focuses on the support of a preschool child's natural kinetic, sensor-motor, musical and rhythmical competencies with the stress on personal health and hygiene. The results of this thesis are based on the author's self-produced resources and both qualitative and quantitative research results. The quantitative research used a test battery of musical-motor skills. The thesis consolidates results of our observations, observations by teachers and parents throughout the school year, interviews with children, expert analysis of videos, discussion with experts in pedagogy and child's psychology. The results ascertain that our music-based physical educational...

The object of this master research – social and psychopedagogical peculiarities of pre-school age children’s unsuccessful upbringing. The basis of research is Vilnius kindergarten “Pasakaitė”. The scientific problem is based on conditions and motion of pre-school age children’s unsuccessful upbringing. There were applied these methods of research: analytical generalization of social, psychological and pedagogical literature on the chosen theme; individual, selected conversations with parents and educators; inter-psychological method; pedagogical consultation – the method “Reevihiation Counsaling” by Harvey Jekins; observation of children’s behavior; mathematical and graphic edition of collected material. Analysing the object of research there was made analytic review of Lithuanian and foreign scientific literature, close to the subject of this master work. There were exposed concrete conditions of children’s upbringing in family and disclosed such capacities and specific features of upbringing as: parents from reserched families don’t have a discussion solving the problems of children’s upbringing; they often don’t come to the common conclusions on children’s behavior, don’t reconcile and don’t change consecutive actions of their children; reproach them for their characteristic features; seeking the right behavior of children, punish them too often and don’t chose the methods, applying which it could be possible to change their behavior; there is such an attitude in these... [to full text]

Darbo tikslas- paaiškinti bei įrodyti sukurto objekto (didaktinio žaidimo) didaktinį naudingumą vaiko gyvenime ir įrodyti kaip tinkamai sujungtas (objektas) dizaino aspektu su edukacine priemone. Naudojant įvairius šaltinius, analizuojant analogus, išsiaiškinama kas yra svarbiausia, kuriant didaktinį žaislą, kokie keliami saugumo reikalavimai. Pateikiami kūrybiniai darbo ieškojimai. Taip pat medžiaga susijusi su pedagogine veikla ir objekto pritaikymo joje. Apsilankymas Šiaulių Moksleivių namuose, leido įsitikinti žaislo naudingumu, realiame gyvenime, jo naudingumu bei svarba vaiko gyvenime. Darbo rezultatus (kūrybinį darbą)galima naudoti visose įstaigose, kur lankosi ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikai, bei individualiai žaidžiantiems vaikams, namuose. / The purpose-to explain and demonstrate the created object (didactic game) didactic utility of a child's life and to demonstrate how to properly connected (object) design aspect of the educational tool. Using a variety of sources, analyzing analogues check on what is most important, the development of a didactic toy as for safety. Presented creative work pursuits. As well as materials related to teaching activities and the application of the object in it. Visit Siauliai pupils at home, make sure the toy has usefulness in real life, the usefulness and importance of a child's life. Performance (creative work) can be used in all establishments frequented by children of preschool age and individual children playing at home.

The aim of my diplomy work is to find out the level of motory skills 6-7 year old children. Research work ran in the sekond {--} class at Primery schoul Kubatova in České Budějovice. General set spaned 42 pupils. My task was to compare theirs efficient and co {--} ordinative abilities with supposed level, to deliminate theirs mutual relations, to compare boys and girls and sports and non-sports class.

The subject of this thesis is introduction of interpersonal relationships theme to pre-school age children. The aims of this work are: a) To introduce books with interpersonal relationships themes intended for pre-school age children. b) To ascertain if and in what way is this theme used in pre-school setting and where the pre-school educators take inspiration from when choosing quality literature for children. c) To propose, realise and reflect on activities (connected to chosen books with interpersonal relationships themes introduced through a child hero) which develop the key competencies of pre-school children related to reading. The practical part was built on data collection through online questionnaire for teachers; the aim was to ascertain whether interpersonal relationships topics are used in practice when working with books in pre-school setting and where the educators find inspiration when searching for this type of literature intended for pre-school children. The second part contains suggestions and realization of activities connected to chosen books with the interpersonal relationships theme introduced through a child hero, which develop the key competencies of pre-school children related to reading according to Curriculum Framework for Pre-School Education and the reflection on these...

Darbo objektas: kelionių su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais motyvai. Darbo problema: kokie motyvaciniai veiksniai lemia šeimų su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais pasirinkimą keliauti ir kaip tinkamai organizuoti keliones šeimoms su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais. Baigiamajame darbe tiriami klausimai: kaip charakterizuojamas turizmas ir kokios yra turizmo rūšys; kokie motyvai lemia pasirinkimą keliauti, kokie motyvai lemia šeimų su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais pasirinkti keliones kaip vieną iš laisvalaikio formų. Darbo tikslas: - atskleisti vartotojų su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais keliauti skatinančius motyvus. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Apibūdinti turizmo sampratą ir rūšis. 2. Analizuoti kelionių su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais ypatumus. 3. Apibūdinti motyvacijos keliauti sampratą ir motyvus. 4. Identifikuoti šeimų su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais motyvus. Darbo metodai – mokslinės literatūros ir kitų informacijos šaltinių analizė, anketinė apklausa, aprašomoji statistika. Pagrindiniai rezultatai išvados ir pasiūlymai: Keliavimas su ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikais yra sudėtingas, nes reikalinga speciali priežiūra bei išskirtinis dėmesys. Šeimos, kurios bendrai užsiima laisvalaikio veiklomis, jaučiasi labiau patenkintomis už tas, kurios renkasi laisvalaikį atskirai. Bendros laisvalaikio veiklos teigiamai sąlygoja vaikų vystymąsi. Motyvacija keliauti yra skatinama aplinkos bei vidinių veiksnių, stimulai susiję su individo poreikių tenkinimu. Pagrindinės keliavimo motyvų kategorijos:... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object of work: Traveling with prie-school age kids motyvation. Problem of research: what motyvational factors determine families with pre-school age kids selection to travel and how to organize travel to families with prie-school age kids. This thesis is investigating questions: how tourism is characterized; what types of tourism do we have; what motives determine the choice of travel, what motives determine families with prie-school age kids to choose travels as one of leisure activities. Goal of reserch: to reveal consumer with prie-school age kids stimulating motives. Tasks: 1. To describe tourism concetion and types. 2. To analyze travel with prie-school age kids particularities. 3. To describe motyvation to travel conception and motives. 4. Identify families with pre-school age kids motives to travel. Main conclusios: Traveling with pre-school age kids is difficult process because require special care and exclusive attention. Families which engage leisure activities feels more satisfied instead of families who travel seperately. Joint leisure activities positively determine kids growth. Motyvation to travel is promoted by environment and internal factors, stimulation related to individual needs satisfaction. Main travel motive categories are: pgysical motives, cultural motives,emotional motives, social position and prestige motives, interpersonal motives and perfection motives. Most popular motives are related to wishes which depends on individual personal attribution... [to full text]

This Master degree dissertation focuses on issue of gifted pre-school children. The text is dividend into two parts - theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part, a complex general introduction into the gifted children field is presented; characteristics of such children, possibilities of their identification, and the following support and development of their talent is discussed. As for the goal of the second part, it is to find out an approach of the kindergarten teachers to gifted children. The work presents a case study of the attitude and behavior of a particular gifted child.