Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1984.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1984.

O objetivo deste estudo, de delineamento quase-experimental, foi investigar o desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras e o engajamento de crianças pré-escolares em diferentes contextos de jogo. Fizeram parte da investigação 71 crianças (40 meninos e 31 meninas), com idades entre 5 e 6 anos, que freqüentaram as turmas de Jardim de Infância da Associação da Creche de Braga, na cidade de Braga (Portugal), no ano 2005/2006. A partir de três classes intactas, foram sorteados dois grupos experimentais e um controle. Os participantes dos grupos experimentais beneficiaram-se de dois Programas de movimento distintos: um baseado no jogo livre (chamado Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido); e o outro, na combinação de exploração, jogo livre, jogo orientado e atividades dirigidas pela investigadora (denominado Jogo com orientação). Para a análise do desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras das crianças, foi aplicado o Test of Gross Motor Development – Second Edition (TGMD-2), de Ulrich (2000), antes e após o período interventivo. Para se averiguar o seu engajamento nos Programas de movimento, recorreu-se a uma análise qualitativa e quantitativa das habilidades avaliadas no TGMD-2, que foram realizadas pelas crianças durante as sessões. Ainda, examinou-se a associação entre o engajamento das crianças nos respectivos Programas de movimento e seus ganhos em habilidades. No que se refere ao desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras e ao engajamento, recorreu-se a testes não-paramétricos - Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney e/ou Kruskal-Wallis - para realizar comparações quanto aos grupos, aos gêneros e a crianças de diferentes níveis iniciais de habilidade; a associação entre o engajamento das crianças nos Programas de movimento e seus ganhos em habilidades foi verificada utilizando-se o Coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Os resultados evidenciaram que: a) a participação das crianças no Programa Jogo com orientação promoveu ganhos em seu desempenho motor, ao passo que mudanças não foram observadas nas que constituíram o grupo Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido, nem nas do Grupo Controle; b) quando da análise do desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras, de acordo com o gênero, constatou-se que, enquanto mudanças positivas foram verificadas tanto nos meninos como nas meninas do grupo Jogo com orientação, crianças de ambos os gêneros dos grupos Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido e Controle mantiveram seus níveis de desempenho entre os dois momentos de avaliação; c) de forma geral, as crianças menos habilidosas do grupo Jogo com orientação foram as que mais se beneficiaram do Programa, apresentando mudanças positivas no seu desempenho moto; já as mais habilidosas desse grupo, assim como as de diferentes níveis iniciais de habilidade dos grupos Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido e Controle, não apresentaram ganhos em seu desempenho; d) as crianças participantes do grupo Jogo com orientação apresentaram engajamento superior às do grupo Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido, durante as intervenções; e) gênero e nível inicial de habilidade não se configuraram variáveis decisivas para o engajamento das crianças em ambos os Programas de movimento; f) de forma geral, as crianças que demonstraram maior qualidade em sua prática ao longo dos Programas de movimentos foram as que mais progressos fizeram em suas habilidades / The purpose of this study, with a quasi-experimental design, was to investigate the motor skill development and the engagement of preschool children in different play environments. The participants were seventy-one children (40 boys and 31 girls), aged 5-6 yr, who attended the Kindergarten classes at the Associação da Creche de Braga, in the city of Braga (Portugal), during the year 2005/2006. From three intact classes, two experimental groups and a control group were chosen by lot. Participants in the experimental groups benefited from two distinct movement programs: one based on free play (called Free Play in Enriched Environment); and the other in the combination of exploration, free play, oriented play, and activities conducted by the researcher (referred to as Play with Orientation). For the analysis of motor skill development of children, the Test of Gross Motor Development – Second Edition (TGMD-2), by Ulrich (2000), was administered before and after the intervention period. For examining their engagement in the movement programs, a qualitative and quantitative analysis was done of the skills assessed in TGMD-2, which were performed by children during the sessions. Moreover, the association between children’s engagement in the respective movement programs and their gains in skills was examined. Concerning motor skill development and engagement, nonparametric tests – Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, and/or Kruskal-Wallis – were administered to do comparisons relative to groups, genders, and children of different initial skill levels; the association between children’s engagement in the movement programs and their gains in skills was verified using the Spearman Correlation Coefficient. Results evidenced that: a) the children participation in the Play with Orientation program brought gains in their motor development, whereas no changes were observed in those in the Free Play in Enriched Environment group, nor in those in Control Group; b) with the analysis of motor skill development, according to gender, it was verified that, while positive changes were observed both in boys and girls in the Play with Orientation group, children of both genders in the Free Play in Enriched Environment and Control groups maintained their development levels between the two moments of assessment; c) in general, the low-skilled children in x the Play with Orientation group were the most benefited from the program, presenting positive changes in their motor development. in contrast, neither the highskilled children in the same group nor those of different initial skill levels in the Free Play in Enriched Environment and Control groups presented gains in their development; d) during the interventions, children in the Play with Orientation group showed to be more engaged than those in the Free Play in Enriched Environment group; e) gender and initial skill level have not shown to be decisive variables for children’s engagement in both movement programs; f) in general, the children who demonstrated a higher quality in their practice during the movement programs were those who achieved more progresses in their skills.

O objetivo deste estudo, de delineamento quase-experimental, foi investigar o desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras e o engajamento de crianças pré-escolares em diferentes contextos de jogo. Fizeram parte da investigação 71 crianças (40 meninos e 31 meninas), com idades entre 5 e 6 anos, que freqüentaram as turmas de Jardim de Infância da Associação da Creche de Braga, na cidade de Braga (Portugal), no ano 2005/2006. A partir de três classes intactas, foram sorteados dois grupos experimentais e um controle. Os participantes dos grupos experimentais beneficiaram-se de dois Programas de movimento distintos: um baseado no jogo livre (chamado Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido); e o outro, na combinação de exploração, jogo livre, jogo orientado e atividades dirigidas pela investigadora (denominado Jogo com orientação). Para a análise do desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras das crianças, foi aplicado o Test of Gross Motor Development – Second Edition (TGMD-2), de Ulrich (2000), antes e após o período interventivo. Para se averiguar o seu engajamento nos Programas de movimento, recorreu-se a uma análise qualitativa e quantitativa das habilidades avaliadas no TGMD-2, que foram realizadas pelas crianças durante as sessões. Ainda, examinou-se a associação entre o engajamento das crianças nos respectivos Programas de movimento e seus ganhos em habilidades. No que se refere ao desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras e ao engajamento, recorreu-se a testes não-paramétricos - Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney e/ou Kruskal-Wallis - para realizar comparações quanto aos grupos, aos gêneros e a crianças de diferentes níveis iniciais de habilidade; a associação entre o engajamento das crianças nos Programas de movimento e seus ganhos em habilidades foi verificada utilizando-se o Coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Os resultados evidenciaram que: a) a participação das crianças no Programa Jogo com orientação promoveu ganhos em seu desempenho motor, ao passo que mudanças não foram observadas nas que constituíram o grupo Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido, nem nas do Grupo Controle; b) quando da análise do desenvolvimento de habilidades motoras, de acordo com o gênero, constatou-se que, enquanto mudanças positivas foram verificadas tanto nos meninos como nas meninas do grupo Jogo com orientação, crianças de ambos os gêneros dos grupos Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido e Controle mantiveram seus níveis de desempenho entre os dois momentos de avaliação; c) de forma geral, as crianças menos habilidosas do grupo Jogo com orientação foram as que mais se beneficiaram do Programa, apresentando mudanças positivas no seu desempenho moto; já as mais habilidosas desse grupo, assim como as de diferentes níveis iniciais de habilidade dos grupos Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido e Controle, não apresentaram ganhos em seu desempenho; d) as crianças participantes do grupo Jogo com orientação apresentaram engajamento superior às do grupo Jogo livre em contexto enriquecido, durante as intervenções; e) gênero e nível inicial de habilidade não se configuraram variáveis decisivas para o engajamento das crianças em ambos os Programas de movimento; f) de forma geral, as crianças que demonstraram maior qualidade em sua prática ao longo dos Programas de movimentos foram as que mais progressos fizeram em suas habilidades / The purpose of this study, with a quasi-experimental design, was to investigate the motor skill development and the engagement of preschool children in different play environments. The participants were seventy-one children (40 boys and 31 girls), aged 5-6 yr, who attended the Kindergarten classes at the Associação da Creche de Braga, in the city of Braga (Portugal), during the year 2005/2006. From three intact classes, two experimental groups and a control group were chosen by lot. Participants in the experimental groups benefited from two distinct movement programs: one based on free play (called Free Play in Enriched Environment); and the other in the combination of exploration, free play, oriented play, and activities conducted by the researcher (referred to as Play with Orientation). For the analysis of motor skill development of children, the Test of Gross Motor Development – Second Edition (TGMD-2), by Ulrich (2000), was administered before and after the intervention period. For examining their engagement in the movement programs, a qualitative and quantitative analysis was done of the skills assessed in TGMD-2, which were performed by children during the sessions. Moreover, the association between children’s engagement in the respective movement programs and their gains in skills was examined. Concerning motor skill development and engagement, nonparametric tests – Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney, and/or Kruskal-Wallis – were administered to do comparisons relative to groups, genders, and children of different initial skill levels; the association between children’s engagement in the movement programs and their gains in skills was verified using the Spearman Correlation Coefficient. Results evidenced that: a) the children participation in the Play with Orientation program brought gains in their motor development, whereas no changes were observed in those in the Free Play in Enriched Environment group, nor in those in Control Group; b) with the analysis of motor skill development, according to gender, it was verified that, while positive changes were observed both in boys and girls in the Play with Orientation group, children of both genders in the Free Play in Enriched Environment and Control groups maintained their development levels between the two moments of assessment; c) in general, the low-skilled children in x the Play with Orientation group were the most benefited from the program, presenting positive changes in their motor development. in contrast, neither the highskilled children in the same group nor those of different initial skill levels in the Free Play in Enriched Environment and Control groups presented gains in their development; d) during the interventions, children in the Play with Orientation group showed to be more engaged than those in the Free Play in Enriched Environment group; e) gender and initial skill level have not shown to be decisive variables for children’s engagement in both movement programs; f) in general, the children who demonstrated a higher quality in their practice during the movement programs were those who achieved more progresses in their skills.

A number of studies have been published concerning preschool teachers’ child perspectives. Over the past 50 years the construction of the preschool child in Swedish preschool policy documents have deve­loped from mainly depicting a dependent, immature, becoming child to a more rational, competent, being child. But what about the guardians’ child perspectives? Have they changed in a similar way? The aim of this study is to add to the understanding of the preschool-home cooperation, through exami­ning guardians’ constructions of the preschool child and how the constructions may influence their needs and expectations of what preschools have to offer. The method used to obtain data for analysis was qualitative interviews. Five guardians were interviewed and the audiotapes transcribed verbatim. Both audio and text were studied multiple times to discern pat-terns, expressions that could be interpreted as representing specific constructions of the preschool child. The theoretical framework for the study is social constructionism. In short, social constructionism is part of the post modern movement that unites in its’ critique of universal truths. Instead, knowledge is looked upon as constructed in a specific context, such as time and culture. In this study this means a belief in that there is no one, universal child but a number of views of what children are. The data was analyzed through different accepted constructions of children. The results showed four different constructions of the preschool child that could be interpreted from the interviews; the unchangeable, the curious knowledger, the social and the playing. In terms of needs and expectations, the guardians are likely to have very different views of what preschools should offer de­pending on which construction they express. Many of the quotes depict the child as a primarily social being, which is coherent with previous research on guardians’ views of preschool. The results of the study implicates that guardians come to the preschool context with a wide range of different constructions of what a preschool child is and what it needs. There is, at least in theory, often a gap between the perceived child that preschool is made for by policy documents and teachers and the percieved child by the guardians. To ensure that the cooperation between preschool and families works as good as possible, professionals in preschool need to be humble to this fact and understand that the different expectations and demands we experience from guardians are rooted in more than plain opinions and whimsicality. Namely, a firm belief in what is best for the children.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Introduction: Feeding difficulty is a commonly behavior present in preschoolers and an important cause of intake monotony. It is a set of behaviors related to food refusal. More serious cases may persist beyond the pre-school age and may result in damage of child growth and health. Objective: To investigate the feeding difficulty among preschoolers and the associated factors. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study carried out with parents and children aged 4 to 6 enrolled in private and philanthropic pre-schools of Aracaju, Sergipe. Feeding difficulty was assessed through a specific question ("Does your child have difficulty eating certain types of food?") and food refusal aspects through the Food Avoidance sub scales of Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ): Food Fussiness, Satiety Responsiveness, Slowness in Eating, and Emotional Undereating. A semi-structured questionnaire containing data on sociodemographic conditions, birth conditions, food history and aspects related to child feeding behavior was applied. The evaluation of parental feeding practices was done through questions of the 5 sub-scales of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. The children nutritional status was evaluated by the BMI index for age. Logistic and linear regression models were used to evaluate the factors associated with feeding difficulty and aspects of food refusal. Results: A total of 730 preschoolers, 50.3% female and mean age 62.3 (SD = 8.1) months were evaluated. The prevalence of feeding difficulty was 34.1%. Children with eating difficulties presented aversion to most of the food / food groups evaluated, lower BMI for age, parents with a history of feeding difficulty, higher frequency of repeated exposure to new foods, use of food rewards by parents, children’s control about the food and less guidance relation on healthy habits. Regarding the evaluation of the aspects of infant food refusal, there were significant positive associations with higher parental pressure to eat, and negative with nutritional status. The greater control of the feeding by the child presented a relation with the Food Fussiness, Satiety Responsiveness and Emotional Undereating. While breastfeeding had a protective effect for Satiety Responsiveness and Emotional Undereating, a higher level of maternal schooling was a risk factor. Factors such as the use of food rewards and parental antecedents of feeding difficulties were also associated with aspects of food refusal. Conclusion: Feeding difficulty is a frequent behavior among preschool children evaluated, with food refusal aspects especially associated with parental feeding practices and nutritional status. In this way, the promotion of a structured family environment with less coercive parental practices can be a useful strategy for prevention and control of these behaviors in childhood. / Introdução: A dificuldade alimentar é um comportamento comumente encontrado em pré-escolares e uma importante causa da monotonia alimentar. Trata-se de um conjunto de comportamentos relacionados à recusa alimentar. Casos de maior gravidade podem persistir além da idade pré-escolar e acarretar prejuízos ao crescimento e saúde infantil. Objetivo: Investigar as dificuldades alimentares entre pré-escolares e seus fatores associados. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo observacional de caráter transversal realizado com pais e crianças de 4 a 6 anos matriculadas em escolas de educação infantil privadas e filantrópicas do munícipio de Aracaju, Sergipe. Avaliou-se a dificuldade alimentar por meio de uma pergunta específica (“Seu filho tem dificuldade para comer certos tipos de alimentos?”) e os aspectos da recusa alimentar por meio das sub escalas de Desinteresse pela Comida do Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ): Seletividade Alimentar, Resposta à Saciedade, Ingestão Lenta e Subingestão Emocional. Aplicou-se um questionário semiestruturado contendo dados sobre as condições sociodemográficas, condições de nascimento, história alimentar e aspectos relacionados ao comportamento alimentar infantil. A avaliação das práticas alimentares parentais foi feita por meio de questões de 5 sub escalas do Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire. O estado nutricional das crianças foi avaliado pelo IMC para idade. Modelos de regressão logística e linear foram realizados para avaliar os fatores associados com a dificuldade alimentar e aos aspectos da recusa alimentar. Resultados: Avaliaram-se 730 pré-escolares, 50,3% pertencentes ao sexo feminino e com média de idade de 62,3 (DP= 8,1) meses. A prevalência da dificuldade alimentar foi de 34,1%. Crianças com dificuldades alimentares apresentaram aversão à maioria dos alimentos/grupos alimentares avaliados, menores valores do IMC para idade, pais com histórico de dificuldade alimentar, maior frequência de exposição repetida a alimentos novos, maior uso de recompensas alimentares pelos pais, maior controle das crianças sobre a própria alimentação e menor orientação dos pais sobre alimentação saudável. Quanto à avaliação dos aspectos da recusa alimentar infantil, constataram-se significativas associações positivas com a maior pressão dos pais para comer e negativas com o estado nutricional. O maior controle da alimentação pela criança apresentou relação com a Seletividade Alimentar, Resposta à Saciedade e Subingestão Emocional. Enquanto que a amamentação teve efeito protetor para a Resposta à Saciedade e Subingestão Emocional, o maior nível de escolaridade materna foi um fator de risco. Fatores como uso de recompensas alimentares e antecedentes parentais de dificuldades alimentares também estiveram associados a aspectos da recusa alimentar. Conclusão: A dificuldade alimentar é um comportamento frequente entre os pré-escolares avaliados, sendo os aspectos da recusa alimentar especialmente associados às práticas parentais e estado nutricional infantil. Desta forma, a promoção de um ambiente familiar estruturado com práticas parentais menos coercitivas pode ser uma estratégia útil de prevenção e controle destes comportamentos na infância. / São Cristóvão, SE

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T14:30:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_ Marina_Sousa_Azevedo.pdf: 1003454 bytes, checksum: f38dd87ba882490bc6b3602f7494c899 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-04-29 / Micro-organisms belonging to the resident oral microflora are organized into complex communities, the biofilms, and are the direct cause of the caries process. It is necessary to understand the degree to which biofilm physicochemical and nutrient environments affect the plaque development in individuals differing in their oral environments. In this context, microcosm biofilm models could be used to answer specific questions related to caries. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that microcosm biofilms growth from inoculums of caries free children (CF), childrenwith early childhood caries (ECC) and with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) would provide the same cariogenic response under regular sucrose exposure. Also, microcosm biofilms formed from saliva of children and their mothers considering cariogenic response and microbiota composition were compared. Three children of each group were selected: CF, ECC and S-ECC and their mothers. The mother-child pairs were examined and the dental status was recorded. Saliva samples were collected and screened for microbial composition. Microcosm plaque biofilms were initiated from saliva, growth on bovine enamel discs in artificial saliva enriched with mucin (DMM) for up to 10 days in 24-well microplates under anaerobic conditions. Biofilms were growth with and without sucrose under a semi-dynamic regimen previously tested. DMM was replaced daily and pH measurements were recorded for DMM with sucrose or DMM without sucrose supernatants.On the 10th day, biofilms were collected and microbiota composition was assessed by culture methods. The enamel mineral loss was obtained by the percentual surface microhardness change (%SHC) for each enamel disc. The relationship between outcome variables (pH, microbiota and %SHC) from mothers and children was estimated by Spearman s correlation test, considering each outcome within each caries risk group. Independent statistical comparisons among surface microhardness change, pH and biofilm microbiota were made for group and condition (sucrose exposure) and analyzed using 2-way ANOVA followed by Tukey s test. Values of p ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. The groups with cariogenic challenge condition showed: higher levels of the total aciduric counts, S. mutans and total oral lactobacilli, lower value of pure DMM pH and a higher mineral loss than the group without cariogenic challenge. Differences between groups (CF, ECC and S-ECC) could not be seen, except for DMM pH with sucrose for children (p=0.005) and for pure DMM pH (p=0.004) and for total aciduric counts (p=0.037) for mothers. A correlation was found between microcosm biofilms generated from children and their mothers inoculums under cariogenic challenge. Therefore, within the limitations of this study, it is possible to conclude that microcosm biofilms growth from inoculums of children with or without severe ECC provide similar cariogenic response under regular sucrose exposure. Moreover, cariogenic challenge was crucial to correlatecariogenic response of microcosm biofilms between the inoculum of mothers and their children / Os microrganismos pertencentes à microflora oral residente, os quais são organizados em comunidades complexas, o biofilme, atuam diretamente no processo cárie dentária. É necessário compreender o grau com que o ambiente nutricional e físico-químico do biofilme influenciam no desenvolvimento da placa em indivíduos que diferem em seu ambiente bucal. Nesse contexto, modelos de biofilme poderiam ser usados para responder a questões específicas relacionadas à cárie. O objetivo deste estudo foi testar a hipótese de que biofilmes de microcosmo crescidos a partir do inóculo de crianças livres de cárie (LC), com cárie na primeira infância (CPI) e com com CPI severa (CPI-S) dariam a mesma resposta cariogênica sob uma exposição regular de sacarose, em um modelo de biofilme padronizado. Além disso, biofilmes de microcosmos formados a partir da saliva de crianças e de suas mães foram comparados, considerando-se resposta cariogênica e composição microbiana. Três crianças de cada grupo: LC; CPI; CPI-S e suas mães foram selecionadas. Os pares foram examinados e a condição dentária registrada. Amostras de saliva foram coletadas e avaliadas quanto à composição microbiana. O biofilme de microcosmos foi iniciado a partir da coleta de saliva, crescida sobre discos de esmalte bovino em saliva artificial enriquecida com mucina (DMM) por 10 dias em placas de 24 micropoços em condição de anaerobiose. Os biofilmes cresceram com e sem sacarose sob um regime semi-dinâmico previamente testado. O DMM foi renovado diariamente e aferições do pH dos sobrenadantes foram registradas do DMM com e sem sacarose. No décimo dia os biofilmes foram coletados e a composição da microbiota foi avaliada por métodos de cultura. A perda mineral do esmalte foi obtida através da porcentagem de mudança da microdureza de superfície para cada disco de esmalte (%PDS).A relação entre as variáveis de desfecho estudadas (pH, microbiota e %PDS) das mães e de seus filhos foi estimada através do teste de correlação de Spearman. Comparações estatísticas independentes entre mudança da microdureza de superfície, pH e microbiota do biofilme foram conduzidas para cada grupo e condição (exposição a sacarose) e analisadas utilizando ANOVA duas vias, seguido do Teste de Tukey. Valores de p≤0,05 foram considerados significantes. Os grupos sob a condição de desafio cariogênico mostraram: maior contagem de acidúricos totais, S. mutans e lactobacilos totais, valores mais baixos de pH do DMM e maior perda mineral do que o grupo sem desafio cariogênico.Diferenças entre os grupos não foram significantes, com exceção do pH do DMM com sacarose para as crianças (p=0,005), do pH do DMM puro (p=0,004) e da contagem de acidúricos totais (p=0,037) para as mães. Houve correlação entre os biofilmes das crianças e de suas mães na condição de desafio cariogênico. Assim, o crescimento de biofilme de microcosmos originados a partir do inóculo de crianças com e sem cárie na primeira infância promovem resposta cariogênica similar sob exposições regulares de sacarose. Além disso, a presença do desafio carigênico foi determinante para existência de correlação na resposta cariogênica no biofilme de microcosmos entre o inóculo de mães e seus filhos

TITLE: Influence of yoga on the attention of preschool children AUTHOR: Bc. Veronika Volfová DEPARTMENT: Department of Physical Education SUPERVISOR: Mgr. et. Mgr. Zdeňka Engelthalerová ABSTRACT: This thesis aims to determine whether regular yoga exercises of preschool children influence the progress of their attention positively. The thesis is divided in two parts. The theoretical part starts with the definition of preschool age and the introduction of the principles, effects, and meaning of yoga exercises. Further, it explains the term attention and states options of its influencing and outcomes of already performed research in this area. The practical part offers the results of quantitative research that observed the relationship between yoga exercises and children's attention. The research had the form of an experiment, i.e. with the collaboration of an experimental group, which participated in yoga exercises, and a control group with no yoga exercises. The attention level of children from both groups was determined by means of two attention tests both before the exercise set and afterwards. Although the attention level has improved with both groups, the research results show a more distinctive improvement with the experimental group. KEYWORDS: Yoga - Preschool child - Attention - Concentration -...

Theoretical part The theoretical part examines psychological resilience in pre-schoolers. It presents the terminology and factors influencing resilience. It describes the development of resilience in the context of the development of children. The following part describes the characteristics of resilience crucial for this research. An important part presents suggestions and tips for parents and teachers on how to foster and further develop these characteristics of psychological resilience. The last chapter of the theoretical part describes state-run, private and so called "forest" kindergartens and presents the legislative framework concerning pre-school education. Practical part The empirical part inspects the characteristics of resilience in pre-schoolers in private, state- run and the forest kindergartens. It examines the differences between the attitude of parents and teachers to initiative, self-regulation and relationship and bond forming in pre-schoolers in various types of kindergarten The key words resilience, preschool child, initiative, self-regulation, attachments and relationships, kindergarten

The thesis is focused on phenomenon of free play in preschool age children. Theoretical part of this work explains game itself and its context. Focus is aimed at capturing specifics of preschool age child's play, its importance for kids and division to several types. Major part of this thesis also explains concept of free play in preschool child development. Practical part contains research investigation of free play in children from three to four age in kindergarten. Goal of this investigation was set as follows: give description at free play phenomenon in preschool aged kids in preschool environment. Chosen methods for this research were observation together with non-structured interviews with participants of research - the kids themselves. Research findings describes prevailing types of play and themes that children chose during the free play. Results indicates which toys and tools children use to play with and what kind of relationship they had with them. In addition, children's interactions with others are described and also another features of the free play of preschool children. Key words phenomenon of play, free play, preschool child, preschool enviroment