Spontaneous Play As An Indicator Of Children’s School Readiness In Social Skills

Abstract

Starting compulsory education represents a key milestone in children’s lives. A successful start in the system of compulsory education is affected by the level of children’s school maturity and readiness. This is influenced especially by the family but also by preschool education in which teachers systematically focus on children’s development in the cognitive, psychomotoric and social skills. Between 2009 and 2013, a research team at the Faculty of Education, Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic, performed a research study aimed at school maturity with an emphasis on cognitive maturity. This research was followed by another study aimed at children’s readiness in the area of social skills. The research is of a quantitative-qualitative nature; the principal research method was observation and interview. The purpose of the paper is to present the partial results of an analysis of video-studies aimed at children’s spontaneous play in the kindergarten. The authors analysed and assessed the main areas and indicators of children’s play with a focus on social skills. In the context of the preschool curriculum, the authors formulated conclusions and recommendations not only in terms of further research but also for preschool education.