The emergence of emotions in class of three and four year old children in preschool

My research aimed at determining which emotions are the most common in 3 to 4 year old children, how they express them, which situations trigger them, and how their teacher responds to the emotions. The theoretical part presents basic characteristics of emotions, followed by a description of their development and the characteristics of basic and complex emotions. It concludes by pointing to the significance of encouraging emotions in preschool. I selected a sample of children aged from 3 to 4 years attending a preschool class. I observed them in the playroom and playground. My observations were recorded using a table prepared beforehand which included the following categories: type of emotion, situation, reaction of the child, typical facial expression, reaction of other children, reaction of the teacher to the child’s emotion. The research took place in July 2012. I observed the entire class of 19 children, two children each day. The empirical research indicates that basic emotions, especially joy, are the most common in children. Children usually express positive emotions during outdoor activities and when playing with their favourite toys. As for negative emotions, children were mostly sad/offended and angry. Moreover, negative emotions are usually displayed when arguing for toys and in cases of injuries or punching. As a rule, children respond to the emotions of other children and adults. The reactions of the teacher, however, were often contrary to theoretical guidelines. Her reactions were probably similar to those of other teachers