The role of preschool teacher in child structured and unstructured play

The thesis entitled The Role of Preschool Teacher in Child Structured and Unstructured Play focuses on play, play materials and the role of preschool teacher in the preschool period. The theoretical part focuses on the meaning of child’s play and play materials as well as the role of the preschool professionals. Various types, factors and characteristics of child’s play were presented and play materials were defined. Toy quality criteria are also briefly described. The chapter dealing with the play and curriculum contains a detailed study on the meaning of child's play in connection with individual areas of the activity. The theoretical part ends with the important role of preschool teacher in organizing and preparing preschool child's play. The mail goal of the empirical part was an insight into the preschool teachers' point of view on structured and unstructured materials. I wanted to find out how well nursery schools are stocked with such materials, possible problems in organizing child’s play using the abovementioned materials and how often the material is used in child’s play. The focus was put on the meaning of structured and unstructured materials as a means of motivation in child’s play; the child's response and perseverance using a specific type of play material as well as opinion on the meaning and quality of preschool teacher's role in child’s play organization and preparation using child structured and unstructured materials. Based on the research results it was established that nursery schools are well stocked with structured and unstructured materials and that structured material is still mostly used by preschool teachers in organizing the child’s play. I also found out that visually and technically perfected toys do not necessarily mean successful child’s play and development. According to preschool teachers, preschool children prefer unstructured materials, which increase the child's motivation and imagination in different child ages. Preschool teachers often join the child structured material play indirectly acting as a judge, guide and initiator in order to resolve the conflicts. Preschool teaches warn that their role in planning child’s play with structured and unstructured materials is demanding and difficult. Their main difficulty is organizing the time and ensuring a safe play with unstructured materials