Development of pre-mathematical and mathematical imagination of preschool children with visual impairment

The topic of this bachelor thesis is 'The Development of Pre-mathematical and Mathematical Ideas In Children with Visual Impairments During Pre-school Age'. It is divided into a theoretical and a practical section. The theoretical section consists of five chapters. The first chapter describes visual impairments. The second chapter characterises a pre-school child. The third chapter is focused on the specifics of the development of a child with a visual impairment during the pre-school age. Next chapter comprises the upbringing and education of visually impaired pre-school children. The last chapter studies pre-mathematical and mathematical ideas and concepts. The main goal is to further develop the already existing part of 'School Educational Programme (SEP)' for special pre-school care for visually impaired concerning pre-mathematical and mathematical ideas and concepts into specific activities. This aim implies three partial ones. The first partial goal is to discover, via observing children, which part od SEP should be further developped. The second is to invent activities with aids suitable for the development of pre-mathematical and mathematical ideas in children with visual impairments during the pre-school age. The final is using these activities in practice. To achieve these aims, three research questions are posed. In the practical segment of this thesis, a method of quantitative research was used. A technique used to collect data needed for the realisation of the research was observation of the kids with the mentioned disabilities and also a semistructured interview with pedagogues. A technique of data analysis was used to process the obtained information. An analysis of personal documentation of chosed kids was done. Part of the practical section was also attending a direct work with visually impaired kids. The research took place in the kindergarten 'Mateřská škola pro zrakově postižené v Českých Budějovicích' since January until March 2016. The target group was formed by children and pedagogues of a special kindergarten for visually impaired. The results of my bachelor thesis are two new activities with aids oriented on development of pre-mathematical and mathematical ideas. Based on observation, it was found out that both activities with aids help to develop specific cathegories, that is fine motorics, visual perception, thinking, memory, speech, geometric shapes, orientation on the surface, numeral sequences. In addition, the second activity with aid develops tactile perception, orientation in the picture and encourages cooperation in the group. Research shows that both activities with aids are helpful for children with visual impairments. During the first activity, the children were fulfilling tasks according to a preciseguidelines. Children were naming geometrical shapes, trying to orientate on a surface, and while doing so, they were practicing concepts related to orientation in an area. In the second activity with an aid, the children were trying to embrace shape-related features of objects, colors and matherials, while creating a picture. On randomly selected cards with tasks they were observing graphic images of numbers, trying to orientate on surface and to create a picture, developping verbal skills, practicing numeral systems and sequences, understanding the concept of numbers and their quantities and assigning a symbol on a cube to written numbers. Upon verification of those activities with aids in practice, it is obvious, that they are suitable for the development of pre-mathematical and mathematical concepts. During the research it was found out, how the attention of children during the activities was affected by motivation, surroundings and also the time of them working with the aid. Newly created aids will be left in the kindergarten "Mateřská škola pro zrakově postižené v Českých Budějovicích". These activities with aids can also be used in ordinary kindergarten or by parents