Promotion of the expression of children in the first three years of preschool through individual choice of materials

The Diploma thesis is the result of observations made during the initial work with preschool children in kindergarten, which led to a desire for change – more specifically, to research the area of fine arts in kindergarten and to observe the behaviour of children when they are provided with a greater selection of means for artistic expression. Kindergarten educators, primarily those working with the first age group, do not provide (offer) children the possibilities to create, in the sense of greater and more independent choices, when it comes to the selection of art techniques or tools and materials. Instead, they follow the intended, precise instructions to guide their artistic expression, where colours have already been selected and only one technique is usually applied, and the children’s creative expression is time-limited. The empirical part of the research therefore focuses on determining which of the artistic means or materials offered has the greatest motivational potential in the first age period. In the first part of the research, the emphasis is on which material most appeals to the children of the first age group and on observing how the children use the selected material in the process of creating. In the second part, the children are offered a choice of different materials that allows them to create independently in the fine art corner. In both cases, children will learn how to create their own products without being restricted or instructed by an adult person and without precise instructions as to what they can create and how they can use the selected material. They will also be able to create without any time limitation. Assessment of the response will be performed on individual basis