Importance of Play in the Development, Preschool Education and Competence Acquisition

Tema ovog završnog rada je Uloga igre u cjelovitom razvoju, odgoju i stjecanju kompetencija. Igra je utkana u svaki segment djetetova života pa je cilj ovog rada osvijestiti njezinu važnost. Od najranije dobi igra je jedna od djetetovih potreba. Ono kroz igru spoznaje svijet oko sebe i suočava se s njim, razvija se u svim područjima, eksperimentira na razne načine, koristeći razne materijale i poticaje iz okoline, stječe iskustvo tako što pokušava i griješi, uživa i zabavlja se. Bez igre, dijete se ne bi moglo normalno razvijati i funkcionirati, stoga odrasli imaju veliku ulogu u igri djeteta i njegovu cjelokupnom razvoju. Dijete u igri istražuje pomoću svih osjetila pa ga treba pustiti da samostalno otkriva, istražuje, dodiruje, sastavlja i rastavlja, isprobava te zadovoljava svoju znatiželju. Zato je potrebno osmisliti poticajno prostorno – materijalno okruženje u skladu s djetetovim potrebama, interesima, sposobnostima, znanjima i vještinama. Osim prostorno – materijalnog okruženja, veliku ulogu ima i socijalno okruženje jer u interakciji s drugima dijete otkriva oblike ponašanja, na koje načine ispoljavaju emocije i uči ih primjenjivati. Kod djece od malena treba poticati razvoj ključnih kompetencija jer se tada postavljaju temelji za cjeloživotno učenje. Najbolji način za poticanje i razvoj kompetencija kod djece je upravo igra.The topic of this final paper is the role of play in comprehensive development, upbringing and acquisition of competences. Play is included in every segment of a child´s life, so this final work aims to raise the awareness of its importance. From an early age, play is one of the child's needs. Through play children learn about the world around them, it helps them develop in all areas, experiment in various ways, use various materials and stimuli from the environment, they gain experience by trying and making mistakes, enjoy and have fun. Without play, children would not be able to develop and function normally, therefore adults play a major role in the child´s play and overall development. Throughout playing children explore using all their senses, so they should be allowed to discover independently, explore, assemble and disassemble, try and satisfy their curiosity. That is why it is important to create a stimulating spatial environment in accordance with the child´s needs, interests, knowledge and skills. In addition to the spatial environment, the social environment also plays a big role because in interaction with others, the child discovers forms of behavior and ways of expressing emotions and then learns to apply them. Children should be encouraged from a young age to develop the key competences, because then the foundations for lifelong learning are laid. The best way to stimulate and develop children’s competencies is precisely through play