Teoria i praktyka przygotowania dzieci do szkoły w warunkach rozwoju polskiego przedszkola : (druga połowa XIX wieku-1918 rok)

Abstract

The study shows the level of completed research in theory and practise of shool preparation of children in the church-governed day-nurseries, and also analyses the timeless elements which can be adopted to educational system at the end of 20c. The following aspects have been dealt with: - the analysis of the studies by outstanding educators and psychologists and judgement to what extent their work has been important for the development of the pre-school system, - the influence of convents, societies, and ordinary people on the theory and practise of pre-school education development, - timeless values of developing theory and practise in the aspect of school preparation, basing on documentaries and literary sources, - changes of tasks, programmes and methods of work with children in the aspect of school preparation, - home education and its role in child’s development, - the diagnosis of typically Polish elements and their comparision with theory and practise of originating pre-school education, which includes school preparation, - the importance of timeless values for the contemporary theory and practise of school preparation of children. Regardless of who founded day nurseries on the turn of 19 and 20c, their educational principles were similar. Gradually, the following tasks were introduced: - development of cognitive thinking by using various methods, - teaching reading and the basics of maths, - getting to know a child in order to prepare a suitable plan, - planning and systematic education to prepare a child for school, - combining theory and practise. There are three characteristic features of the trend: - introducing better forms and methods of work, - pointing to the necessity of restructuring day-nurseries, - the necessity of having qualified personnel. On the turn of the century there are a number of theses and articles written especially for parents; the scientific writing defined the tasks supporting the development of pre-school children. Although theory of home education was better developed than practise, the attempts were in accordance with public’s expectations. There have been written books on the development of pre-school education in 19c up to the year 1918, in which Poland gained independance. Besides, you can find pedagogical and psychological studies on educating and preparing a child to school education, and also books on the present level of theory and practise in the above-metioned theme. This scientific writing shows that a number of tendencies visible in pre-school education are reflected in contemporary writing by outstanding psychologists and educators and they are transferred in the form of theses, documents, plans of work in day-nurseries, questionnaires, and reports. Various ideas and practical solutions to problems, such as for example: learning about things, testing children’s vocabulary, or methodology of talking, are adopted in pre-school pedagogical theory and practise at the end of 20c.