The purpose of this work is to explore and illuminate the circle times function and importance of preschool by the pedagogue perspective and the circle time design in relation to children's age group composition. The study questions are:What is the purpose of circle time in preschool educational activities according to the teacher and how does the teacher look at his own role?How do the teachers plan, design and perform the circle time of small children and big children's section? What similarities and differences exist?This is a qualitative study based on interviews with four preschool teachers and observations of their circle times. Research and theories showed that the circle time is a social training, provide a sense of community and is a ritual that gives a good daily rhythm.The results of the study demonstrate that the circle time is an important routine that occurs for a short time daily in early childhood education. The circle time organizes and structures the day for both children and staff group.

The aim of this Master?s thesis is to investigate the factors of children?s voluntarily reading in their spare time. We also want to know if the children choose non-fiction books for their voluntarily reading. The method as well as the empirical basis of this study is qualitative, with interviews of twenty-eight children in ages between 9 and 12 years. We conducted nine interviews with 3?4 children in each group.

The aim of the paper is to examine how public libraries can develop their services for children with ethnic minority backgrounds as a user group. This is achieved through studying the conditions for library services provided for children aged 9-12 in this group by public libraries in suburbs densely populated with ethnic minorities. The paper uses both a literature review and empirical research on the community libraries in Rinkeby and Rosengård as well as the town library in Lund. Services potentially available to these groups are analysed and discussed in the later chapters. The overall conclusion is that those services provided for ethnic minority children are largely the same as those provided for in children library services in general.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine if users of digital music games may acquire skills from the games that may be of use in learning to play a real instrument, that is a non-digitally simulated instrument like an acoustic piano. We have used Gee?s theory regarding a possible interconnection between different semiotic domains, and how this connection may enable a transfer of skills between related domains. In this thesis we examine possible skill transfer between the domains ?digital games? and ?non-digital instruments?. To examine our question formulation we chose to conduct a pilot study from which we collected both quantitative and qualitative data.

AbstractThe purpose of this essay was to investigate what thoughts children in preschool and preschool class have about friendship. We also want to investigate what characteristics and which strategies they look for in friendship relationships.  To perform this study we used the following questions as a starting point. Which characteristics do children see as attractive in their cultures?How are friendship relationships affected in different contexts?Can one see a difference in the most important characteristics and strategies between the children in preschool and the children in preschool class? To answer our questions and to reach our purpose we have held group interviews with children in preschool and in preschool class.  We have, in our study, used published scientific literature to get an understanding of what has been presented in relation to this topic in the past.The result shows that the children in preschool and preschool class do differ in certain aspects but also have some similarities on ideas about friendship. Both preschool children and the children in the preschool class are highly competent and skilled at integrating with other children. What divides them is their ways to plan their friendship.

The aim of this essay was to study children?s experiences of their participation in a programme for children who have a parent with a mental illness. The study was written at the request of the Psychosis care in Örebro and was accomplished by qualitative interviews with five children at the ages of 11 to 16 years old. Previous research concerning children who have a parent with a mental illness and programmes for these children is accounted for. Antonovsky´s conception KASAM together with the conceptions of guilt and shame were used as the theoretical frame, from which the results of the interviews were analysed.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine if users of digital music games may acquire skills from the games that may be of use in learning to play a real instrument, that is a non-digitally simulated instrument like an acoustic piano. We have used Gee?s theory regarding a possible interconnection between different semiotic domains, and how this connection may enable a transfer of skills between related domains. In this thesis we examine possible skill transfer between the domains ?digital games? and ?non-digital instruments?. To examine our question formulation we chose to conduct a pilot study from which we collected both quantitative and qualitative data.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how children search for and choose picture books while visiting the library together in a preschool group. How do children interact with each other and their teacher while searching for picture books? Which aspects of children's everyday lives are apparent in their choice of picture books? The theoretical frame of reference consists of Brenda Dervin's sense-making approach to information seeking and William Corsaro's sociological approach to studying children's routine activities within a peer culture. To capture children's interaction, we have observed a preschool group consisting of six 3- to 5-year olds and their teacher in a library setting during three visits. Our study shows that children's search for picture books is a social activity that involves various verbal and nonverbal strategies in order to include and exclude each other when they find a picture book that interests them.

AbstractThis project discusses various aspects of children's way to explore nature with their senses. Therefore I conducted a study in two preschools, one nature-oriented and another preschool. This study was carriedout usien the three metods, interviews, observations and surveys. Interview four children from each preschool, observations of each group outdoors during four different occasions and question forms to teachers. The result of the study showed that both teachers and children have a great interest in being outdoors in nature, but it is not always possible to take out all children's groups. The reason is large groups and inadequate staff.

This is a case study influenced by Grounded Theory and Symbolic Interactionism. Its focus is on a small group of pupils isolated both geographically and socially from the ordinary school. The composition is written from the children?s perspective. Observations and interviews have made it possible to study both the interaction between the children and also the adults, how the children are described by the adults working with them and what expectations they have on the children.In the light of earlier research, our case study can be seen as an example how the school is dealing with the children?s problems.

Abstract The purpose of the essay was to investigate how you can work with conflict management through drama, to promote the meeting with children from many different cultures. I also wanted to see how the work may be different in a heterogeneous or homogeneous Group of children.In the background I lift up what a conflict can be, what kind of conflict management methods there are, how to work with drama education as well as what ethnic conflicts can be.The literature studies have shown that there are different types of conflicts and that the conflict management methods are many. In an attempt to get answers to my questions I?ve had drama lessons focusing on conflicts in a heterogeneous and homogeneous Group of children in grades 3.My study has shown that conflict management through drama can increase the understanding of other cultures and promote the meeting between children. Just as the literature describes conflicts, they can be difficult to solve and it is important to find a method that suits the class you work with.Key- words: conflict, conflict management, drama, homogeneous, heterogeneous..

The City Library has a problem getting children interested in reading. Futhermore, there are no clear signs to aid children to navigate themselves to books targeted to their age group. To solve this problem, this thesis aims to design signs that is both illustrative and informative.Of the images that were tested during the research, I would assume that children in such a wide age range requires the simplest level of abstraction from testing the three testing icons, since the second level of abstraction was not interesting enough for the kids. The third, nearphotorealistic level was most liked by the children who were in the city library more often and looked for books themselves..

The study aims to contribute knowledge about children's perceptions of the leisure-time as a learning environment. The study can be seen as an attempt to highlight the possible learning in the leisure-time, formally or informally.The study is based on two group interviews with a total of 11 children and was conducted by an interview guide with question areas to be discussed freely so that the children could give as full an answer as possible.Main results of the study show that children feel that they are staying at the leisure-time to get care when their parents are working and that they primarily associate the leisure-time with playing. The results show however that children feel that they learn things when participating in the leisure-time teaches controlled activities.It is possible to draw conclusions about the child actually experienced the leisure-time as a learning environment, but it can be difficult to identify when and how learning actually occurs. However, children do not perceive that there is learning while they play..

The study aims to contribute knowledge about children's perceptions of the leisure-time as a learning environment. The study can be seen as an attempt to highlight the possible learning in the leisure-time, formally or informally.The study is based on two group interviews with a total of 11 children and was conducted by an interview guide with question areas to be discussed freely so that the children could give as full an answer as possible.Main results of the study show that children feel that they are staying at the leisure-time to get care when their parents are working and that they primarily associate the leisure-time with playing. The results show however that children feel that they learn things when participating in the leisure-time teaches controlled activities.It is possible to draw conclusions about the child actually experienced the leisure-time as a learning environment, but it can be difficult to identify when and how learning actually occurs. However, children do not perceive that there is learning while they play..

In Sweden over 10.000 patients annually, mostly children, undergo tonsillar surgery. The most common surgical method is total removal of the tonsil, tonsillectomy (TE). During the last decade partial tonsil resection, tonsillotomy (TT), has been reintroduced and is associated with lower primary morbidity and less postoperative pain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if and to what extent 4-5 year old children?s voice function are affected by tonsillar hypertrophy compared to controls and to study the effects of the two surgical techniques on vocal function.