AbstractGroup processes within the free play- in a socialpsychology perspective In our socialpsychology study we have demonstrated how children?s free play is by observing 2-5 years old children in preschool. We have also interviewed two preschool teachers. The major subject in this study is how children?s group processes expresses in their free play.

The aim of this study is to observe Swedish preschool children in their natural habitat and without any intervention. Four different observations are made and thereafter analyzed. Throughout the whole study the subject of interest is the children's communication in their play. Children can communicate with each other in various ways, for instance with speech and without speech, i.e. with their physical language, aesthetic and multi language.

This study deals with play and the importance of meaning of play in the learning process. The aim is to look in to and analyze four preschool teacher´s beliefs and views about the importance of play for children´s learning and development. The study looks at two different preschools, one based on Reggio Emilia- and the other on Montessori- pedagogy, and the aim is to compare the different views and ways of working that the preschool educators have.The theoretical basis for this study is both rooted in a socio-cultural and constructivist perspective, and deals with the relationships between theoretical concepts mean as play, learning, way of working and pedagogy.The study is based on qualitative research methods that consist of interviews and participant observations. The person?s participants in the study consisted of four active preschool educators, who work in two different preschools.The results of the investigation show that the educators have similar views on the importance of play for the children´s learning process, and this also applies to their way of working.

The purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge on how pedagogues use play as a way to expose children to the English language. I chose the qualitative method of interviews to conduct my study. The objects of study were four English speaking pedagogues at a preschool with English in their profile. This profile was a major factor when choosing where to carry out the study, as not every preschool in Sweden offers English.The interviews were conducted in English, as all four pedagogues were native English speakers and I did not want a possible language barrier to influence the results. The questions were composed with play as a focal point and a way to expose the children to English.My findings showed that play is an important tool for children to take part of and learn English.

The aim of this studyhas been to capture preschool children's strategies, when they include and exclude each other in play. My aim was also to find out how children choose to integrate into an already existing game. My questions were: What strategies are used by the children at the preschool when they want to exclude or include each other? How to integrate the children when they want to be involved in an ongoing game and how they will be received during the time of play? My theoretical starting points are from Vygotsky's theory of proximal development zone, and Michel Foucault's perspective on power, and also research on the subject.The empirical study was conducted using the observations at two preschools. The children I observed were between four to five years old.The results show that children used different strategies, and when the strategy did not work so the child could switch to another.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether teachers are involved in children´s play, what their perspectives are on the importance of play and what conditions teachers have to stimulate children in their playing. In this study, I?ve been able to verify that play has a great value for children?s learning development. My method have been interviewing four teachers at a kindergarten in order to examine educators? perspective on the importance of play.The results of my investigation showed that teachers believe that play and role- play have a major impact on children's learning.

The aim of the study was to investigate peer interaction among toddlers 12 to 30 months of age and the teachers? ways to direct the children?s play in outdoor free play situations in a Swedish preschool. Data was gathered through direct observation, and the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty in combination with the assumption of children as social actors built the theoretical framework of the study. The results showed that the toddlers used different strategies to invite peers to interaction and made use of strategies in entering ongoing play that previously have been observed among older preschoolers. These strategies, bodily and therefore in accordance with the phenomenological approach, support the assumption of toddlers as social actors that actively engage in and make sense of their life worlds in the preschool.

This study is about exclusion and childrens role-play in Swedish preschools. 8 preschool teachers, in 4 different preschools, have been interviewed about exclusion and low and high rating roles in children's role-play. The interviews was recorded and then analyzed. Relevant research in this study was from Corsaro, Tellgren and Löfdahl amongst others, and the results of the interviews is what this study is based on. The study showed that one of the most common roles in childrens role-play is the role of mother and that the roles children play are based on social norms and values.

This study is about exclusion and childrens role-play in Swedish preschools. 8 preschool teachers, in 4 different preschools, have been interviewed about exclusion and low and high rating roles in children's role-play. The interviews was recorded and then analyzed. Relevant research in this study was from Corsaro, Tellgren and Löfdahl amongst others, and the results of the interviews is what this study is based on. The study showed that one of the most common roles in childrens role-play is the role of mother and that the roles children play are based on social norms and values.

The purpose with this study was to find out about the preschool toddler?s peer-cultures. I also wanted to understand how these peer-cultures were shown.My questions are as following:What is it that the children interpretive and reproduce in their play?How do children gain access to play?How do children exclude each other?What position of status can be seen in children´s play?I used observations as the method to find the answer to these questions. These observations where implemented during five occasions at two different preschools.

This study is about exclusion and childrens role-play in Swedish preschools. 8 preschool teachers, in 4 different preschools, have been interviewed about exclusion and low and high rating roles in children's role-play. The interviews was recorded and then analyzed. Relevant research in this study was from Corsaro, Tellgren and Löfdahl amongst others, and the results of the interviews is what this study is based on. The study showed that one of the most common roles in childrens role-play is the role of mother and that the roles children play are based on social norms and values.

This study is about exclusion and childrens role-play in Swedish preschools. 8 preschool teachers, in 4 different preschools, have been interviewed about exclusion and low and high rating roles in children's role-play. The interviews was recorded and then analyzed. Relevant research in this study was from Corsaro, Tellgren and Löfdahl amongst others, and the results of the interviews is what this study is based on. The study showed that one of the most common roles in childrens role-play is the role of mother and that the roles children play are based on social norms and values.

The purpose to this survey is to map out the affordances available in the outdoor environment of one preschool. This has been executed through three episodes of observing children at that preschool during their outdoor play. All visible affordances has been written down and later on summarized in different themes where the most interesting meeting places in the outdoor environment at the pre-school have been described. The result of the study shows what the children at this preschool do in their outdoor environment. It also shows the importance of the arrangement of material and environment in order to be able to support childrens play.

The Purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge on and to make the preschool teachers views visible about physical contact between children in wild play in the preschool. I decide to use interview of preschool teachers in a group setting as a mean to investigate this. The group interview is a non-structured interview with open questions where the preschool teachers only received guidance with pre made questions when needed.The result shows what kind of view the preschool teachers have on physical contact and they share concreate examples on how they work in situations like these.By reading this study I hope to contribute better knowledge of the physical contract between children and that the study generates futher reflections on one´s attitude in the matter..

The purpose of this thesis is to study five pedagogue?s view of the free play and their view of the importance of the free play for children´s learning and development. I have chosen to use a qualitative research method in the form of interviews with five pedagogue´s from a preschool. The main research questions asked were:What have the pedagogues of view on the free play? How important believe the pedagogue that the free play is for children?s learning and development? What has emerged in the study is that educators have a positive view of the free play. They believed that the free play is important for children´s skills.