The tasks of the Complementary Program
are:
_ To make an inventory of personal knowledge on smoking.
_ To provide information on the topic on the level corresponding
to age-group characteristics.
_ To form an attitude to smoking that facilitates the choice
for health promotion
_ To make an effort to develop an active behavior against the
compulsion of passive smoking.
As it has been mentioned, health promotion appears in the family
and in the kindergarten both in direct and indirect forms. The
basic behavioral models are imprinted, of course also the smoking-related
ones. One of the most efficient form of prevention is that children
get hold of information on the basis of which an attitude that
disapproves smoking can develop.
An essential condition of health promotion is that the child
should know those harmful effects which later he can take into
consideration against the influences that encourage smoking.
The national basic program for kindergarten education contains
the general psychological and pedagogical principles that have
to be enforced in the interest of the child. The characteristics
of the complementary program are the educational objectives
and tasks that are emphasized. By taking into account the different
set of values in the families, and by supplementing them, it
tries to prepare the children for the co-operation, for making
choices and for making decisions. The involvement of the families,
the co-operation with the parents is of great importance regarding
the success of the program.
This sub-program is built on the age characteristics of 5-6-7-year
old children. By the end of the development period it is expected
that the children will have adequate knowledge on smoking, and
this knowledge can favorably influence their future decisions.
The continuous expansion of knowledge, the clarification of
concepts related to the topic and the exploration of the factors
of cause and effect can help the children to develop a smoking-disapproval
attitude.
For the child, owing to the newly obtained knowledge, not to
get into a conflict that seems unworkable and insolvable for
him, it is very important that the parents are also informed
about the information given to the children. It is not the aim
of the Program that parents (or other family members, and in
general, the adults) quit smoking, on the other hand it can
be expected that in some form the children will have an influence
on the smoking habits of the adults around them. In many cases
they have a favorable influence on the uncertain „cessation
intention" of the parents, their support, encouragement
and understanding may have a stimulating effect on the adults’
decision and perseverance.
Our aim is that , with the required educational impact, by the
end of the development period the need for an active behavior
against passive smoking should develop in the children.
EDUCATIONAL AREAS AND CONTENT OF THE SMOKING OR HEALTH COMPLEMENTARY
PROGRAM FOR KINDERGARTENS
The cognitive processes of children are characterized by their
incomplete experience and their unconnected imperfect knowledge
of the world. 5-6-7-year old children already have realistic
knowledge that is more or less corresponds to reality. They
have a remarkable body of knowledge and they can mobilize it
too. The child's knowledge is enriched by the world around him,
in kindergarten-age orientation is controlled much more by the
understanding of meanings saturated with emotions and fed by
his position, experiences and observations. He can obtain the
most amount of information by means of the "current experience"
using individual sensory experience. Smoking-related knowledge
can also be widened more efficiently when the topics of sensation,
personality, health promotion, and smoking take on a playful
form corresponding to the age group characteristic of the child.
The adaptation of the recommended topics allows the clarification
of smoking-related concepts and the exploration of the factors
of cause and effect which may greatly influence future behavior.
The child acquires knowledge such as unpleasant sensations,
health damaging effects, "disturbance" of other people
and smoking initiation. These are important parts of prevention.
Of the educational tasks of kindergartens, the Program prominently
deals with HEALTH PROMOTION (more precisely with one special
area of it), however it has a tangential impact on all areas
of kindergarten education (emotional education, socialization,
mental development). The extent of this depends on the development
indicators and the interestedness of children and on the attitude
of the teacher regarding implementation.
Health - also in kindergarten age - means somatic, psychic and
social satisfaction and harmony. Health education includes:
- the protection of physical (somatic) health
- the protection of mental (psychic) health, the psychohygiene,
- the protection of social health.
The Smoking or Health complementary program may deal with the
whole area of health development (its extend will depend on
the kindergarten teacher), but it will deal especially with
the prevention of this harmful addiction.
Every form of kindergarten activity can be used as a stage for
the implementation of the Program (playing, artistic activities,
motions, active knowledge of the outside world, work-type activities,
learning).
During the smoking-related games the child can live through
situations and roles that he has not yet experienced earlier.
Besides the tale and the playing activities, discussions can
also be very important where the group members and the teacher
will make remarks not only about their own activity but also
about the activity of the others.
ORGANIZATION AND TIMING, EVALUATION
The Smoking or Health complementary program for kindergartens
can be implemented in groups consisting of children of various
age; in groups both partially or fully divided by age groups.
By knowing the age characteristics and by building on individual
differences, the kindergarten teachers will decide how to process
the topic. The selection of games, activities and methods that
help implementation is also built on the methodological freedom
of the kindergarten teachers.
Certain activities, games connected with the topic can be made
attractive also for the younger age group. The full adaptation
of the topics is recommended for the 5-6-7-old age group.
The Program in its methods and means are close to the age group,
can be easily built into the every day life and activities of
the children, into their daily and weekly routine activities.
The evaluation of the efficiency of the program would be useful
also for the purpose of further improvements. Also for the planning,
organization and implementation of the activities it would be
useful to survey, before and after the introduction of the program,
the smoking-related knowledge and attitude of the children,
and the motivation background that would compel them to imitate.
The information obtained from the drawings and during the games
of the children can be feedbacks regarding efficiency.
The success of conviction and of the applied methods can be
confirmed by the trust and co-operation of the parents, and
later on by society and the growing up generation.
Emphasizing the independence of kindergarten teachers, we stress
the importance of self-evaluation, since this way we can get
an even more accurate picture regarding efficiently. The summation
and possible feedback of experience gained during the use of
successfully selected activities, games and methods can help
the further improvement of the program.
CONNECTIONS
The kindergarten, as an institution, is a complex system, with
all its components working in interaction. The concepts have
an impact on the whole system. the openness of the kindergarten,
as a principle, influences the development of the connections
of the kindergarten, from the families to the co-operation with
the school.
The implementation of the program does not require significantly
different connections from those usual in the life of kindergartens.
An important aspect is however the harmonious co-operation of
the team members and the reconciliation of their views on smoking.
Contact with the members of the family is of great importance
for successful co-operation, since the introduction of the sub-program
is inconceivable without the approval of the parents.
Characteristics of approaching the family:
The kindergarten teacher is to strengthen the sense of responsibility
of the parent by emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of the
family. The parent is a partner in education, who may have demands.
There is no prejudice towards the family members. |
