Browsing by Author "Blomqvist, Alexina"

The aim of this thesis is to investigate what kind of an environment kindergarten is for highly sensitive children. By investigating what kind of challenges and opportunities highly sensitive children faces in kindergarten, and how pedagogues can support highly sensitive children, can improvements and opportunities be brought up. The research questions are: What does it mean to be a highly sensitive child? What kind of challenges and opportunities does highly sensitive children face in kindergarten? How can pedagogues support highly sensitive children in kindergarten? The research is a qualitative study with a phenomenographic method approach. The research material was gathered through half-structured interviews in where three pedagogues who work in kindergarten and preschools have been interviewed. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The results show that highly sensitive children are understood as different and that highly sensitivity comes out in different ways. Highly sensitive children do face various challenges and opportunities in kindergarten, that are mainly related to different kind of resources. The competence and sensitivity of pedagogues understands to be important or the most important thing for the wellbeing of highly sensitive children in kindergarten. The size of the group, environment and activities can either create challenges or opportunities for highly sensitive children, depending how they are adapted to the needs of highly sensitive children. Pedagogues who understands, do see the individual needs of highly sensitive children and can adapt the activities and the physical environment to these needs, understands create opportunities and support highly sensitive children in kindergarten.