For several years a decline in science competences and general decline of interest in science among youth population in the field of EU has been perceived. The aim of the project is to connect the doll and mathematics and to strengthen math skills of children aged from three years up to school in the preschool period. The DHS project included pre-school institutions from Norway, Turkey, Slovenia and Greece. Project participants are professionals in these institutions. The project team counts 37 members, early childhood educators. Project partners are selected with special care. Each of them has the knowledge and experience that are essential for the success of the project. Each partner country will prepare a story, a legend or a fairy tale, which stems from their home environment. Children will create a picture letter of a selected story and a plan for making dolls and then a whole pack will be sent to the children of another country. Teachers will add some mathematical activities. The exhibition of puppets at the end of the project in Greece will show the work of our children through the project, the progress and the results of the project. All the members of the project will use project activities to seek innovative forms of approaches in methodology and didactics to link the dolls with mathematics. These activities will include parents, local communities, associations, professionals, students and teachers. Project activities will include puppet shows, workshops, lectures for parents, preparing dolls museum … If we want to strengthen the competences of children we must strengthen the competences of educators first. Therefore, the project activities with thematic seminars and the exchange of experiences will first raise the knowledge, experience and interest in science at educators By the empowerment of professional staff in all participating establishments and countries in terms of networking, by exchanging good practice and education the level of quality in early childhood education will be raised and interest in it among parents and children who have not been included in institutional education yet will be created. We will also emphasize the importance and benefits brought about by the involvement of children in preschool institution from the standpoint of socialization, art and mathematics.
For several years now, in the EU, we have seen a drop in science competences among the young population and a general decrease in interest in science. At the preschool institutions in Slovenia, Turkey and Greece, professionals working with the project Puppet has a soul responded to the situation and stopped the current decline in interest in science and stimulated the growth of mathematical and artistic competences at 3 to 7 years old children. With the project they linked seemingly incompatible areas, mathematics and puppetry, and raised the qualitative and quantitative representation of both areas in the curricula and annual work plans of the institutions involved, and they consequently raised the level of knowledge in mathematics and the arts of professionals and knowledge of national concepts of the mentioned areas in the countries involved. The project team consisted of 18 professionals, i.e. preschool educators employed in preschool institutions. Through collaboration, education, sharing of practical experience in mathematics and the arts, the exchange of cultural, language, geographical and general characteristics of the countries involved, the project has had positive effects on children, parents, employees, residents and associations of local communities employed in educational institutions in local, regional and national environment and students of pedagogical fields. It included 1300 people. By creating a letter that contained a local legend, a picture letter, a set of mathematical tasks, a doll and a plan for making it, professionals introduced unique, innovative didactic, methodical approaches and materials into their work. The letters travelled from one country to another. With their contents children, professionals, parents, local communities, societies and pedagogical staff have reinforced their mathematical, artistic, general, professional and personal competences, and have also gained knowledge of the cultural, geographical, linguistic specifics of the countries involved and concrete experience of the implementation of human rights, democratic principles and mutual tolerance. The contents of all letters with didactic recommendations for work and cross-curricular links are published in the handbook, which is also available on the internet. The handbook provides long-lasting effects of the project, as well as a spectrum of proven recommendations for working with the preschool population. The content is useful for educators, special educators, primary school teachers, parents and students of pedagogical fields. Experts strengthened their professional and general competences at four educational meetings in the area of mathematics and puppetry in Slovenia and in the art area with the exhibition of works in Greece and the Puppet Museum in Turkey. The result of the project and the educational meetings were both puppet shows and mathematical tasks and their connection. These events were repeated several times in the local environment. Using ICT technology, they were also viewed by the children of all institutions involved. Parents of children enrolled in preschools and local communities were given workshops and various socializing events with math content from everyday life in connection with art, puppetry and learning about different cultures and languages. Project activities and project impacts were also presented to a wider professional and lay public in articles in magazines and periodicals in all partner countries, fb profiles and project websites, and official institutional websites of the institutions involved. A significant step was taken in the quality of work of pre-school institutions involved in the project. It was reflected in the increased interest in pre-school education on the local and regional level and in the recognition of institutions. Due to the involvement and exchange of cultural and geographical specifics of the countries involved in the regular work, there was an increase in the general knowledge of all participants, in the expansion of a professional network, in greater openness to the environment and in higher levels of cooperation with local societies and institutions, in greater levels of coexistence, taking into account racial and cultural differences, in better quality of free time and in higher involvement of parents and the environment in institutional education. The established patterns and forms of cooperation collapsed, the much needed foreign language skills were re-established and non-verbal communication improved. Briefly, we have revitalized our resources and received the challenge for both professional and personal growth. All these are competencies, knowledge, experience, memories and feelings that will remain forever and will bring lasting effects and a desire for ongoing education and networking.