2022 Volume 60 Issue 1 Pages 91-102
In this study, we sought to collect primary data for fostering the relationship between children and nature. We examined kindergarten children’s understanding of 15 typical insect species including small arthropods and spiders, commonly found in a kindergarten. We interviewed 91 children aged 3, 4, and 5 years old and presented them with pictures of insects. We asked them if they knew the names of the insects, had seen them, liked them, or could touch them. Responses indicated that the percentage of correct answers for insect names increased with age. Additionally, while 3-year-olds generally liked insects, 5-year-olds, particularly girls, increasingly disliked them. Namely, negative feelings toward insects were shown to increase already at the preschool age. Finally, we found that insects such as roly-poly bugs, ladybugs, and butterflies were familiar and liked, whereas spiders, stink bugs, and mosquitoes were disliked. Consequently, we categorized these findings on children’s understanding of insects into five types for further discussion from an educational perspective.
