Abstract:

The notion of social skill is not perceived uniformly in the literature. Průcha, Walterová, and Mareš (2009, p. 129) define social skills as "ability, skill, ability to successfully perform some activities, solve certain tasks especially in working and other life situations". This concept perceives abilities and skills as synonyms. In the text, however, we are inclined towards a concept that social skill understands as a prerequisite for adequate social interaction and communication (Gillernová, Krejčová, Hoskovcová Horáková, Šírová, & Štětovská, 2012). It is, therefore, "a set of skills needed for performance in one or more life domains; it, and in its most basic form, learning" (Matsumoto, 2009, p. 121).

In a research study, we assessed the level of social skills of 100 preschool children attending kindergarten (50 children from the city and 50 children from the village). The aim of the study was to compare the level of social skills of children from urban and village kindergartens. To measure the level of social skills of children, we used the Scale to measure the level of children's social skills (own design). 7 areas were assessed. The results indicate a slight predominance of the social skills of children from rural nurseries in all areas studied.

Keywords:

Social skills, pre-school child, city, village.