The Areas "Health" and "Human Relationships"

Which sentence appears in brackets at the start of the area "Health" (健康) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Develop independence and the ability to relate to others, so as to live in friendship and mutual support with other people.
2. Develop a healthy mind and body, and cultivate the ability to create a healthy and safe life by oneself.
3. Cultivate the ability to engage with one's surroundings with curiosity and inquiry and take them into daily life.
4. Cultivate basic habits needed for a healthy, safe and happy life, and promote harmonious development of bodily functions.

At the start of Chapter 2 of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), how are the "aims" (ねらい) described?

1. The points to keep in mind when giving guidance based on children's development
2. The qualities and abilities to be fostered, seen from the way children live their daily lives
3. Concrete standards that every child must reach by the end of kindergarten
4. A concrete list of the matters teachers guide in order to achieve the aims

Which statement about the "areas" (領域) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) is appropriate?

1. The contents are guided in an integrated way through concrete activities children develop by engaging with their environment.
2. Time is divided by area, and each area is taught in separate periods like elementary school subjects.
3. The aims are handled area by area in order, achieving one per term.
4. Kindergartens may not add their own contents and must handle only the contents listed.

Which of these is listed as an "aim" of the area "Health" (健康) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. To move freely and try movements such as crawling and walking.
2. To move one's body fully and try to exercise willingly.
3. To move one's body fully and try various movements.
4. To enjoy kindergarten life and feel the fulfilment of acting on one's own.

Which of these is listed as a "content" of the area "Health" (健康) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Play outdoors willingly.
2. Take care of shared play equipment and tools and use them together.
3. Do by oneself what one can do by oneself.
4. Get used to using the toilet and become able to use it by oneself.

Which is the content about eating in the area "Health" (健康) of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Build the habit of eating everything served without being picky.
2. Learn the roles of nutrients and plan and choose one's own meals.
3. Enjoy eating with teachers and friends, and develop interest in food.
4. Get used to various foods and ways of cooking, and enjoy meals and snacks in a relaxed atmosphere.

Among the goals of kindergarten education in Article 23 of the School Education Act (学校教育法), which is most closely related to the area "Health" (健康)?

1. Cultivate interest in familiar social life, life and nature, and a correct understanding of and attitude toward them.
2. Cultivate basic habits needed for a healthy, safe and happy life, and promote harmonious development of bodily functions.
3. Through music, bodily expression, art and so on, cultivate the beginnings of rich sensitivity and expressiveness.
4. Through group life, cultivate a willingness to take part in it and deepen trust in family and people close by.

Which statement about "the images of children we hope to see by the end of early childhood" (幼児期の終わりまでに育ってほしい姿) is appropriate?

1. They are rating standards used to judge whether each child has reached them by the end of kindergarten
2. They are 10 items taught in special sessions before graduation, separate from the five areas
3. They are concrete images of children at the end of kindergarten whose abilities have been fostered, which teachers consider when guiding
4. They are a list of daily habits at graduation derived only from the aims of Health and Human Relationships

Which wording matches "a healthy mind and body" (健康な心と体) among the images of children we hope to see by the end of early childhood?

1. Recognises what must be done, thinks and devises ways to do it on one's own, and comes to see it through without giving up.
2. Does set exercises every day, builds physical strength and motor ability, makes a strong body that does not get sick, and leads a healthy life.
3. With a sense of fulfilment, uses mind and body fully toward what one wants to do, acts with foresight, and comes to create a healthy and safe life by oneself.
4. Through relations with friends, shares thoughts and ideas, cooperates toward a common goal, and comes to complete it with a sense of fulfilment.

What does handling item (1) of the area "Health" (健康) name as the foundation for supple development of mind and body?

1. Feeling one's own presence and fulfilment through warm contact with teachers and other children
2. Repeating set exercises at the same time every morning to learn movements
3. Having every child in the class meet motor-ability standards set for each age
4. Measuring fitness test records regularly and competing with friends

Fill in the blank in Health handling item (2): "Through various play, children use their whole body according to their interests and abilities, enjoy moving, and develop the feeling of ( )."

1. wanting to take care of their own body
2. wanting to raise their fitness and motor ability
3. wanting to keep doing set exercises to the end
4. trying hard not to lose to friends

When helping children's interest turn outdoors, what does Health handling item (3) ask teachers to devise?

1. Outdoor activity at a fixed time every day regardless of weather
2. Standards for the number of equipment and usage times by age
3. A time for whole-class exercises in the yard started by the teacher's signal
4. The layout of the yard and play equipment with attention to children's movement paths

A, a 4-year-old, dislikes vegetables and often leaves them at lunch. In light of the handling of Health in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), which response is most appropriate?

1. To build the habit quickly, tell A not to leave the seat until all the vegetables are eaten.
2. To avoid unpleasant feelings, ask the parents not to put vegetables in the lunch box.
3. Value the fun of eating with friends in a relaxed atmosphere, and broaden interest in food, for example by touching vegetables the class grew.
4. Post a chart of how much each child ate, and raise motivation by comparing with friends.

Which view of forming basic daily habits matches Health handling item (5)?

1. From the first days, teach everyone the same steps at once and repeat until all can do them.
2. Considering each child's life experience at home, children acquire habits while developing self-directed activities with other children.
3. So that children are not troubled, the teacher does all personal care for them for the time being.
4. Daily habits are the family's job, so the kindergarten does not treat them as educational content.

Which view of safety guidance matches Health handling item (6)?

1. Traffic safety is taught in elementary school, so kindergartens only do evacuation drills.
2. Write safety rules on paper, read them aloud, and repeat until children memorise them all.
3. Remove all equipment that could be dangerous, and give top priority to a setting with no danger at all.
4. Ensure emotional stability, and help children build a safety-minded attitude through play.

What amount of time for enjoyable physical activity do the Active Play Guidelines for Early Childhood (幼児期運動指針, MEXT, March 2012) recommend?

1. 60 minutes or more per session, 3 or more days a week
2. 90 minutes or more in total every day
3. 30 minutes or more in total every day
4. 60 minutes or more in total every day

Which is shown as a key point under "how to carry out physical activity" (運動の行い方) in the Active Play Guidelines for Early Childhood (幼児期運動指針)?

1. Include various kinds of play so that children can experience diverse movements
2. Have children run a fixed distance every day to build endurance
3. Set goals from motor-ability test results and aim to beat records
4. Choose one sport early and have children practise it repeatedly

What does the General Provisions of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) ask for when 3-year-olds enter kindergarten?

1. Let a crying child spend time alone in a separate room until calm
2. Have them follow the same daily schedule as 5-year-olds from the first day so they adjust quickly
3. Avoid asking about life at home so that judgements are based only on kindergarten life
4. Work closely with families and pay full attention to the rhythm of daily life and safety

Which sentence appears in brackets at the start of the area "Human Relationships" (人間関係) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Through group life, cultivate willingness to take part in it and the beginnings of a sense of norms.
2. Develop a healthy mind and body, and cultivate the ability to create a healthy and safe life by oneself.
3. Develop independence and the ability to relate to others, so as to live in friendship and mutual support with other people.
4. Through accepting and responsive care, build trust with familiar adults and lay the foundation for relating to others.

Which is listed as an "aim" of the area "Human Relationships" (人間関係) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Enjoy kindergarten life and feel the fulfilment of acting on one's own.
2. Interest in surrounding children grows, and the child tries to interact with them.
3. Act cheerfully and freely, and feel a sense of fulfilment.
4. Become close to familiar people, deepen relationships, and begin to feel affection and trust.

Which is aim (3) of the area "Human Relationships" (人間関係) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Understand how the local community works and explain it in one's own words.
2. Learn how to use public facilities and become able to use them alone.
3. Follow group rules and act according to the teacher's instructions.
4. Acquire desirable habits and attitudes for social life.

In the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), how many "contents" are listed for Health (健康) and Human Relationships (人間関係)?

1. Health 13, Human Relationships 10
2. Health 12, Human Relationships 13
3. Health 10, Human Relationships 13
4. Health 10, Human Relationships 10

"Tell others what one thinks, and notice what others think" is a content of which area in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領)?

1. Expression (表現)
2. Human Relationships (人間関係)
3. Language (言葉)
4. Health (健康)

Fill in the blank in Article 23, item 2 of the School Education Act (学校教育法): "Through group life, cultivate willingness to take part in it, deepen trust in family and people close by, and cultivate the spirit of autonomy, self-discipline and cooperation and the beginnings of ( )."

1. public spirit
2. thinking ability
3. a sense of norms
4. a moral heart

Which describes "cooperation" (協同性) among the images of children we hope to see by the end of early childhood?

1. Through relations with friends, shares thoughts and ideas, thinks, devises and cooperates toward a common goal, and comes to complete it with a sense of fulfilment.
2. Recognises what must be done, thinks and devises ways to do it on one's own, feels achievement by not giving up, and comes to act with confidence.
3. Through contact with familiar local people, notices various ways of relating, considers others' feelings, feels the joy of being useful, and comes to feel close to the community.
4. Through experiences with friends, understands right and wrong, reflects on own actions, empathises with friends, and comes to act from others' point of view.

Which image of children we hope to see by the end of early childhood includes: "understands why rules must be kept, regulates own feelings, and comes to make and keep rules while reaching compromises with friends"?

1. Relationship with social life (社会生活との関わり)
2. Cooperation (協同性)
3. Independence (自立心)
4. The beginnings of morality and a sense of norms (道徳性・規範意識の芽生え)

Comparing Human Relationships (人間関係) in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領) and the Guidelines for Nursery Care at Day Care Centers (保育所保育指針, 2017), which statement is appropriate?

1. The nursery guidelines have no area called Human Relationships and treat relationships only under "care" (養護).
2. For children aged 3 and over, the aims and contents are almost the same, with "teacher" changed to "nursery teachers etc." and "kindergarten" to "nursery centre."
3. For children aged 3 and over, the nursery guidelines use three viewpoints instead of areas.
4. The nursery guidelines' contents for ages 3 and over do not include relations with older people and other local people.

Fill in the blank in Human Relationships handling item (1): "Considering that establishing one's own life supported by ( ) is the foundation for relating to others."

1. rules decided by the class
2. instructions from parents
3. a relationship of trust with the teacher
4. competition with friends

Which view of forming groups matches Human Relationships handling item (2)?

1. Put group unity first and guide everyone to do the same thing at the same time.
2. Separate strongly assertive children from the group and keep them in individual activities until they calm down.
3. To protect individuality, reduce group activities as much as possible and centre on individual play.
4. Form a group that makes the most of each child, so children can express themselves and be recognised by teachers and others.

B and C, both 5, are fighting over one shovel in the sandbox. In light of the handling of Human Relationships in the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), which teacher response is most appropriate?

1. To prevent fights, quickly bring enough shovels for both and settle the situation.
2. Declare that toys fought over cannot be used, take the shovel from both, and not let them use it that day.
3. Make a rule that the child who held it first uses it, and suggest another game to the other child.
4. Accept each child's feelings, mediate so they can tell each other what they want, and think together about how to reach a compromise.

Which is shown in Human Relationships handling item (4) for fostering the beginnings of morality?

1. Punish children on the spot when they break rules so they learn physically what not to do.
2. Along with forming basic daily habits, help rich feelings grow through, for example, becoming familiar with nature and nearby animals and plants.
3. Read stories about right and wrong every day so children memorise the lessons in words.
4. Set a weekly morality lesson and teach correct behaviour to everyone using fixed materials.

Fill in the blank in Human Relationships handling item (5): "As children express themselves supported by trust with the teacher, they assert their wishes to each other, have the experience of ( ), notice why rules are needed, and develop the ability to regulate their feelings."

1. reaching a compromise
2. leaving the decision to the teacher
3. giving way to the other
4. memorising the rules

A class of 5-year-olds plans a visit to a nearby care home for older people. In light of Human Relationships handling item (6), which approach is most appropriate?

1. Make the aim an accurate song performance, and rehearse repeatedly until the day.
2. To avoid burdening children, limit the exchange to letters without meeting in person.
3. Make it an experience in which children express their own feelings and wishes, have fun together and share feelings.
4. Decide in detail how to behave toward older people so as not to be rude, and have children act exactly that way.

In the General Provisions of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), what examples are given of the various roles teachers play to encourage children's self-directed activity?

1. Understanding supporter, co-worker, and so on
2. Instructor, evaluator, and so on
3. Referee, record-keeper, and so on
4. Manager, supervisor, and so on

D, a child of foreign nationality who does not yet speak much Japanese, joins a class of 4-year-olds. In light of the General Provisions of the Course of Study for Kindergarten (幼稚園教育要領), which response is most appropriate?

1. Leave it to the class teacher's own ideas, without placing it in the kindergarten-wide plan, and wait and see.
2. Take care that D can express themself with a sense of security, and adapt guidance content and methods to D's situation in an organised, planned way.
3. To help D get used to Japanese quickly, ask D and the parents that D not speak the home language at kindergarten.
4. Keep D out of class activities until D can speak Japanese, and give only individual Japanese lessons in a separate room.