Effects of Nanta Activities on Socio-emotional Competenceof Preschool Children at Child Care Centers

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Nanta activities based on an integrated approach involving music and movement on the socio-emotional competence of preschool children and whether these effects vary according to the children's ages. To achieve this, a total of 65 children aged 3 and 4 years were selected as the research participants, and they were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group on a classroom basis. The experimental group engaged in Nanta activities twice a week for a total of 16 sessions, with each session lasting 30 minutes. The control group, during the same period, participated in the regular program of the preschool. Before and after the Nanta activity sessions, a Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation (SCBE) assessment was conducted for both groups. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows, including frequency analysis, independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test. and covariate analysis. The results of the study indicated that Nanta activities had a significant effect on overall socio-emotional competence enhancement in preschool children. Furthermore, significant effects on enhancing overall socio-emotional competence, as well as sub-domains including prosocial behavior enhancement and reduction in internal and external behavior problems, were more pronounced in the 3-year-old group compared to the 4-year-old group. By demonstrating the effectiveness of Nanta activities that integrate music and movement in enhancing the socio-emotional competence of 3- and 4-year-old preschool children, this study provides foundational data that can be utilized for the development of programs aimed at promoting socio-emotional development in young children.