§ 5.3. Development mental functions
According to the cultural-historical concept of L.S. Vygotsky, mental processes represent special forms of objective actions. Research by A.V. Zaporozhets, P.Ya. Galperin made it possible to distinguish the indicative and executive parts in any objective action. These studies showed that in the course of development, the orienting part of the action is separated from the action itself and the orienting part is enriched. In preschool age, this process goes through several stages:
there is a division of action into indicative and executive parts;
the indicative part of the action is separated from the executive;
the indicative part itself arises from the material, practical, executive part and in preschool age is of a manual or sensory nature;
orientation activities in preschool age develops extremely intensively (20).
The development of orientation is the essence of the development of all cognitive functions in preschool age (3,9,12,22).
Speech. In preschool childhood, the long and complex process of speech acquisition is largely completed. By the age of 7, language becomes a means of communication and thinking of the child, as well as a subject of conscious study, since learning to read and write begins in preparation for school. According to psychologists, the child’s language truly becomes native.
Developing sound side speech. Younger preschoolers begin to realize the peculiarities of their pronunciation. But they still retain their previous ways of perceiving sounds, thanks to which they recognize incorrectly pronounced children’s words. Later, subtle and differentiated sound images of words and individual sounds are formed, the child ceases to recognize incorrectly spoken words, he both hears and speaks correctly. Towards the end before school age the process of phonemic development is completed.
Growing rapidly vocabulary speech. As at the previous age stage, there are great individual differences: some children lexicon it turns out to be more, for others - less, which depends on their living conditions, on how and how much close adults communicate with them. Here are the average data according to V. Stern: at 1.5 years a child actively uses approximately 100 words, at 3 years – 1000 – 1100, at 6 years – 2500 – 3000 words .
In general, at preschool age, a child masters all forms of oral speech inherent in adults. He appears expanded messages – monologues, stories. In them, he conveys to others not only the new things he has learned, but also his thoughts on this matter, his plans, impressions, and experiences. Develops in communication with peers dialogical speech, including instructions, assessment, coordination of game actions, etc. Egocentric speech helps the child plan and regulate his actions. In monologues he pronounces to himself, he states the difficulties he has encountered, creates a plan for subsequent actions, and discusses ways to complete the task.
The use of new forms of speech and the transition to detailed statements are determined by the new communication tasks facing the child during this age period. Full communication with other children is achieved precisely at this time; it becomes an important factor in the development of speech. As we know, communication with adults continues to develop, whom children perceive as erudite, capable of explaining anything and telling about everything in the world. Thanks to communication, which M.I. Lisina called non-situational-cognitive, vocabulary increases and correct grammatical structures are learned. But it's not only that. Dialogues become more complex and meaningful, the child learns to ask questions on abstract topics, and at the same time reason - think out loud. Inner speech– a type of speech that ensures the processes of thinking and self-regulation of behavior.
Sensory development of a preschooler. The development of perception at this age is, in essence, the development of methods and means of orientation. In preschool age, as studies by A.V. Zaporozhets and L.A. Venger have shown, sensory standards are acquired - historically established ideas about the varieties of individual properties of objects (color, shape, size) and the corresponding objects are correlated with these standards (3). As studies by D.B. Elkonin have shown, at this age the standards of phonemes of the native language are mastered: “Children begin to hear them in a categorical manner.” Standards are an achievement of human culture; they are the “grid” through which we look at the world. Thanks to the assimilation of standards, the process of perceiving reality begins to acquire an indirect character. The use of standards makes it possible to move from a subjective assessment of what is perceived to its objective characteristics. The assimilation of socially developed standards or measures changes the nature of children's thinking; in the development of thinking, by the end of preschool age, a transition from egocentrism (centration) to decentration is planned. This leads the child to an objective, elementary scientific perception of reality (20.22).
Along with the assimilation of sensory standards of perception, the child develops the following perceptual actions: observation, systematic and sequential examination of an object, the action of identification, reference to the standard and modeling actions (3.18).
Development of attention. During preschool age, due to the complication of children's activities and their progress in general mental development, attention becomes more focused and stable. So, if younger preschoolers can play the same game 30-50 minutes, then by the age of five or six years the duration of the game increases to two hours. This is explained by the fact that the game reflects more complex actions and relationships between people and interest in it is maintained by the constant introduction of new situations. The stability of attention also increases when children look at pictures and listen to stories and fairy tales (1.18).
The main change in attention in preschool age is that children for the first time begin to manage their attention, consciously direct it to certain objects and phenomena, and stay on them, using certain methods for this. Voluntary attention is formed due to the fact that adults include the child in new activities and with the help of certain means direct and organize his attention. By directing the child’s attention, adults thereby provide him with the means with which he subsequently begins to manage his own attention.
Besides situational means (for example, gestures) that organize attention in connection with a specific, private task, there are a universal means of organizing attention is speech. Initially, adults organize the child's attention using verbal instructions. He is reminded of the need to perform a given action, taking into account certain circumstances. As the planning function of speech the child becomes able to organize his attention in advance on the upcoming activity, to formulate verbally what he should focus on (1.18).
Memory. Preschool childhood is the age most favorable for memory development. As L.S. Vygotsky pointed out, memory becomes the dominant function and goes a long way in the process of its formation. Neither before nor after this period does the child remember the most varied material with such ease. However, the memory of a preschooler has a number of specific features.
At the center of consciousness in preschool age, according to L.S. Vygotsky, is memory. At this age, intentional memorization occurs for the purpose of subsequent reproduction of the material. Orientation during this period is based on generalized ideas. Neither they nor the preservation of sensory standards, etc. impossible without memory development (27).
D.B. Elkonin noted that memory becomes the center of consciousness and leads to significant consequences that characterize mental development in this age period. First of all, the child’s thinking changes: it acquires the ability to act in terms of general ideas. This is the first break from purely visual thinking and, therefore, the possibility of establishing connections between general ideas that were not given in the child’s direct experience. The first stage of abstract thinking significantly expands the range of generalizations available to the child. At the same time, his communication opportunities increase. (The child can communicate with others not only in connection with directly perceived objects, but also in connection with imagined, conceivable objects.) (12.27).
A child’s memory is mostly involuntary; the child most often does not set conscious goals for himself to remember anything. As P.I. Zinchenko showed, in a game, involuntary memory retains what was the goal of the game action (9).
At the end of preschool age, voluntary memorization begins to develop. The best conditions for this arise in the game, but this process is impossible without the influence of an adult. Mastering arbitrary forms of memory includes several stages. At the first of them, the child begins to highlight only the task itself of remembering and recalling, without yet mastering the necessary techniques. In this case, the task of remembering is highlighted earlier, since the child first of all faces situations in which he is expected to remember, to reproduce what he previously perceived or did. The task of remembering arises as a result of the experience of remembering, when the child begins to realize that if he does not try to remember, then he will not be able to reproduce what is necessary (12,18).
Younger preschoolers have memory involuntary. The child does not set a goal to remember or remember something and does not have special methods of memorization. Events, actions, and images that are interesting to him are easily imprinted, and verbal material is also involuntarily remembered if it evokes an emotional response. The child quickly remembers poems, especially those that are perfect in form: sonority, rhythm and adjacent rhymes are important in them. Fairy tales, short stories, and dialogues from films are remembered when the child empathizes with their characters. Throughout preschool age, the efficiency of involuntary memorization increases, and the more meaningful the material the child remembers, the better the memorization. Semantic memory develops along with mechanical memory, so it cannot be assumed that in preschoolers who repeat someone else’s text with great accuracy, mechanical memory predominates.
In middle preschool age (between 4 and 5 years old) the free memory. Conscious, purposeful memorization and recall appear only sporadically. Usually they are included in other types of activities, since they are needed both in play, and when carrying out instructions for adults, and during classes - preparing children for schooling. The child can reproduce the most difficult material to remember while playing. For example, taking on the role of a salesman, he is able to remember and recall at the right time a long list of products and other goods. If you give him a similar list of words outside of a game situation, he will not be able to cope with this task. In general, the main path of development of voluntary memory occurs at the following age stages. In preschool age, memory is included in the process of formation personality. The third and fourth years of life become the years of the first childhood memories. The intensive development and inclusion of memory in the process of personality formation determines its position as the dominant function in preschool age. The development of memory is associated with the emergence of stable figurative ideas that take thinking to a new level.
In addition, the very ability to reason (associations, generalizations, etc., regardless of their validity) that appears in preschool age is also associated with the development of memory. Memory development determines new level development of perception (more on this will be discussed below) and other mental functions.
Significant changes in children aged 2 to 6 years occur in the development of their higher mental processes, and primarily in the development of voluntary memory. Initially, memory is involuntary in nature - in preschool age children usually do not set themselves the task of remembering anything. The development of voluntary memory in a child in the preschool period begins in the process of his upbringing and during games.
Higher mental processes– complex, intravitally developing systemic mental processes, social in origin. Higher mental processes include voluntary memory, voluntary attention, thinking, speech, etc. Voluntary memory is a mental cognitive process that is carried out under the control of consciousness in the form of goal setting and the use of special techniques, as well as the presence of volitional efforts.
The degree of memorization depends on the child’s interests. Children remember better what interests them and remember meaningfully, understanding what they remember. In this case, children primarily rely on visually perceived connections of objects and phenomena, rather than on abstract logical relationships between concepts.
Latent (hidden) period is a period of time during which, due to certain subjective or objective circumstances, observation of any object or phenomenon is impossible.
In addition, in children in the age period under consideration, the latent period during which the child can recognize an object that is already known to him from past experience is significantly extended. Thus, by the end of the third year, a child can remember what he perceived several months ago, and by the end of the fourth, what happened about a year ago.
Transition from infant to adult form of memory organization. Presumably, one of the reasons for the transition from infant to adult form of memory organization at the turn of 3-4 years lies in the patterns of human biological development. Thus, the hippocampus, a brain structure involved in the consolidation of memories, matures approximately a year or two after birth. Therefore, events occurring in the first two years of life cannot be sufficiently consolidated and, therefore, cannot be subsequently reproduced.
Other causes include cognitive factors, particularly language development and the onset of focused learning. The simultaneous development of memory, language, and thinking patterns creates new ways of organizing human experience that may be incompatible with the way young children encode memories.
Amnesia of childhood. The most amazing feature of human memory is the existence of a type of amnesia that everyone suffers from: almost no one can remember what happened to him in the first year of his life, although this is the time that is most rich in experience. Freud, who first described this phenomenon, called it childhood amnesia. In the course of his research, he discovered that his patients were generally unable to remember the events of the first 3-5 years of their lives.
Childhood amnesia is a mental phenomenon in which an adult does not remember the events of the first 3-4 years of life. Childhood amnesia cannot be reduced to ordinary forgetting. Most 30-year-old people remember well what happened to them in high school, but it is very rare for any 18-year-old to be able to say anything about their life in three years old, although the time interval is approximately the same in both cases (about 15 years). The results of the experiments indicate almost complete amnesia for the first three years of life.
Freud believed that childhood amnesia occurs due to the repression of sexual and aggressive feelings experienced by a young child towards his parents. But this explanation predicts amnesia only for episodes associated with sexual and aggressive thoughts, when in fact childhood amnesia extends to all events that occurred in a person’s life during that period.
Perhaps childhood amnesia is a consequence of the enormous difference between the experience of encoding information in young children and the organization of memories in adults. In adults, memories are organized according to categories and schemes (for example, she is such and such a person, this is such and such a situation), and young children encode their experiences without embellishing them or connecting them with related events. Once the child begins to learn connections between events and categorize events, early experiences are lost.
Development of sensations and perception.Perception in preschool age, thanks to the emergence of reliance on past experience, it becomes multifaceted. In addition to the purely perceptual component (a holistic image determined by the sum of sensory influences), it includes a wide variety of connections between the perceived object and surrounding objects and phenomena with which the child is familiar from his previous experience. Gradually begins to develop apperception– influence on the perception of one’s own experience. With age, the role of apperception constantly increases. In maturity different people depending on your life experience and associated personal characteristics often perceive the same things and phenomena in completely different ways.
In connection with the emergence and development of apperception in preschool age, perception becomes meaningful, purposeful, analytical. It highlights voluntary actions – observation, viewing, searching.
The appearance of stable figurative ideas in preschool age leads to the differentiation of perceptual and emotional processes. The child’s emotions become associated mainly with his ideas, as a result of which perception loses its originally affective character.
Speech has a significant impact on the development of perception at this time - the fact that the child begins to actively use the names of qualities, characteristics, states of various objects and the relationships between them. By naming certain properties of objects and phenomena, he thereby identifies these properties for himself; by naming objects, he separates them from others; determining their states, connections or actions with them, sees and understands real relationship between them.
The development of a child’s sensations is largely determined by the development of his psychophysiological functions (sensory, mnemonic, verbal, tonic, etc.). If absolute sensitivity reaches a fairly high level of development already in the first year of a child’s life, then at subsequent stages of growing up the baby develops the ability to distinguish sensations, which is primarily reflected in the reaction time to physical stimuli. Thus, starting from 3.5 years and ending with student age, there is a gradual and steady shortening of the individual’s reaction time to a stimulus (E. I. Boyko, 1964). Moreover, the child’s reaction time to a non-speech signal will be less than the reaction time to a speech signal.
Absolute sensitivity is a psychophysical characteristic of an individual’s sensitivity, which characterizes the individual’s ability to sense extremely low-intensity impacts of objects in the real world. Psychophysiological functions are functions of the cerebral cortex that provide the relationship between physiological and mental processes.
Perceptual actions are structural units of the human perception process, which provide conscious transformation of sensory information, leading to the construction of an image adequate to the objective world.
Simultaneously with the development of sensations in children aged 2 to 6 years, the development of perception continues. According to A.V. Zaporozhets, the development of perception enters a fundamentally new phase during the transition from early to preschool age. During this period, under the influence of playful and constructive activities, children develop complex types of visual analysis and synthesis, including the ability to mentally dissect a perceived object into parts in the visual field, examining each of these parts separately and then combining them into one whole. The development of perception can be considered as a process of development and formation of perceptual actions. In the development of perceptual actions at the age of 3 to 6 years (i.e., in pre-preschool age), at least three main stages can be distinguished (Wenger L. A., 1981).
The first stage of development and formation of perceptual actions is associated with the child’s formation of material, practical actions with objects, the development of which occurs in the process of play-manipulation with unfamiliar objects. The leading function in contact with the objective world in a child is still performed by the hands. As a result, through practical experience, not only an idea of the objects of the material world is formed, but also operations of mental activity, on the basis of which the child learns and acquires the ability to adequately perceive the real world around him.
At the second stage of development and formation of perceptual actions, the sensory processes themselves become them. The child begins to quite adequately perceive objects in the real world without direct material contact with them. This happens because its receptor apparatuses themselves perform certain actions and movements. For example, a child is already able to “feel” an object with his eyes. That is, in the process of a child’s age-related development, his external practical actions are transferred to the internal plane. L.S. Vygotsky called this process “interiorization.” It is in interiorization that the essence of human mental development lies.
The third stage of development and formation of perceptual actions is characterized by the fact that perceptual actions become even more hidden, collapsed, and abbreviated. External (effector) links disappear, and perception itself begins to seem like a passive process that has no external manifestations. In fact, perception still remains an active process, only it is completely fulfilled on the internal plane, that is, it completely becomes an element and task of the child’s mental activity.
L.S. Vygotsky paid more attention to the development of imagination. He pointed out that it is significantly connected with the child’s speech, with the basic psychological form of his treatment of others, i.e. with the basic form of collective social activity of children's consciousness. Speech frees the child from immediate impressions, contributes to the formation of his ideas about an object, it gives the child the opportunity to imagine this or that object that he has not seen and to think about it.
O.M. Dyachenko distinguishes between the cognitive and affective imagination of a preschooler. Cognitive imagination is associated with the development of the symbolic function: its main task is a specific reflection of the objective world, overcoming contradictions in the idea of reality. Affective imagination arises in situations of contradiction between the child’s image of “I” and reality and is one of the mechanisms for its construction. Affective imagination can perform a regulatory function in the process of assimilation of the meanings of social behavior and act as a protective mechanism (for example, in terms of responding to fears) (6).
In preschool age, reproductive imagination (which is necessary for educational activities), as well as creative imagination, should be purposefully developed. At the same time, the adult must teach the child to bring the creative idea to the stage of a product, i.e. It is necessary for a preschooler to develop a productive imagination (7).
Thinking. The basis for the development of thinking is the formation and improvement of mental actions. What kind of mental actions a child masters determines what knowledge he can learn and how he can use it. Mastery of mental actions in preschool age occurs according to the general law of assimilation and internalization of external indicative actions. Depending on what these external Actions are and how their internalization occurs, the child’s emerging mental actions take either the form of action with images, or the form of action with signs - words, numbers, etc.
Acting in the mind with images, the child imagines a real action with an object and its result, and in this way solves the problem facing him. This is visual-figurative Thinking. Performing actions with signs requires distraction from real objects. In this case, words and numbers are used as substitutes for objects.
The difference between visual-figurative and logical thinking is that these types of thinking make it possible to highlight the properties of objects that are significant in different situations and thereby find the right solution for different problems. Imaginative thinking turns out to be quite effective in solving problems where the essential properties are those that can be imagined, as if seen with the inner eye. But often the properties of objects that are essential for solving a problem turn out to be hidden; they cannot be represented, but can be indicated in words or other signs. In this case, the problem can only be solved through abstract, logical thinking. Only it allows, for example, to determine the real reason for the floating of bodies (18).
Figurative thinking is the main type of thinking of a preschooler. In its simplest forms, it appears already in early childhood, revealing itself in the solution of a narrow range of practical problems related to the child’s objective activity, using the simplest tools. In the process of playing, drawing, constructing and other types of activities, the sign function of the child’s consciousness develops; he begins to master the construction of a special type of signs - visual spatial models that display the connections and relationships of things that exist objectively, regardless of the actions, desires and intentions of the child himself. . The child does not create these connections himself, as, for example, in instrumental action, but identifies and takes them into account when solving the task facing him.
Under appropriate learning conditions, imaginative thinking becomes the basis for older preschoolers to master generalized knowledge. Such knowledge includes ideas about the relationship between part and whole, about the connection between the main elements of a structure that make up its frame, about the dependence of the structure of the body of animals on their living conditions, etc. Generalized knowledge has great importance for the development of cognitive interests and for the development of thinking itself - imaginative thinking itself improves as a result of using this knowledge in solving a variety of cognitive and practical problems. Acquired ideas about essential patterns give the child the opportunity to independently understand particular cases of manifestation of these patterns (18).
Gradually, the child’s ideas acquire flexibility and mobility, he masters the ability to operate with visual images: imagine objects in different spatial positions, mentally change their relative positions. Model-shaped forms of thinking reach a high level of generalization and can lead children to understand the essential connections of things. But these forms remain figurative forms and reveal their limitations when tasks arise before the child that require the identification of properties, connections and relationships that cannot be visually represented in the form of an image. These tasks require the development of logical thinking. As was said, the prerequisites for the development of logical thinking, the assimilation of actions with words, numbers as signs that replace real objects and situations, are laid at the end of early childhood, when the child’s sign function of consciousness begins to form (18).
Systematic mastery of concepts begins in the process of schooling. But research shows that some concepts can also be learned by children of older preschool age in specially organized training. With such teaching, first of all, special external orienting actions of children with the material being studied are organized. The child receives the means, the instrument necessary to, with the help of his own actions, highlight in objects or their relationships those essential features that should be included in the content of the concept. The preschooler is taught to correctly use such a tool and record the results. L.S. Vygotsky called the concepts that develop in preschool age everyday concepts. They differ from scientific concepts, which are formed as a result of learning at school, by their low awareness, but they allow the child to navigate the world around him and act in it (5).
The main line of development of thinking is transition from visually effective to visually figurative and at the end of the period - to verbal thinking. The main type of thinking, however, is visual-figurative, which corresponds to representative intelligence (thinking in ideas) in the terminology of Jean Piaget.
A preschooler thinks figuratively; he has not yet acquired adult logic of reasoning. The originality of children's thoughts can be traced in the experiment of L.F. Obukhova, who repeated some of the questions of J. Piaget for our children.
AndreyO. (6 years 9 months): “Why don’t stars fall?” - “They are small, very light, they somehow spin in the sky, but this is not visible, you can only see it through a telescope.” “Why does the wind blow?” - “Because you have to help on sailboats in sports, it blows and helps people.”
Slava G. (5 years 5 months): “Where did the moon come from in the sky?” - “Or maybe it was built?” "Who?" - “Someone. It was built, or it grew on its own.” “Where did the stars come from?” “They took it and grew, and appeared themselves. Or maybe the moon came out of light. The moon is shining, but it is cold.” "Why doesn't the moon fall?" - “Because she flies on wings, or maybe there are ropes there and she hangs...”
Ilya K.(5 years 5 months): “Where does sleep come from?” - “When you watch something, it enters your brain, and when you sleep, it comes out of your brain and through your head directly into your eyes, and then it goes away, the wind blows it away, and it flies away.” “If someone sleeps next to you, will they be able to see your dream?” - “Probably, maybe, because he can probably pass through my vision to mom or dad.”
Despite this peculiar childish logic, preschoolers can reason correctly and solve quite complex problems. Correct answers can be obtained from them by certain conditions. First of all, the child needs have time to remember the task itself. In addition, the conditions of the problem he must imagine, and for this - understand their. Therefore, it is important to formulate the task in such a way that it is understandable to children. In one American study, 4-year-old children were shown toys - 3 cars and 4 garages. All the cars are in garages, but one garage remains empty. The child is asked: “Are all the cars in garages?” Children usually say that not everything. This incorrect answer cannot be used to judge the child’s lack of understanding of the concept “everything.” He does not understand something else - the task assigned to him. A small child believes that if there are 4 garages, then there must be 4 cars, from this he concludes: there is a fourth car, but it has just disappeared somewhere. Therefore, for him the “adult” statement - all cars are in garages - does not make sense.
The best way to achieve the right decision - to organize it this way actions child so that he can draw appropriate conclusions based on his own experience. A.V. Zaporozhets asked preschoolers about physical phenomena little known to them, in particular, why some objects float and others sink. Having received more or less fantastic answers, he invited them to throw various things into the water (a small nail that seemed light, a large wooden block, etc.). Beforehand, the children guessed whether the object would float or not. After enough large quantity trials, having checked their initial assumptions, the children began to reason consistently and logically. They developed the ability for the simplest forms of induction and deduction.
Thus, in favorable conditions, when a preschooler solves a problem that is understandable and interesting to him and at the same time observes facts that are understandable to him, he can reason logically.
In preschool age, due to the intensive development of speech, concepts are mastered. Although they remain at the everyday level, the content of the concept begins to more and more correspond to what most adults put into this concept. So, for example, a 5-year-old child already acquires such an abstract concept as “living being.” He easily and quickly classifies a crocodile as “living” (he needs only 0.4 s for this), but has a little difficulty classifying a tree (thinks 1.3 s) or a tulip (almost 2 s) into this category. Children begin to use concepts better and operate with them in their minds. Let's say, it is much more difficult for a 3-year-old child to imagine the concepts of “day” and “hour” than for a 7-year-old.
By the end of preschool age, a tendency to generalize and establish connections appears. Its occurrence is important for the further development of intelligence, despite the fact that children often make unlawful generalizations, not sufficiently taking into account the characteristics of objects and phenomena, focusing on bright external signs (a small object means light; a large object means heavy; if heavy, then in water will drown, etc.).
The child's psyche, as a relatively labile system, is heterogeneous. It intertwines natural features inherent in living organisms, as well as traits acquired in the process of historical and cultural development, which subsequently form higher mental functions in children.
The role of society in the psychological development of a child is extremely widely revealed in the works of E. Durkheim, L. Lévy-Bruhl, as well as our compatriot L.S. Vygotsky. In accordance with their ideas, mental functions can be divided into lower and higher categories. The first includes qualities given to a person as a result of phylogenesis, for example, involuntary attention and memory - everything that he does not have the ability to control, occurring outside of his consciousness. To the second - obtained in ontogenesis, fastened social connections, properties: thinking, attention, perception, etc., are tools that the individual controls consciously and controlled.
The most important tools that influence the development of mental functions in children are signs - psychological substances that can change the consciousness of the subject. One of these are words and gestures, in particular, parental ones. At the same time, PFs change in the direction from collective to individual. Initially, the child learns to interact with the outside world and understand patterns of behavior, and then turns the experience gained onto himself. In the process of improvement, he will have to successively go through the stages of natural, pre-speech, speech, entrapsychic, and then spontaneous and voluntary intrapsychic functions.
Varieties of higher mental functions
Interaction of biological and cultural aspects human life nurtures:
- Perception is the ability to receive information from the environment, while simultaneously selecting significant and useful data from the total volume;
- Attention – the ability to concentrate on a specific object of collecting information;
- Thinking – generalization of signals received from outside, drawing up patterns and forming connections.
- Consciousness is an improved degree of thinking with deeper cause-and-effect dependencies.
- Memory is the process of storing traces of interactions with the outside world with the accumulation and subsequent reproduction of data.
- Emotions are a reflection of the child’s attitude towards himself and society. The measure of their manifestation characterizes satisfaction or dissatisfaction with expectations.
- Motivation is a measure of interest in performing any activity, divided into biological, social and spiritual.
Periodization and crises
Improving mental skills inevitably encounters contradictions that arise at the intersection of a changed self-awareness and a stable surrounding world.
It is quite natural that at such moments a violation of higher mental functions develops in children. Thus, the following periods require the most careful attention:
- From 0 - 2 months - a newborn crisis, during which a decisive restructuring occurs familiar image intrauterine existence, acquaintance with new objects and subjects.
- 1 year - the child masters speech and free movement, which opens up horizons with new, but for now redundant, information.
- 3 years - at this time the first attempts to understand oneself as a person begin, the experience gained is rethought for the first time, and character traits are formed. The crisis manifests itself in the form of obstinacy, stubbornness, self-will, etc.
- 7 years - the child’s existence becomes unthinkable without a team. The assessment of the actions of other children changes with a simultaneous increase in independence. In this case, a violation of mental balance is possible.
- 13 years - precedes a hormonal surge, and sometimes captures it. Physiological instability is accompanied by a change in role from follower to leader. Manifests itself in decreased productivity and interest.
- 17 years is the age when a child is on the threshold of a new life. Fear of the unknown and responsibility for the chosen strategy for future life lead to exacerbation of diseases, manifestation of neurotic reactions, etc.
Define exact time and the causes of violations of higher mental functions in children is impossible. Because each child overcomes the challenges posed by their environment in their own way: some experience them calmly, imperceptibly, while others accompany them with a strong emotional reaction, including an internal one.
Constant observation and comparison of behavioral patterns of a particular child, and not his peer, at the beginning and end of the inter-crisis period, will help to distinguish between crises. However, it is worth understanding that a fracture is part of the development process, and not a violation of it. It is during this time period that the function of an adult as a mentor, who has already gone through similar shocks, is enhanced. Then the high risk of harm will be minimized.
During this period, speech, the ability to substitute, to perform symbolic actions rapidly develop, visual-effective and visual-figurative thinking, memory and imagination develop. Sensations and perceptions improve. Visual acuity and color perception accuracy increase.
Attention– the ability for voluntary concentration is already manifested, which is a good prerequisite for studying at school.
Memory– there is a transition from involuntary to voluntary memorization. Moreover, in early preschoolers (3-4 years old) visual-emotional memory dominates, while in older preschoolers (5-7 years old) the first signs of semantic memorization appear.
Imagination– quickly develops from reproductive to creative. It develops in the game and at first is inseparable from the perception of objects and game actions with them. Formed in play, imagination moves into drawing, modeling, composing fairy tales and poems.
Perception in preschool age, become more perfect, meaningful, purposeful, and analytical. It highlights voluntary actions - observation, examination, search. Children know the primary colors and their shades, and can describe an object by shape and size. They learn a system of sensory standards (round like an apple).
Memory. Preschool childhood is the most favorable (sensitive) age for memory development. In younger preschoolers, memory is involuntary. The child does not set a goal to remember or remember something and does not have special methods of memorization. Events that are interesting to him, if they evoke an emotional response, are easily (involuntarily) remembered. In middle preschool age (between 4 and 5 years), voluntary memory begins to form. Conscious, purposeful memorization and recall appear only sporadically. Usually they are included in other types of activities, since they are needed both in play, and when running errands for adults, and during classes - preparing children for school.
Thinking and perception are so closely connected that they speak of visual-figurative thinking, which is most characteristic of preschool age. Despite this peculiar childish logic, preschoolers can reason correctly and solve quite complex problems. Correct answers can be obtained from them under certain conditions. First of all, the child needs to have time to remember the task itself. In addition, he must imagine the conditions of the task, and for this he must understand them. Therefore, it is important to formulate the task in such a way that it is understandable to children. The best way to achieve the right decision- organize the child’s actions so that he draws appropriate conclusions based on his own experience. A.V. Zaporozhets asked preschoolers about physical phenomena little known to them, in particular, why some objects float and others sink. Having received more or less fantastic answers, he suggested that they throw various things into the water (a small nail that seemed light, a large wooden block, etc.). Beforehand, the children guessed whether the object would float or not. After a sufficiently large number of trials, having checked their initial assumptions, the children began to reason consistently and logically. They developed the ability for the simplest forms of induction and deduction.
Speech. In preschool childhood, the long and complex process of speech acquisition is largely completed. By the age of 7, the child’s language truly becomes native. The sound side of speech develops. Younger preschoolers begin to realize the peculiarities of their pronunciation. The vocabulary of speech is growing rapidly. As at the previous age stage, there are great individual differences here: some children have a larger vocabulary, others have less, which depends on their living conditions, on how and how much close adults communicate with them. Let us present the average data according to V. Stern. At 1.5 years old, a child actively uses about 100 words, at 3 years old - 1000-1100, at 6 years old - 2500-3000 words. The grammatical structure of speech develops. Children learn morphological (word structure) and syntactic (phrase structure) patterns. A 3-5 year old child correctly grasps the meaning of “adult” words, although sometimes he uses them incorrectly. Words created by the child himself according to the laws of the grammar of his native language are always recognizable, sometimes very successful and certainly original. This children's ability to form words independently is often called word creation. K.I. Chukovsky, in his wonderful book “From Two to Five,” collected many examples of children’s word creation (Mint cakes create a draft in the mouth; The bald man’s head is barefoot; Look how it’s raining; I’d rather go for a walk without being eaten; Mom is angry, but quickly calms down ; creeper - worm; mazelin - petroleum jelly; mokres - compress).
The mental development of a child is a very complex, subtle and lengthy process, which is influenced by many factors. An idea of how this or that stage goes will help you not only better understand your child, but also notice developmental delays in time and take appropriate measures.
The generally accepted periodization of the development of the child’s psyche was developed by the Soviet psychologist Daniil Borisovich Elkonin. Even if you have never encountered his works, this system is familiar to you: in the annotations to children's publications it is often indicated that this work is “for preschool age” or “for primary schoolchildren.”
Elkonin’s system describes the mental development of a child from infancy to 15 years, although in some of his works the age of 17 years is indicated.
According to the scientist, the characteristics of each stage of development are determined by the leading activity of the child at a particular age, within the framework of which certain mental new formations appear.
1. Infancy
This stage covers the period from birth to one year. The leading activity of the baby is communication with significant figures, that is, adults. Mainly mom and dad. He learns to interact with others, express his desires and respond to stimuli in ways accessible to him - intonation, individual sounds, gestures, facial expressions. The main goal of cognitive activity is knowledge of relationships.
The task of parents is to teach the child to “communicate” with the outside world as quickly as possible. Games for the development of large and fine motor skills, formation color range. Among the toys there must be objects of various colors, sizes, shapes, textures. Until one year, the child does not experience any experiences other than natural ones: hunger, pain, cold, thirst, and is not able to learn the rules.
2. Early childhood
It lasts from 1 year to 3 years. The leading activity is manipulative-objective activity. The child discovers many objects around him and strives to explore them as quickly as possible - taste them, break them, etc. He learns their names and makes his first attempts to take part in the conversation of adults.
Mental neoplasms- this is speech and visual-effective thinking, that is, in order to learn something, he needs to see how one of the elders performs this action. It is noteworthy that at first the child will not play independently, without the participation of mom or dad.
Features of the early childhood stage:
- comprehension of the names and purposes of objects, mastering the correct manipulation of a specific object;
- mastering established rules;
- the beginning of awareness of one’s own “I”;
- the beginning of the formation of self-esteem;
- gradual separation of one’s actions from the actions of adults and the need for independence.
Early childhood often ends with the so-called crisis of 3 years, when the child sees pleasure in disobedience, becomes stubborn, literally rebels against established rules, and sharp negative reactions etc.
3. Preschool age
This stage begins at 3 years and ends at 7 years. The leading activity for preschoolers is play, or rather, role-playing game, during which children learn relationships and consequences. The personal sphere of the psyche is actively developing. Age-related neoplasms are a need for social significance and activity.
The child can move independently, his speech is understandable to adults, and he often feels like a full participant in communication.
- He understands that all actions and actions have a specific meaning. When teaching, for example, hygiene rules, explain why this is necessary.
- Most effective method learning information is a game, so role-playing games need to be played every day. In games, you should not use real objects, but their substitutes - the simpler the better for the development of abstract thinking.
- The preschooler experiences an urgent need to communicate with peers and learns to interact with them.
Towards the end of the stage, the child gradually gains independence, is able to determine the cause-and-effect relationship, is able to take responsibility for his actions, and obeys the rules if he sees them as reasonable. He learns good habits, rules of politeness, norms of relationships with others, strives to be useful, and willingly makes contact.
4. Junior school age
This stage lasts from 7 to 11 years and is associated with significant changes in the child’s life and behavior. He enters school, and play activities give way to educational activities. The intellectual and cognitive sphere is actively developing. Age-related mental neoplasms: voluntariness, internal plan of action, reflection and self-control.
What does it mean?
- He is able to concentrate for a long time on a specific lesson: sit quietly at his desk during a lesson and listen to the teacher’s explanations.
- Able to plan and perform tasks in a certain sequence, for example, when doing homework.
- He determines the boundaries of his knowledge and identifies the reason why, for example, he cannot solve a problem, what exactly is missing for this.
- The child learns to control his actions, for example, first do his homework, then go for a walk.
- He experiences discomfort from the fact that an adult (teacher) cannot give the amount of attention that he is used to receiving at home.
A younger student can more or less accurately assess the changes that have occurred in his personality: what he could do before and what he can do now, learns to build relationships in a new team, and obey school discipline.
The main task of parents during this period is to emotionally support the child, closely monitor his mood and feelings, and help him find new friends among classmates.
5. Adolescence
This is the “transitional age”, which lasts from 11 to 15 years and the onset of which all parents await with horror. The leading activity is communication with peers, the desire to find one’s place in the group, receive its support and at the same time stand out from the crowd. The need-motivational sphere of the psyche develops mainly. Mental neoplasms – self-esteem, desire for “adulthood”.
The teenager is torn between the desire to grow up quickly and to maintain a certain impunity for as long as possible, to relieve himself of responsibility for his actions. He learns about the system of relations between the sexes, tries to build his own, rebels against prohibitions and constantly breaks the rules, fiercely defends his point of view, seeks his place in the world and at the same time amazingly easily falls under the influence of others.
Some guys, on the contrary, immerse themselves in their studies, their transitional age is, as it were, “transferred” to a later time, for example, they may well begin their rebellion even after graduating from university.
Before parents stands not an easy task- find mutual language with a teenager to protect him from rash actions.
6. Adolescence
Some psychologists identify another stage in the development of the psyche - this is adolescence, from 15 to 17 years. Educational and professional activities become the leading ones. Personal and cognitive spheres develop. During this period, the teenager matures sharply, his decisions become more balanced, he begins to think about the future, in particular, about choosing a profession.
Growing up is difficult at any age - at 3 years old, at 7, and at 15 years old. Parents must understand well the characteristics of their child’s mental development and help him successfully overcome all age-related crises, direct the formation of his character and personality in the right direction.
Course project - Psychology
3. The seven-year crisis and the problem of a child’s readiness for school
Conclusion
Introduction
For social, developmental and educational psychology, the problem of a child’s transition from one age stage another. The importance of the social situation of development for understanding the essence of the transition process was noted by many psychologists (L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leontiev, A. V. Zaporozhets, D. B. Elkonin, etc.), and much attention was paid to both issues intellectual development children and the development of children's personality.
The works of famous Russian psychologists were devoted to the mental development of preschool children: L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leontyev, D. B. Elkonin, L. I. Bozhovich and others.
Problems preschool development and education are considered in the studies of Zharikbaeva K. B., Sheryazdanova Kh., Karimova R. B., Movkebaeva Z. A., Asylkhanova M. A. and other psychologists and teachers.
Numerous works of psychologists and methodologists are devoted to solving the issues of preparing children for school education: A. N. Leontyev, L. I. Bozhevich, D. B. Elkonina, N. N. Poddyakova, A. M. Pyshkalo, A. V. Zaporozhets, L.A. Venger and others. Important importance in these works is attached to the study of the initial level of children’s preparedness for school, which has a significant impact on the success of all subsequent education.
The fact that memory becomes the center of the child’s consciousness leads to significant consequences
More details geum.ru
Introduction
1. general characteristics conditions of mental development in preschool age
2. Development of mental functions in preschool age
3. The seven-year crisis and the problem of a child’s readiness for school
Conclusion
Glossary
List of sources used
Introduction
For social, developmental and educational psychology, the problem of a child’s transition from one age stage to another is of particular interest. The importance of the social situation of development for understanding the essence of the transition process was noted by many psychologists (L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leontiev, A. V. Zaporozhets, D. B. lkonin, etc.), while much attention was paid to issues of intellectual development of children and the development of children's personality.
During preschool childhood- the child’s entire mental life and his attitude to the world around him are rebuilt. The essence of this restructuring is that in preschool age, internal mental life and internal regulation of behavior arise.
The formation of internal mental life and internal self-regulation is associated with a number of new formations in the psyche and consciousness of a preschooler. At each stage of development, one or another function comes first.
The most important ability of preschool age is that a new system of mental functions is formed here, in the center - memory, thinking, imagination. An essential indicator of a child’s development is the acquisition of knowledge and ideas about the world around him. Also social development child, which is characterized by children’s mastery of norms and rules of behavior and the child’s interaction with other children.
An important characteristic is the development of the child’s motor sphere. It manifests itself in the fact that the child’s movements express his emotional states, his experiences regarding various events.
All these important new formations originate and initially develop in the leading activities of preschool age - role-playing game. In preschool age (from 3 to 6 years), role-playing play becomes the leading activity, in which children reproduce various social roles and relationships between people.
The works of famous Russian psychologists were devoted to the mental development of preschool children: L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leontyev, D. B. Lkonin, L. I. Bozhovich and others.
Problems of preschool development and education are considered in the studies of Zharikbaeva K. B., Sheryazdanova Kh., Karimova R. B., Movkebaeva Z. A., Asylkhanova M. A. and other psychologists and teachers.
Numerous works of psychologists and methodologists are devoted to solving the issues of preparing children for school education: A. N. Leontyev, L. I. Bozhevich, D. B. lkonina, N. N. Poddyakova, A. M. Pyshkalo, A. V. Zaporozhets, L.A. Venger and others. Important importance in these works is attached to the study of the initial level of children’s preparedness for school, which has a significant impact on the success of all subsequent education.
Purpose this study is to study the structure and dynamics of changes in the mental development of a preschool child.
During the research, the following tasks were set:
Analyze the theoretical aspects of mental development in preschool age.
Reveal the general characteristics of the conditions of mental development in preschool age.
Explore the role play activity in the mental development of a preschooler.
Consider the development of mental functions in preschool age.
Describe the symptoms of the seven-year crisis and its psychological nature.
1. General characteristics of the conditions of mental development in preschool age
Preschool childhood is a very special period of child development. At this age, the child’s entire mental life and his relationship to the world around him are restructured.
The essence of this restructuring is that in preschool age, internal mental life and internal regulation of behavior arise. If in early age The child’s behavior is stimulated and directed from the outside - by adults or by the perceived situation, then in preschool the child himself begins to determine his own behavior.
The formation of Inner mental life and internal self-regulation is associated with a number of new formations in the psyche and consciousness of a preschooler. L. S. Vygotsky believed that the development of consciousness is determined not by an isolated change in individual mental functions (attention, memory, thinking, etc.), but by a change in the relationship between individual functions.
At each stage of development, one or another function comes first. Thus, at an early age, the main mental function is perception. The most important feature preschool age, from his point of view, is that a new system of mental functions is taking shape here, in the center of which is memory. mental development preschool
The memory of a preschooler is the central mental function that determines other processes. The thinking of a preschool child is largely determined by his memory.
For a preschooler, thinking means remembering, that is, relying on one’s previous experience or modifying it. Thinking never shows such a high correlation with memory as at this age. The task of the mental act for the child is not the logical structure of the concepts themselves, but the specific memory of his experience.
The fact that memory becomes the center of the child’s consciousness leads to significant consequences.
More details at studsell.com
Description of material: I bring to your attention an article containing a number of psychological and pedagogical exercises for the development and correction of higher mental functions (HMF) in children of preschool and primary school age. This material will be useful to educational psychologists, speech therapists and speech pathologists of preschool educational institutions and state budgetary educational institutions of secondary schools, as well as specialists of early development centers.
Development of higher mental functions in children of preschool and primary school age
Higher mental functions (HMF) are specific mental functions of a person. These include: memory, attention, thinking, perception, imagination and speech.
The famous Russian psychologist, Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky, wrote: “The highest mental function appears on the stage twice: once as an external, interpsychic (i.e., a function divided between a child and an adult), and the second - as an internal, intrapsychic (i.e. . function belonging to the child himself).” Small child is not yet able to focus attention for a long time, remember and correctly pronounce the names of certain objects, etc., therefore the role of an adult in this period is to be an intermediary between the baby and the outside world. Thus, an adult acts as the child’s basic mental functions, reminding him of the names of phenomena and objects, concentrating his attention, developing thinking and speech.
Then, in the process of growing up, the child gradually inherits social experience and becomes able to use it independently. Thus, from Vygotsky’s point of view, the process of development is a process of transition from the social to the individual.
However, there are certain phases in a child's development when he or she is especially receptive to cognition and creativity. Such periods in a baby’s life are called sensitive (literally “sensitive”). Traditionally, these periods include the process of child development from 0 to 7 years.
In Russian psychology and pedagogy, this period is considered the most productive in terms of the child’s assimilation of social experience and the acquisition of new knowledge. At this stage, the foundation is laid not only for the behavioral and emotional-volitional, but also for the cognitive sphere of a person’s personality.
So, let's now talk about the basic exercises and technologies used by teachers in the development of higher mental functions in children of preschool and primary school age. Let's give short examples from daily practice.
Thinking.
Mental operations include the processes of generalization, analysis, synthesis and abstraction. Accordingly, different techniques are used to develop each of the operations.
Generalization.
Goal: teach the child to find common features of an object.
A series of cards are laid out in front of the child, which depict objects united by one common characteristic (for example, the series: “apple, banana, pear, plum”). The child is asked to name all these objects in one word (in in this case this is “fruit”) and explain your answer.
Analysis and synthesis.
Goal: to teach the child to eliminate unnecessary things and combine objects according to their characteristics.
Option 1. The student is asked to find an image of an extra item among the proposed cards and explain his choice (for example, the series: “skirt, boots, trousers, coat”; the extra one is “boots”, because these are shoes, and everything else is cloth) .
It should be emphasized that the child’s answer must be complete and detailed. The child should not guess, but meaningfully make his choice and be able to justify it.
Option 2. The student is presented with a form with images of different animals. The child is explained that if the animal is wearing boots, then it is 1, if it is not wearing boots, then it is 0 (for example, a cat in boots = 1, and a cat without boots = 0, etc.). Next, the teacher points to each picture in turn and asks the child to name only the number (1 or 0).
Abstraction.
Goal: teach your child to find indirect signs.
The child is presented with a form with images of animals: “cow, elephant, fox, bear, tiger.” Then the baby is asked to combine them with other animals whose names begin with the same letter: “rat, dog, lion, mouse, seal” (the correct answer in this case would be: “cow-rat, elephant-dog, fox-lion, bear-mouse, tiger-seal"). The student is required to give reasons for his choice, because... children often ignore the instructions and connect pictures according to some other criteria (for example, according to the principle of big-small, good-evil, wild animal-domestic animal, etc.). If the child does not understand the instructions, they should be repeated again and an example given.
Memory.
Memory is divided into short-term and long-term. To train short-term memory, for example, a student is presented orally with a series of words (usually 10 words), which he must remember and reproduce immediately after presentation in random order.
To train long-term memory, you can, for example, read a number of words several times (so that the child remembers them properly) and ask him to reproduce all the words after 15-40 minutes. The task can be complicated by asking the child to reproduce all the words in order.
Standards for junior school student reproduction of 10 words is considered. For a preschooler - 7-8 words.
Reading literature has been and remains an excellent exercise for developing memory. After reading, you need to discuss the plot of the fairy tale or story with your child, ask them to evaluate the characters, ask questions on the test, etc. You can also ask your child to draw a favorite episode from a book, sculpt the main characters from plasticine, etc.
Attention.
A large printed text (not very long) is presented in front of the child. Then the child is asked to circle all the letters “A” in the text with a red pencil, all the letters “B” with a blue pencil in a square, and all the letters “B” with a green pencil in a triangle. You can also present a form with letters printed in random order and ask to cross out certain of them (you need to time it - 3 minutes).
You can also ask your child to continue the pattern in a checkered notebook (or draw exactly the same pattern next to it). After the pattern is completed, you can ask the child to color each cell in the drawing with a different color, etc.
Speech.
Unfortunately, today more and more children come to school with serious speech and writing disorders.
First of all, you should understand that for the harmonious development of speech you need to communicate with your child. When talking with a child, try to use the full names of phenomena and objects: do not abbreviate them, do not use “slang” in your own speech, do not distort sounds (for example, not “fotik”, but “photo camera”; not “shop”, but “ store”, etc.) . By pronouncing words clearly and completely, you enrich your child’s vocabulary and correctly form sound pronunciation.
An excellent exercise for speech development would be reading together (especially old folk tales), telling poems, sayings, tongue twisters.
Perception and imagination.
The best exercise for developing these mental functions is reading. fiction and creative and aesthetic activities. Visiting children's performances, exhibitions, concerts, home handicrafts, modeling, crafts, drawing - all this perfectly develops the child's perception and imagination.
The child has a passion for play,
and she must be satisfied.
We must not only give him time to play,
but also to imbue his entire life with the game.
A. Makarenko
Development of higher mental functions in preschool children
Higher mental functions (HMF) are specific mental functions of a person. These include: memory, attention, thinking, perception, imagination and speech. The development of the human psyche occurs due to all these functions. Speech has one of the most important roles.
She is a psychological tool. With the help of speech, we express ourselves freely and are aware of our actions. If a person suffers from speech disorders, then he becomes a “slave of the visual field.” Unfortunately, today more and more children come to school with serious speech and writing disorders.
The famous Russian psychologist, L. S. Vygotsky, wrote: “The highest mental function appears on the stage twice: once as an external, interpsychic (i.e., a function divided between a child and an adult), and the second – as an internal, intrapsychic (i.e. i.e. a function belonging to the child himself).” A small child is not yet able to focus attention for a long time, remember and correctly pronounce the names of certain objects, etc., so the role of an adult during this period is to be an intermediary between the baby and the outside world. Thus, an adult acts as the child’s basic mental functions, reminding him of the names of phenomena and objects, concentrating his attention, developing thinking and speech.
Then, in the process of growing up, the child gradually inherits social experience and becomes able to use it independently. Thus, from Vygotsky’s point of view, the process of development is a process of transition from the social to the individual.
It should be noted that the process of development of higher mental functions begins long before the child arrives at school, even in infancy. Young children learn constantly: in play, while walking, watching their parents, etc.
However, there are certain phases in a child's development when he or she is especially receptive to cognition and creativity. Such periods in a baby’s life are called sensitive (literally “sensitive”). Traditionally, these periods include the process of child development from 0 to 7 years. In Russian psychology and pedagogy, this period is considered the most productive in terms of the child’s assimilation of social experience and the acquisition of new knowledge. At this stage, the foundation is laid not only for the behavioral and emotional-volitional, but also for the cognitive sphere of a person’s personality.
So, let's now talk about the basic exercises and technologies that can be used in the development of higher mental functions in preschool children.
Before moving on to the main exercises, I want to note that it should be understood that for the harmonious development of speech, it is necessary to communicate with the child. When talking with a child, try to use the full names of phenomena and objects: do not abbreviate them, do not use “slang” in your own speech, do not distort sounds (for example, not “fotik”, but “photo camera”; not “shop”, but “ store”, etc.) . By pronouncing words clearly and completely, you enrich your child’s vocabulary and correctly form sound pronunciation. An excellent exercise for developing speech would be reading together (especially old folk tales), telling poems, sayings, and tongue twisters.
Attention can be involuntary and voluntary. A person is born with involuntary attention. Voluntary attention is formed from all other mental functions. It is related to speech function.
Many parents are familiar with the concept of hyperactivity (it consists of such components as: inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity).
Inattention:
- Making mistakes in a task caused by the inability to concentrate on details;
- Inability to listen to spoken speech;
- Organize your activities;
- Avoiding unloved work that requires perseverance;
- Loss of items needed to complete tasks;
- Forgetfulness in daily activities;
(of the signs listed below, at least 6 must persist for at least 6 months.)
Hyperactivity:
- Fidgety, cannot sit still;
- Jumps up without permission;
- Runs aimlessly, fidgets, climbs in situations that are inadequate for this;
- Cannot play quiet games or rest.
(of the signs listed below, at least 4 must persist for at least 6 months.)
Impulsiveness:
- Shouts out the answer without listening to the question;
- Can't wait for his turn in classes or games.
An important role in the success of a child’s intellectual and psychophysical development is the formation of fine motor skills.
Fine motor skills of the hands interact with such higher mental functions and properties of consciousness as attention, thinking, optical-spatial perception (coordination), imagination, observation, visual and motor memory, speech. The development of fine motor skills is also important because the child’s entire future life will require the use of precise, coordinated movements of the hands and fingers, which are necessary to dress, draw and write, as well as perform a wide variety of everyday and educational activities.
A child's thinking is at his fingertips. What does it mean? Research has proven that the development of speech and thinking is closely related to the development of fine motor skills. A child's hands are his eyes.
After all, a child thinks with feelings - what he feels is what he imagines. You can do a lot with your hands - play, draw, examine, sculpt, build, hug, etc. And the better motor skills are developed, the faster a 3-4 year old child adapts to the world around him!
Scientists who study the activity of the children's brain and the psyche of children note that the level of development of children's speech is directly dependent on the degree of development of fine movements of the fingers.
To develop fine motor skills, you can use different games and exercises.
- Finger games are unique remedy for the development of fine motor skills and speech of the child in their unity and interconnection. Learning texts using “finger” gymnastics stimulates the development of speech, spatial thinking, attention, imagination, fosters reaction speed and emotional expressiveness. The child remembers poetic texts better; his speech becomes more expressive.
- Origami - paper construction - is another way to develop fine motor skills in a child, which, moreover, can also become a truly interesting family hobby.
- Lacing is the next type of toy that develops hand motor skills in children.
4. Games with sand, cereals, beads and other bulk materials - they can be strung on a thin cord or fishing line (pasta, beads), sprinkled with palms or transferred with fingers from one container to another, poured into plastic bottle With narrow neck etc.
In addition, to develop fine motor skills you can use:
- ·playing with clay, plasticine or dough. Children's hands work hard with such materials, performing various manipulations with them - rolling, crushing, pinching, smearing, etc.
- · drawing with pencils. It is pencils, and not paints or felt-tip pens, that “force” the muscles of the hand to strain, to make efforts in order to leave a mark on the paper - the child learns to regulate the pressure in order to draw a line of one thickness or another, coloring.
- mosaics, puzzles, construction sets - the educational effect of these toys cannot be underestimated.
- fastening buttons, “Magic locks” - play an important role for the fingers.
Systematic work in this direction makes it possible to achieve the following positive results: the hand acquires good mobility and flexibility, stiffness of movements disappears, pressure changes, which in the future helps children easily master the skill of writing.
Educational psychologist
Material from the site nsportal.ru