Music and singing for a child with Down Syndrome. - It is known that dancers, even small ones, are usually trained strictly, hard

Posted by Lizaveta Tue, 24/02/2015 - 00:00

Description:

The author tells readers about how children and adolescents with Down syndrome are engaged in choreography. She refers to the words of a professional choreographer, discussing with him questions of motivation, strengths and weaknesses children with Down syndrome to take into account, their perception of music and the importance of constant rehearsals, as well as the involvement of parents in the process.

Source:

Journal "Down Syndrome. XXI century", No. 1 (4)

Publication date:

01/01/10

She danced with her eyes closed. Slowly moving to the rhythm of the sounding waltz. She was like a stalk of grass swaying in the wind: fragile, beautiful, real. Dancing, she smiled ...

What is dance? Movement to music. Kit curly elements associated with rhythm, tempo, direction. Perhaps this is true, but still dance is more than movement. Dance is always a dialogue. With another person, with an object, with music, with yourself, with your mood. For any person, the desire and ability to dance is, first of all, the desire and ability to communicate.

The dance duet of Sergey Fursov and Olga Gusarova has special biography. Their joint work is proof that the impossible is possible. He is a young teacher of special correctional secondary school No. 30, choreographer. She is a girl with Down syndrome. This duet was organized at the end of 2005 and literally immediately debuted on the stage of the Rossiya Concert Hall with their first dance, Wind of Paris. The same dance in October 2006 represented our country at international festival"Orpheus", the guys performed it on the stage of the royal palace in Versailles (France). Later there were new, more complex productions, prestigious venues, tours. Over the years, the duet has taken part in many festivals and competitions at the city, all-Russian and international levels (Breeze, Hope, From Heart to Heart, Theater of Our Hope, Orpheus, Eurasia, and others). The duo actively cooperates with the Philanthropist Foundation, public organizations"Downside Up", "Dinaoda", "The View of a Child", "The Theater of the Innocent", the Moscow Experimental Theater "Open Art", the Humanitarian Museum-Center "Overcoming" named after. N. Ostrovsky. In November 2007, the Downside Up Charitable Foundation awarded Sergei and Olga diplomas of recognition for their significant contribution to improving the quality of life of children with Down syndrome in Russia.

For Olya, rehearsal and performance at big stage practically do not differ. Each time, preparing for a lesson, she carefully chooses a suit, adjusts, and warms up. Any successful completion of the task for her is a holiday, failure is a cause for grief. Maybe it is this “adult” approach to business that is the guarantee of success? It seems to us that the ability to work tirelessly is one of the features of people with Down syndrome. With a strong motivation to work, they can rehearse for hours without complaining or needing a break. So Olya can repeat exercises for the press, bends many, many times, and when the warm-up ends and the dance steps begin directly, she stubbornly repeats the same thing until she succeeds.

When asked why she likes to dance, Olya replies:

– I have been dancing since the age of five. I really like to do gymnastics, warm-up. It is not difficult for me to do even complex lifts. And I'm not afraid at all. I know that everyone supports me. And the dance is very beautiful. Now we are rehearsing a dance where I represent clay, there are a lot of interesting movements.

After the rehearsal choreographer Sergey Fursov answered the questions of our correspondent.

Dance and music are inseparable things. Do you think guys with Down syndrome are musical?

– You know, it seems to me that these children somehow have a cosmic sense of music. For everyone, without exception, music causes vivid impressions, and, having barely heard its sounds, they are even outwardly transformed. Children with Down syndrome are very sensitive to music: they distinguish the tempo, rhythm, mood of the melody. Moreover, they perceive different types of music, they are ready to move to any: to a slow waltz, and to a burning Argentine tango.

- What features of children with Down syndrome in terms of choreography would you note?

– As for the choreography, these guys have natural flexibility, they are very plastic. Therefore, many people manage to perform well in slow, smooth movements, they look better in such dances. WITH fast dancing in this respect is more difficult. Another physiological feature of people with Down syndrome is hypotonicity, i.e. muscle relaxation. These guys are often compared to puppets - rag dolls that can take any position. In terms of choreography, this is both good and bad. It’s good because they don’t have problems with stretching, for example, they easily sit on the twine. But there are also difficulties: excessive softness of the muscles leads to a deterioration in posture, clubfoot. There is also an aesthetic point here: due to the characteristics of the oral cavity, a large tongue, children often have their mouths open. Maybe in life it doesn’t interfere, but on stage it looks ugly. Therefore, you need to teach the guys to smile while dancing.

- Are these features that are difficult to do something with?

– Hard work can overcome anything, I'm sure of it. You just need to pay attention guys to these moments. Even ordinary person it is difficult to keep track of posture, gait, movements at the same time. What to say about our children. Therefore, you need to constantly practice. Make comments. Sometimes one word is enough: “Back!”, “Mouth!” – and they fix it.

Are you talking about aesthetics...

– Of course, in dancing everything should be beautiful. It seems to me that with every dance we should emphasize the dignity of our children and their beauty and level out the shortcomings. Therefore, another problem, if we are already talking about it, is the problem of excess weight. And it's not just aesthetic: excess weight badly affects the work of all organs, mobility, the ability and desire of the child to dance. Children with Down syndrome do not have a sense of proportion in food, so control it – task of parents and teachers. Personally, I am strict and exacting to the point of pedantry in these matters.

- Dance is not only mechanical movements ...

– Of course not, dance is primarily a certain emotional charge. And in this respect, people with Down syndrome benefit from others. They are very emotional, friendly, and this always helps in dancing. Of course, before starting to work on the dance and during it, we always talk about what kind of dance it is, what it is associated with, how to react to music through body movements, facial expressions, and so on. In this case, the teacher must use strengths their subordinates. For example, these guys have a very developed imitation, movement by analogy. Therefore, they easily repeat the movements of the teacher, one after another, they love working with a mirror.

– Many children are basically shy, fearful, constrained. How to overcome such psychological problems?

– Yes, the guys do not immediately open up to the teacher. If we talk specifically about my practice, then this may be due, among other things, to my tall with the fact that I'm a man. I only once met a child who immediately became liberated: my student Masha Vasilyeva, entering the hall for the first time, began to smile, hug everyone, and work actively. In most cases, in the first lessons, in a new environment, it is difficult to establish contact with the guys: they are constrained, shy, try to hide, cover their eyes with their hands. And then I look for an "intermediary": I take a ribbon and start dancing. The child becomes interested, and soon he joins this game. The same can be done using a toy or help from another child. Such are the tricks.

- There is the concept of "unteachable". What do you think about it?

– For me there is no such concept. Any child can be taught something. Question – what to learn and how. If a child cannot perform even elementary choreographic movements, he simply learns to walk, move his arms, and communicate.

“Children with Down syndrome are special. Therefore, probably, the criteria for such concepts as “ability”, “talent”, “success” are somewhat different for them. What do you think it means for them to be successful?

– In this regard, everything is purely individual. Much depends on the motivation and attitude of teachers and parents. For me personally, a child is successful if there is progress compared to what he did before. And then my work makes sense. Performing on any stage is also a success. And "prestige" – for them there is no such concept. Guests came to class - this is already a success, they performed at a neighboring school - already prestige. It doesn't matter to them whether they perform on the stage of the Kremlin Palace or the House of Culture. They always work 100%.

- Do your parents help you with your work? What should be their role?

– This is an axiom: parents should work with the child at home, and every day. Whether they want it or not, it's hard for them or not. In any child you need to invest: money, effort, time. Parents should communicate with the teacher more often, take into account recommendations, complete tasks, then the result will appear. If the child is studying at home, it is immediately evident.

- Briefly describe how your lesson is going. What are the mandatory elements you and the guys do?

– Of course, you can talk about this for a long time, but in short ... Here are the exercises that you need to do every day. Rotations of all parts of the body – if the child cannot fulfill them, it is necessary to take, for example, his hands and with combined movements, together, complete the task. Then tilts, jumps. For children with Down syndrome, exercises are required to develop endurance, form posture, and strengthen the spine. And of course, exercises to strengthen and stretch muscles, as well as coordination and orientation in space.

- It is known that dancers, even small ones, are usually trained strictly, harshly. What is your approach to children?

– I treat all children without exception with great spiritual kindness. But there are certain moments of "X" when you need to be tough. Before the performance, during rehearsals, we work tirelessly, then I can shout. Laughing and joking at such moments is impossible. For a teacher, there can be only one principle here: “spend 10 times more time and effort to get a result.” Patience and repetition, repetition, repetition.

- How to discern in a child opportunities, abilities?

– I believe that all children are capable. If there are no results, then it is worth looking psychological problem, which can also be solved. Or pay attention to the approach to this particular child.

- With Olya Gusarova you dance paso doble, and Olya is great in this dance. Where does she get such emotions from? Isn't it easier to stage, for example, a dance with umbrellas?

– Yes, it's easier. It is even easier to lead the children in circles, it is even easier to sit in the hall, to be a spectator, but it is quite simple not to leave the house. Should we always look for the easy way out? As for the paso doble... These are Olya's emotions, she gives them. She never smiled to that tune. Of course, at rehearsals they explained to her what kind of dance it was, told about bullfighting, Spain (she was there), about the struggle of a person and his aggression, love and passion. Yes, it is difficult, but if you approach it wisely, look for " golden mean”, then the complex develops. Children need both positive and negative emotions. They should experience the emotions of both Pierrot and Pinocchio - even within the same lesson.

Principles of work of a teacher-choreographer with children with Down syndrome

Professional advice

Beauty. It is necessary to make a bright, memorable number, to show the advantages of our children, to level the shortcomings. This is helped by musical and lighting design, an unusual costume solution, makeup, the use of various objects (ribbons, balls, toys), and scenery.

Demanding. You need to love these guys, but demand ten times more from them than from ordinary people. The work must be carried out systematically. There should be no days off.

Complexity. Tasks should be more difficult than what children can do today, otherwise the meaning of the work is lost, there is no progress.

Focus on success. Initially, the teacher must be confident in the success of his activities, to believe in the children. Carry this emotional charge to children. I often have to repeat: we are not preparing for the next qualifying round competition - we are preparing for the final performance, for a gala concert in the Kremlin Palace or concert hall"Russia".

Interest. Liberate children, play with them in class, look for new forms of work, improvise, invite guests and parents to cooperate.

Gratitude. Do not forget to encourage children, talk about their virtues, victories, arrange viewings of laureate dances, show photos from competitions and festivals, award children with diplomas and gifts, celebrate holidays together.

Learning through movement

Classes in correctional school, in a correctional theater with children with developmental disabilities, eloquently testify to their great desire to engage in creativity as one of the most accessible and interesting activities for them. Practical work with such children proves that creativity contributes to the development of verbal communication with others (peers and adults), an increase in passive and active vocabulary, the formation of coherent speech, an expansion of knowledge and ideas about the world, the development of sensory functions, the formation of spatial and temporal representations, correction violations, the development of attention, memory, thinking (visual-figurative and abstract-logical elements), the development of the hand and preparation for mastering writing, the development of self-care and hygiene skills, and preparation for life in society.

In the collective choreographic activity there is a unique opportunity for the interaction of such means of education as physical activity, music and the team. On the one hand, in such classes motor skills are developed, musical ability and formed artistic taste children, on the other hand, conditions are created for them to develop attention, perseverance, discipline and will, a sense of responsibility and purposefulness, a serious attitude to the assigned task and endurance, certain norms of behavior, communication with comrades, respect for work.

The effect of dancing is always complex. This is not just the development of physical data: muscle strength, figure, posture, gait, coordination of movements. Dancing classes develop the ability to listen and perceive music, correlate its sounds with specific movements. During the preparation of the dance, following the specific commands of the teacher, children learn discipline and behavior in a team. They learn how to navigate in relation to other people, how to build communication. The dance develops the feelings and associations of the children, it always evokes emotions, and this is one of the main components that is being worked on. If the dance is called "The Sun", then the guys should learn to experience adequate emotions (joy, delight, surprise), express them. If the dance is “Sad Rain”, then the emotions are completely different. It is important for children to be able to relax, relieve stress, and breathe properly. Dancing classes strengthen the creative powers of children, develop a sense of beauty.

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Charming Leysan Zaripova is 22 years old, she leads dance classes preparing for the competition table tennis She loves to draw and knit. At the same time, in the first years of life, doctors assured the mother that her child would not be able to speak or walk, or would not survive at all. Leysan and she copes well with all difficulties and even does more than many people.

Instagram)

The family of a sunny girl lived in an ordinary Tatar village. Parents raised four daughters, the youngest Leysan. There were many difficulties associated with both the development of a special girl and the financial condition of the family. But they coped, did not succumb to the tricks of the saying that children with Down syndrome are doomed. Relations with the school did not work out, so Leysan was with her mother all the time. Then she started crocheting and drawing. From the age of seven, the girl watched dances on the Internet and tried to repeat. Later, she began to perform on stage, participated in competitions, festivals.

Leysan Zaripova - a girl with Down syndrome teaches others to dance and prepares for table tennis competitions (photo Instagram)

Leysan's passion for dancing grew into favorite hobby. Now a girl with Down syndrome has two groups of wards in Kazan. She chose hard way- teaches zumba classes for special children, this is the first group. And the second is the parents of these children and other adults, Leysan helps them achieve the figure of their dreams, since she herself once got rid of extra pounds with the help of training.

Leysan Zaripova - a girl with Down syndrome teaches others to dance and prepares for table tennis competitions (photo Instagram)

Amazing girl leads very active image life. Her day is scheduled by the hour. At the same time, she manages to make unusual entries in her notebook-diary. Laysan refutes existing myths about Down syndrome, which I personally encountered. Thus, she wants to make this world kinder.

Leysan Zaripova - a girl with Down syndrome teaches others to dance and prepares for table tennis competitions (photo Instagram)

The mother of a boy with Down Syndrome says that in the eyes of people, children with disabilities have limitations. Instead, she sees potential.

When Kenya Flowers learned 13 years ago that her son Devin had Down syndrome, she said doctors discussed alternatives with her.

"My only alternative," Kenya said, "is him - my son."

As it turned out, thirteen-year-old eighth-grader Devin became the inspiration for a new studio for families with children with and without disabilities, where they could dance to the music of life's ups and downs.

“Yes, he has Down syndrome, but the syndrome does not have it,” his mother says, “you can achieve anything you want if you take it seriously. Everything is possible!"

Studio Special Techniques (Special technique) held a grand opening ceremony on January 21, moments before which Davin showed several dance moves and then kissed my mother on the cheek.

“He is just a ray of happiness,” shares Kenya, “when you are in the company of Devin, you are guaranteed a smile. Dot!"

The studio accepts students of all ages: from children of three years to older dancers, and dance styles vary from hip-hop to ballroom dancing.

When a few months ago Kenya considered opening dance studio, she admits, she needed a push from the outside.

She was asked what her studio's goal is. To which Kenya Flowers replied: “Become an outlet for everyone. I plan to change your ideas about dancing."

Kenya says everyone - no matter the circumstances - can dance. Snapping your fingers, clapping your hands, or tapping your foot, she says, is a form of dancing.

“You don’t need much to dance, what you already have is enough.”

The studio offers classes for children in wheelchairs. Also launched affiliate program"Me and my friend" for siblings or disabled people and those who look after them.

Becky Popolin brought her twenty-year-old daughter Haley, who suffers from apraxia, a communication disorder, to Grand opening. She really wanted her daughter to expand her physical activity. Now Hailey goes to classes on ballroom dancing and loves to interact with other guys.

Movement and dancing cheer up and bring back the taste for life.

Rick McCrabb

Translation, original:

Singing and music are the most enjoyable ways for children to learn. I believe that they are very important for developing and consolidating numeracy and writing skills, as they combine both pleasure and learning at the same time. This method of teaching is useful for all children, regardless of their abilities. Based on my experience in school and as a mother of a child with Down Syndrome, I can say that this method is one of the most important tools in teaching children with special needs.

Music and singing develop the ability to distinguish sounds by ear, which is necessary for all children and is especially important for children with Down syndrome. Singing and music develop children's imagination and the ability to express thoughts with words, music, dances and gestures.

Take, for example, singing. There are several types of singing that develop children's learning abilities. The main means of language acquisition and development speech activity is a repeat. IN Victorian era the method of mechanical memorization (without understanding the essence of the issue) was considered the most effective. Singing, on the other hand, motivates children to repeat words and phrases in a much more enjoyable way. Indeed, singing can be, to a certain extent, entertainment. Children do not realize that through repetition they memorize words as they say them over and over again.

Repetition is also important for learning songs by heart, which children who have not yet mastered reading skills should do. This is why most nursery rhymes and songs are made up of simple, often repeated, monosyllabic words. Since children who are more difficult to teach master reading skills over a longer period than ordinary children, memorizing songs by heart as a means of developing speech activity in them takes on a more serious character.

For children with learning difficulties, such as children with Down syndrome, singing is the most essential way of learning, since memorizing verses from songs makes the task of forming phrases and sentences much easier.
Songs provide learning with good language models that are easy to reproduce because the flow of speech is often accompanied by music. Singing also has the added benefit of requiring clearer articulation on the part of both the teacher and the student.

Songs have rhymes, and the ability to feel the rhyme is an important skill for children with speech problems.

Singing develops reading skills. It helps to understand the rhythmic structure of the language, because children have to sing every syllable. When singing, children unconsciously rhyme certain syllables. They can determine which syllables rhyme, and they can also rhyme entire words or pick up words that rhyme with a particular sound or letter.

There are other examples of how singing contributes to the development of speech skills, for example, replenishing a child's vocabulary, getting to know new concepts. This can happen at home, individually or in small groups or in class at school.

Songs, accompanied by gestures, movements, contribute not only to strong memorization, but also to the development of coordination of movements. The latter can be carried out either by “adjusting” the rhythm of movements to the rhythm of the music (clapping to the beat of the music), or with the help of fingers: one finger is bent for each line of the counting song. It can be expressed with fingers and hands: the movement of fingers or hands can mean certain words or general mood songs.

Singing can be an enjoyable way for children to develop memory. There are many different types of songs: counting songs, songs accompanied by movements, lullabies, fairy tale songs. I am sure that many of us can remember the songs from beginning to end, but not everyone can tell the stories they read verbatim.

Songs develop in children the ability to consistently present facts, events, and phenomena.

Songs that stimulate creative thinking, are very useful for the development of speech activity, as children can compose their own poems to a previously heard melody. Songs that stimulate figurative thinking, fairy tale songs give freedom for self-expression in movements, dances, gestures. Take, for example, the situation “dad takes us to the zoo”. At the zoo, children can imitate different animals.

When we sing songs, we use our breath. When we sing, we teach children to take their breath, to use it sparingly so that there is enough for the whole phrase. Proper breathing develops the lungs, which contributes to better blood circulation in the body. This, in turn, gives a healing effect.

Singing in groups develops the ability to work in a team, especially when children share their ideas with each other. This not only creates a basis for future work in the team, but also makes them listen to each other, learn from each other and respect the opinions of others.
Ability to learn from each other simplest form involves question-and-answer situations, which is a skill that children with learning difficulties need help in acquiring. They can interrupt each other, inattentively listen to what the other is saying. Songs like “Boyars, and we came to you”, where one person or group asks questions to another or another group, are the most suitable for developing such a skill.

Turning to music in general, I want to note that I am completely sure that music penetrates where nothing else can penetrate. Proof of this is the fact that music almost always causes a response in the listener, for example, tapping the foot to the beat, humming an attached motive, feeling joy or sadness.

That's why music therapy May be effective way helping children with severe behavioral disorders or children with multiple problems.

Another reason, I think, is that we all have a sense of rhythm. But our reaction to the same music or song can be different (for example, some people have a better sense of rhythm than others). This is due to the difference in culture, life experience, emotional state.

Just like singing, music involves listening and responding to what you hear, teamwork, and self-expression. The ability to reproduce music is not necessarily based on learning. Many children with Down syndrome "cooperate" in musical groups just like normal kids. It is enriching for any of us to participate in even the simplest musical performance, but this is especially important for those who have a hard time learning, who have so few opportunities to “shine” in front of others.

By analyzing children's reactions to the same music, the group leader, parents or teachers can identify children who have learning difficulties, who do not understand what is happening due to a lack of understanding of the language, or who lack movement and therefore do not can sing or clap to the beat.

For example, a slow learning child may not remember what to do, a child with dyspraxia may have difficulty with coordination (cannot put his hands on his head, shoulders, knees, legs), a dyslexic may perceive everything in the wrong order. These children need extra help to help them reach their full potential.

Parents and group leaders may feel anxious about children with hearing problems that have somehow not been identified. It turns out that some children do not respond adequately or do not respond at all for emotional reasons. All these children need help, and music can very often be part of that help.

Music is not just for the talented. Our whole life is permeated with music: we sing, hum, whistle and clap. Singing and music are an integral part of everyone's learning process and are especially important when teaching children with Down syndrome. So, bring out the musician in all our children and help them learn easily and effectively.

Here are some practical examples:

1. Lullabies.
2. Counting songs.
3. Songs for the development of memory.
4. Songs with a sequence of events.
5. Songs for the development of imaginative thinking.
6. Songs and dances.
7. Songs accompanied by movements.
8. Songs-skits.
9. Songs in a foreign language.
10. Songs using different dialects.
11. Rhythmic songs.
12. Songs-tales.
13. Songs about the seasons.
14. funny songs or ditties.
15. Use of musical and rhythmic elements in the story.
16. Emotionally colored songs.

Consult with your teacher about the selection of suitable music for classes with your child.

J. Barker Down Syndrome News & Update, Vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 133-135. © Copyright 1998 The Down Syndrome Educational Trust

Translation from English by K.Ya. Kravchenko

In order for a child with Down syndrome to study successfully, you need to understand two things - society needs him just like any other person, so he needs to be taught everything he can ordinary child. Secondly, these children not only can, but also love to learn, the maximum result can be obtained only with maximum attention. If the result is insufficient, then not enough effort has been applied. Teaching children with Down syndrome is not an easy, but very rewarding task, the achievements of this child bring a lot of joy to both him and his parents. Society should contribute to the formation of personality despite the peculiarities of development, both intellectual and physical.

Peculiarities

Before learning, it is necessary to determine what the child can do. As a rule, skills and development are evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. How the child communicates and how developed his social skills (mutual understanding, mutual assistance, behavior in a team).
2. How he serves himself - eats, dresses and undresses, washes.
3. Gross motor development - how a child walks, runs, crawls, jumps, bends over, rolls over from his back to his stomach.
4. Development fine motor skills- is the ability to control small objects, transfer them from hand to hand, perform tasks that require coordination of vision and hand movements. Fine motor skills include, for example, grasping an object with a large and index fingers"tweezer grip", as well as drawing, buttoning.
5. Speech development - not only vocabulary is taken into account, but also the ability to express one's thoughts, clarity of pronunciation, fluency of conversation, emotional intonations.
6. Language comprehension - attentiveness to what was said, the ability to follow instructions, the speed of reaction to a request, the reaction to loud, quiet, simple and complex phrases both in terms of the number of words and the complexity of the sentence structure (for example, understanding complex and simple sentence, the use of synonyms, antonyms, expressions in figuratively). Understanding the emotionality of the appeal - jokes, strict conversation.

Children with the syndrome are quite ordinary, but, of course, there are features that make it more difficult for them to master educational material:

• Down syndrome leads to the fact that fine and large motor skills can be difficult, these physical data must be developed through exercises;
• since the main part of the information is perceived through hearing and vision, problems with these sense organs that are observed in children are also a factor that slows down learning, in case of problems, appropriate treatment should be carried out and during the treatment procedures these features should be taken into account in the curriculum;
• speech may be supplied with insufficient vocabulary, pronunciation is not clear enough, there may be problems with the logical expression of one's thoughts, but this is solved simply by intensifying learning, in which the speech areas of the brain develop faster, this problem requires close attention, but it has a psychological orientation, and not a physiological one (speech muscles are strengthened in the process of work);
• the child often needs to be repeated several times, and in short sentences, since the auditory memory of the short-term type is poorly developed, mental retardation is possible, which, however, makes up for with the help of purposeful work;
• despite the fact that children are diligent, it is difficult for them to concentrate on one thing for a long time;
• new skills and concepts need to be repeated many times, especially if they are not interesting, so it is advisable to do the training in a playful, but clear form, so that for gameplay the essence of the concept to be learned was not lost; or simply to interest the child, because training can be carried out in a dull, or it can be in an interesting form, as with ordinary children, the result depends very much on the creativity and efforts of the teacher, there is no need to manipulate mental retardation, you need to work creatively with the child;
• need to work on figurative and logical thinking, since generalizations, substantiation of statements, the ability to find evidence for a particular fact in children are usually difficult;
• pay attention to such seemingly details as the arrangement of objects or actions in a certain sequence, according to rules or patterns;
• despite the fact that children are well versed in visual aids, non-verbal tasks (which must be shown without verbal accompaniment) associated with counting, classifying things, are quite difficult to early age for all children, but especially for children with Down syndrome;
• due to the great efforts that children have to make even for seemingly simple tasks, they quickly get tired, their attention is scattered.

fine motor skills

With the help of fine motor skills, a child can fasten buttons, draw, do actions that help to serve themselves in everyday life. Therefore, it is very important to develop it.

Children with Down syndrome often have reduced muscle tone, so hand movements are compensated by movement of the shoulder and forearm, the muscles and in which are stronger. But the wrist gradually becomes stronger, the child learns to use the palm. Fingers are gradually developed, they can be trained using the technique - the brush is placed on the table, the edge of the palm down. The work is done with the thumb, index and middle fingers. Strengthening the wrist is carried out with the help of circular movements and movements up and down and to the sides.

You need to learn how to grip with the palm of your hand, with a pinch, at the same time with your thumb and forefinger (tweezers), and also do similar exercises, for example, touching the thumb of the same hand alternately with your fingers. Possible problems - palm grip may be obtained without participation thumb, the grip may be of insufficient strength, the pincer grip may be carried out with the thumb and middle, and not with the index fingers. In these cases, it is necessary to carry out a correction, trying to interest the child in the learning process as follows:

• play finger games;
• sculpt from plasticine, clay, flour, plastic;
• draw with a pencil, paints, chalk, you can make pictures by drawing a finger on the sand or dipping it into the paint, it is important to change the ways of drawing, since each of them develops the brush better in a certain way;
• in between classes, you can do a finger massage, which will increase the mobility of the hands, improve blood circulation, and maintain muscle tone.

If fine motor skills of the hands are developed, the child will be able to develop better, mental retardation will gradually disappear.

Games and activities

Features of Down syndrome physical development should be taken into account in learning and games. The following games and activities will help improve fine motor skills:

1. The patty game is for the little ones. When playing with a child, mom (or dad) communicates with the child, which helps not only physical, but also early psychological development.
2. Tearing newspapers and harder paper, cardboard, when the hands get stronger. This exercise can be given from half a year, but you need to make sure that the baby does not eat paper. You also need to teach the child to distinguish which objects can be torn and which cannot. For example, books cannot be torn, they must be leafed through.
3. paging book pages. This exercise is best mastered from one year. It is desirable that there are large colorful pictures. You can start teaching the child - in addition to pictures, you can give publications with capital letters, later - encyclopedias in which pictures illustrate educational information, using visual perception not only beautiful but also useful information mental retardation is eliminated. Flipping through the pages, the child learns to capture small and thin objects.
4. The use of beads, buttons in training - sorting by color, size, stringing on a thread, at an older age, more complex creativity is possible, for example, needlework in the form of making jewelry, beadwork.
5. cubes, geometric figures, towers of rings, figurines that can be nested in each other.
6. Transferring cereals from container to container, sorting two or three types of cereals that need to be pre-mixed. No need to overdo it with the amount of cereal, the lesson should not be tedious.
7. You can draw on the sand, poured on a tray. Simple figures can be complicated to complex drawings. In addition, you can make pictures in relief, use multi-colored sand. Various shapes can be made from wet sand and drawings can be applied to them with a finger or a stick.
8. For the development of fine motor skills, you can screw the lids on jars, bottles. Girls can play in the kitchen, where real or toy products will be stored in jars. With boys (and girls too) you can play with a designer with large parts, where you need to tighten the screws and nuts.
9. It is important to teach the child to fasten and unbutton clothes and shoes. He must independently cope with the zipper, buttons, lacing. You also need to dress and undress toy dolls, it is advisable to have one doll with several sets of clothes that can be cut, sewn and decorated with the help of a child.
10. Modeling with the help of static efforts develops the muscles of the fingers well. And it is not necessary to sculpt figures from plasticine, you can stick dumplings, and the baby will help, to the best of his ability, kneading the dough, and then rolling it out, even making the dumplings themselves. Such an activity is liked not only by girls, but also by boys, because the result is edible and efforts are replenished not only with praise, but also with a completely material meal.
11. Drawing can take place in different planes - on a flat table, an inclined easel or a vertical wall. You can give the child a brush and paint the fence, or make another useful work, whose volumes are significant. After all, if the result should be serious, then the work will continue longer, and in the case of Down syndrome, the amount of effort applied is directly proportional to the progress of the physical and psychological development. Long work will also contribute to the possibility of easy communication with the baby, and useful work will develop responsibility. There is no need to be afraid to give the child an adult job - the main thing is that the lesson is safe and takes place under the supervision of adults.
12. Mosaics and puzzles are important in development, but it is important that they are so accessible that a child can put them together without the help of an adult. After all, the presence of complex drawings can lead to the fact that the child will indifferently watch how mom or dad folds the drawing, parents can just get tired of messing around with monotonous and useless work for half a day. If the lesson is difficult, it can be stretched for several days, as a result, a beautifully folded puzzle picture can be put in a frame and the child will be able to look at the result of his efforts.
13. Cut out shapes with scissors, snowflakes, from which you can make applications. You can also cut out patterns from which you can sew clothes for dolls or even for the child himself.

Techniques

Down Syndrome Among different methods upbringing and education, we can distinguish the following:

1. Maria Montessori's method of learning through games. According to this technique, the child should be given the freedom to choose between different types activities, and each of these types should have an equal value for learning. main idea- creating an environment in which the child independently wants to do what adults require of him. The duration of the lesson, the educational material is adjusted based on the wishes of the baby. Collective games should prepare the child for independence, that is, they should have a practical orientation. Mental retardation cannot be the cause of isolation, but is a reason for persistent learning, which comes through understanding the characteristics of the child.
2. Glenn Doman method. The characteristic of the method is that classes should take place as early as possible, that is, from the moment of birth. Active learning mathematics, language and reading - from one year, when the child is psychologically ready for classes for more than high level difficulties.
3. Cecile Lupan method. The main idea is to interest the child, classes should bring joy. It is necessary to help the child to master new activities that he himself seeks to learn. Maintain curiosity with a new interesting information. The child himself must learn to expand the horizons of his activities, this will help to nullify mental retardation.
4. The Nikitins' technique is freedom of creativity, light clothing, comfortable atmosphere in the study room or in the apartment. Improved health should lead to better learning outcomes, therefore, sports training, hardening of the body is needed. Toys should have an educational background - for example, the image of cubes and numbers should be even if the child has not yet begun to study them. Parents should take part in games, be friends and support outside the educational process.
5. Zaitsev's technique - the use of materials made by the author of the technique - cubes, tables, musical records, under which you can sing along with words from the table. The basis of the methodology and its most popular part is teaching early reading, training should affect the further literacy of writing. With the help of intellectual activities and teaching reading skills, mental retardation is eliminated.

The methods of teaching children with Down syndrome and the rehabilitation of children with disabilities are similar to each other - these are special exercises, communication with animals, which can be combined with the skills of caring for them. These methods are unconventional, but quite effective because they the main task- to make imperceptible significant efforts of the child aimed at his development, through interest. This is hippotherapy - riding, communicating and caring for horses; canistherapy - living in a house with a child of a well-mannered, friendly and playful dog; dolphin therapy - swimming with dolphins. Important group activities so that stronger children psychologically pull behind them those who are backward in learning.