The book describes the methodology of working with preschool children on the organization of project activities. This form of interaction between a child and an adult allows you to develop cognitive abilities, the personality of a preschooler, as well as relationships with peers.
The book is intended primarily for teachers of preschool institutions, but will undoubtedly be useful to students, teachers of psychological and pedagogical specialties, as well as to all those who are interested in the possibilities of enhancing the development of children.
Nikolai Evgenievich Veraksa, Alexander Nikolaevich Veraksa - Project activities of preschoolers. Handbook for teachers of preschool institutions 1
Nikolai Evgenievich Veraksa, Alexander Nikolaevich Veraksa
Project activity of preschoolers. Handbook for teachers of preschool institutions
Library "Programs of education and training in kindergarten" under the general editorship of M. A. Vasilyeva, V. V. Gerbova, T. S. Komarova
Veraksa Nikolai Evgenievich- Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Head of the Department of Social Psychology of Development of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Head of the Laboratory of Pedagogy and Psychology of Abilities of the Institute for the Development of Preschool Education of the Russian Academy of Education, Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Modern Preschool Education. Theory and Practice".
Personal website address - www.veraksaru
Veraksa Alexander Nikolaevich- PhD student, Faculty of Psychology, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, lecturer at the Faculty of Social Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Master in Psychological Counseling (University of Manchester, UK).Foreword
The book offered to the reader is devoted to the issues of supporting children's cognitive initiative in the conditions of preschool educational institutions and families. This topic is very relevant for a number of reasons. Firstly, a person should get a positive social experience of implementing his own ideas as early as possible. The uniqueness of a person is manifested not in her appearance, but in what a person contributes to his social environment. If what seems to him the most significant is also of interest to other people, he finds himself in a situation of social acceptance, which stimulates his personal growth and self-realization. Secondly, the ever-increasing dynamism of economic and social relations requires the search for new, non-standard actions in a variety of circumstances. Non-standard actions are based on the originality of thinking. Thirdly, the idea of harmonious diversity as a promising form of social development also implies the ability to take productive initiative.
Such a skill must be nurtured from childhood. However, there are certain difficulties on the way of its formation. One of them is related to the fact that society is a strict normative system in which a person must act according to certain rules, that is, in a standard way. The initiative always involves going beyond the limits defined by tradition. At the same time, this action must be culturally adequate, that is, it must fit into the existing system of norms and rules. A child who shows initiative must orient himself in the reality around him, understood as a certain culture that has its own history. General abilities are called upon to provide such an orientation. We understand abilities in the context of the cultural-historical theory of L. S. Vygotsky and the theory of activity. Abilities act as a psychological tool that allows the child to move in the space of culture. At the same time, we emphasize once again that the cognitive initiative is a way beyond the limits of culture. But how, in a culturally appropriate way, can a transcendence of culture be presented? The project activity will help to solve this problem. It is this that allows not only to support the children's initiative, but also to formalize it in the form of a culturally significant product, that is, in the form of a certain cultural model (or norm).
Such an interpretation of the children's initiative and its implementation in project activities is based on a study conducted under our supervision (since 2000). It was carried out in pre-school educational institutions in Novouralsk and on the basis of the Little Genius resource center in Moscow. The results of the work showed that preschoolers can successfully carry out project activities. At the same time, there are distinct positive changes in the cognitive development of children, there is a personal growth of preschoolers, which is expressed in the desire to perform original creative work. The interpersonal relations of preschoolers change significantly, children acquire the experience of productive interaction, the ability to hear others and express their attitude to various aspects of reality. There are changes in the relationship between children and parents. Children become interesting for parents as partners in joint activities.
Children's cognitive initiative
One of the effective methods of working with children of senior preschool age is the method of project activity, which is based on understanding the role of the child's personality in the system of preschool education. Usually, a person is understood as a person with individual characteristics inherent in him (often of a psychophysiological plan, for example, aggressiveness, mobility, etc.). However, the concept of personality is associated not so much with psychophysiological qualities, but with how a person manifests himself among other people. Consequently, personality is a socio-psychological category, it is a social assessment of a person as a member of society. However, a person does not always manifest himself as a person. In some cases, he acts in accordance with accepted norms and traditions. For example, when one person listens to another, he is adhering to a social norm. It is clear that if a person does not follow social norms, then those around him direct all their efforts to subordinate his actions to generally accepted rules. For example, if a child eats carelessly or fastens buttons incorrectly, then adults try to make sure that the baby learns the appropriate rules. But when a preschooler learns to eat soup with a spoon, it can hardly be considered a unique personality.
Personality is a special social characteristic of a person, which has two features. The first is related to the fact that a person does something that distinguishes him from other people. The second feature is that this difference turns out to be important and useful for other people.
The main feature of this or that achievement lies in its novelty and connection with the sphere of need. Let's take an example. The well-known domestic inventor A. S. Popov created a device that was called "radio". This device made it possible to transmit information wirelessly over long distances. Such an invention proved to be extremely useful for a large number of people. In exactly the same way, V. Van Gogh, who painted the picture "The Lilac Bush", created such a work that continues to delight and thus satisfy the aesthetic needs of the visitors of the Hermitage. Undoubtedly, both A. S. Popov and V. Van Gogh are unique personalities extremely significant for society.
Important characteristics of a person are the thinking and imagination of a person, which allow, in a figurative way, to first present the idea of a work, consider its various options and find the best one, and then bring it to life. In fact, when creating a work, an inventor, an artist, a teacher embody their idea of an ideal, which at the same time becomes an ideal for the people around them. Thus, personality always involves the creation of something new, the acceptance of this new by others.
What contributes to the personal development of a person?
One of the main conditions is to support the activity of the individual. Such support is impossible without a positive social assessment of activities aimed at creating something new. As a rule, the new is the result of solving some problem in which the creative person is interested. Therefore, we can say that it is creative activity that is the main feature of personality. An equally important condition contributing to personal development is an adequate social presentation of the results of human activity.
Wed, 10/25/2017 - 13:30 | administrator
MUNICIPAL PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL BUDGET INSTITUTION
"KINDERGARTEN №7" OF THE CITY DISTRICT OF ROSHAL, MOSCOW REGION
All-Russian competition "Pedagogical search"
Additional educational program in the areas of extracurricular activities.
"Project activity" (N.E. Veraksa, A.N. Veraksa)
Rogachenko O.V.
teacher of the highest qualification category
Today, the state has set a task to prepare a completely new generation: active, inquisitive. And preschool institutions, as the first step in education, already imagine what a kindergarten graduate should be like, what qualities he should possess. It is the project activity that will help to connect the process of education and upbringing with real events in the life of the child, as well as to interest him, to carry him into this activity. It allows you to unite teachers, children, parents, teach you how to work in a team, cooperate, plan your work. Each child will be able to prove himself, feel needed, which means that self-confidence will appear.
In order for a kindergarten to become successful, in addition to other components necessary for effective pedagogical work, it must also use modern methods and new integration technologies.
Today, the project method is very common in schools, but in preschool education this method is becoming not only popular, but also “fashionable”. The project method is relevant and very effective. It gives the child the opportunity to experiment, to systematize the acquired knowledge. Develop creative abilities and communication skills, which allows him to successfully adapt to the changed situation - schooling.
Undoubtedly, the proposed technology "Project activity" is not universal. A preschool educational institution cannot be monotechnological at all. But all the diverse technologies should form the child's main need - self-development as a natural state.
It was revealed that the concept of "project" is a method of pedagogically organized development of the environment by a child in the process of phased and pre-planned practical activities to achieve the intended goals.
A project is also understood as an independent and collective creative completed work that has a socially significant result. The project is based on a problem, to solve it, a research search is needed in various directions, the results of which are generalized and combined into a single whole.
The technology is based on the idea of focusing the cognitive activity of preschoolers on the result that is achieved in the process of joint work of the teacher and children on a specific practical problem (topic).
The technology is aimed at transforming pedagogical activity, bringing educational practice in line with social needs, at solving specific social problems, and independent activity of children.
The relevance of the technology lies in the fact that it helps the child to get an early social positive experience in the implementation of their own ideas. If what is most significant for the child is also of interest to other people, he finds himself in a situation of social acceptance, which stimulates his personal growth and self-realization. The ever-increasing dynamism within social relationships requires the search for new, non-standard actions in a variety of circumstances. Non-standard actions are based on the originality of thinking. It is the project activity that allows not only to support the children's initiative, but also to formalize it in the form of a culturally significant product.
The purpose of the technology: the development of a free creative personality of the child, which is determined by the tasks of development and the tasks of the research activities of children.
Technology objectives:
the formation of various knowledge about the world around us, the stimulation of communicative, cognitive, game activity of children in various types of activities;
development of initiative, curiosity, arbitrariness, ability to creative self-expression.
Technology principles:
project activity begins when direct action is impossible;
project activity, in contrast to productive activity, involves the movement of the child in the space of the possible;
project activity is based on the subjectivity of the child, that is, on the expression of his initiative, the manifestation of independent activity;
project activity involves not just the implementation of the child's idea, but also the implementation of its meanings;
project activities are targeted.
Age: senior preschool age (5 - 7 years)
Implementation period: 2016 - 2018
Technology stages:
- imitative-performing
- developing
- creative
Expected results:
as a result of the development of design technology, the level of professional skills of teachers increases and the creation of conditions for effective educational work in preschool educational institutions;
makes it possible to develop observation and analysis of phenomena, comparison, generalization and the ability to draw conclusions, creative thinking, the logic of knowledge, inquisitiveness of the mind, joint cognitive-search and research activities, communication and reflective skills and much more, which are the components of a successful personality.
Literature:
1. Veraksa N.E., Veraksa A.N., “Project activity of preschoolers”, Moscow, 2014
Full text
The proposed article is devoted to the issues of supporting children's cognitive initiative in the conditions of preschool educational institutions and families. This topic is very relevant for a number of reasons. First, a person needs to get a positive social experience of implementing his own ideas as soon as possible. The uniqueness of a person is manifested not in her appearance, but in what a person contributes to his social environment. If what seems to him the most significant is also of interest to other people, he finds himself in a situation of social acceptance, which stimulates his personal growth and self-realization. To do this, it will be enough to continue to be yourself, meaningfully realizing your attitude to the world. Secondly, the ever-increasing dynamism of people's economic and social relations requires the search for new, non-standard actions in a variety of circumstances. Non-standard actions are based on the originality of thinking. We proceed from the fact that creativity is a quality of the individual and develops if it is of social value, i.e. its manifestations are welcomed by others. Thirdly, the idea of harmonious diversity as a promising form of social development also implies the ability to take productive initiative.
This skill must be taught from childhood. However, there are certain difficulties on the way of its formation. One of them is the formal relationship of the adult to the activities of the child. For example, when a baby is busy with something, an adult, seeing that he is not bothering him, says: “Well, do it, do it, well done.” At the same time, the adult does not bother to analyze the child's activities. It would seem that the opposite picture should be observed when analyzing productive activities, such as design, visual activity, modeling, etc. According to the teacher's instructions, preschoolers perform various tasks and create specific products. These products can be presented to others, but they are not an expression of the child's creative ideas, but are the result of mastering the program content. Such works are characterized not so much by the search for a new solution or the expression of the child's own vision of the surrounding reality, but by the embodiment of the teacher's ideas, that is, they are also products of object relations. Of course, preschoolers can reach a level of development of productive activities that will reflect their vision of reality. However, even in this case, the results of the activities of preschoolers are evaluated conditionally, i.e., as results obtained within the framework of children's activities, and therefore having a limited, conditional value.
Project activity acts exactly as project activity only if direct, natural action is impossible. In other words, if a child wanted to draw something, then he took a pencil, a piece of paper and realized his plan, then this would not be a project activity - all the child's actions were performed within the framework of traditional productive activity. The difference between project activity and productive activity is that the first involves the movement of the child in the space of the possible. The preschooler explores various options for completing the task, chooses the best way according to the criteria defined by him. Choice of possibilities means that the child is not just looking for a way to perform an action, but is exploring several options. This means that, first of all, the preschooler clearly determines what he needs to do. For example, he wants to make a stand for pencils or brushes. In the case of project activities, the implementation of this task is not carried out immediately. First, the preschooler tries to imagine several options for how to do this. Since figurative thinking dominates in preschool age, the presentation of various options for completing the task can be presented in the form of a picture. Having made several images, the child holds in his mind a number of options. If there are several options, it becomes possible to analyze them by comparing them with each other, identifying their advantages and disadvantages. In fact, each such option allows the preschooler to better understand what he is going to do and understand the sequence of actions that is necessary to create a product. Returning to the coaster example, we see that children can use a variety of materials to create it. Therefore, the comparison of drawings can go, in particular, from the standpoint of the possibilities of using materials. In addition, the comparison can go along the line of attracting people to jointly carry out the project. Here it is necessary to take into account the fact that the child’s intention, as a rule, is far ahead of his technical capabilities, therefore it is important to assist the preschooler in the implementation of his plan. In this case, it is difficult to count on the help of other children. For the implementation of project activities, the participation of adults, especially parents, is necessary. It is the joint implementation of the plan that allows children and parents to better understand each other and establish warm relations.
It is important to note that most preschool teachers are very sensitive to children and support them emotionally. However, this emotional support should not result in a willingness to perform a creative action for the child, whether it be the formulation of a creative idea or the promotion of possible ways to solve a problem. The difficulty lies in the fact that the teacher must organize a problem situation for children, but should not offer his own solutions, i.e. should get away from the traditional and habitual action according to a predetermined pattern. Otherwise, the child will be in an object position.
In project activities, subjectivity means the expression of initiative and the manifestation of independent activity, but the subjectivity of a child can manifest itself with varying degrees of severity. So, the child can offer an original idea (that is, not previously expressed in the group), or support and slightly modify the idea of another child. In this case, the task of the educator is to emphasize the originality of his idea. Let's take an example. When discussing gifts for March 8, one boy suggested drawing a postcard for his mother. Another supported his idea, adding that he could also draw a postcard for his sister. From the point of view of an adult, the same idea is voiced: the creation of a postcard. In this case, an adult can say: “Vasya already said about postcards. Try to think of something else." Another way is more productive: you can support the initiative of the second child, emphasizing that no one has yet offered a card for the sister. In this case, the teacher receives several advantages: firstly, it opens up a new space for creative activity (one may wonder how the postcards for mother and sister differ, but you can still remember grandmothers, educators, etc.), and secondly, secondly, it supports the initiative of the child who receives a positive experience of utterance, and next time, most likely, he will also offer some version of the idea. The general recommendation is to support and positively celebrate the very fact of the statement, even if it literally repeats the statement of another child. This is especially important for passive children who do not have a positive social experience of taking the initiative.
So, one of the main features of project activity is that it unfolds in a problematic situation that cannot be solved by direct action. If a child decides to build a garage for a car out of cubes, then it is obvious that he has a problematic situation - the garage must be stable, the car must fit freely inside the garage. However, the solution of such a problem during the game is not a project activity, since the child builds a garage, estimates the dimensions, increases or reduces it. But as such, there is no exploration of the space of possibilities.
The second feature of the project activity is that its participants must be motivated. But mere interest is not enough. It is necessary that both the teacher and the child realize in project activities not only their understanding, but also their meanings. Let's take an example. Preparation for the holiday is a familiar event, the technology of organization and conduct of which is described in detail in many programs. The child may be interested in preparing for the holiday, but project activities will begin only at the moment when the teacher, together with the child, tries to discover the meaning of the holiday. After all, what is a holiday? This is a special day in the life of a person or country, reminiscent of some important event. Therefore, you need to understand what this day or this event means for each child or for the teacher. How do we treat it? Why do we celebrate it? In what ways do we express our attitude to the holiday? And so on. It is obvious that such questions make you think about the meaning that the holiday carries for each participant in the project activity. And once the meaning is defined, you can look for ways to present it.
The third important feature of project activity is its targeted nature. Since in the course of the project activity the child expresses his attitude, he is always looking for the addressee - the person to whom his statement is addressed. That is why the project activity has a pronounced social coloring, and ultimately is one of the few socially significant activities available to a preschooler.
Despite the general features of the structure, three main types of project activities can be distinguished: research, creative and normative - each of which has its own characteristics, structure and characteristic stages of implementation. Let's turn to research projects. Its originality is determined through the goal: research involves getting an answer to the question of why this or that phenomenon exists, and how it is explained from the point of view of modern knowledge. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain all the above characteristics of the project activity:
- a real research problem can never be solved by direct action and involves an analysis of the space of the possible;
- the child must realize and formulate for himself and others the reason why he is included in the study;
- it is necessary to immediately orient the child to determine the audience to which the project will be presented.
As practice shows, research projects are most often individual in nature and contribute to the involvement of the closest environment of the child (parents, friends, brothers and sisters) in the sphere of his interests. Moreover, communication becomes meaningful, and the child opens up in a new way.
Let's take an example. Misha K. had no friends among his peers: he was rarely accepted into the game. When project activities were organized in the group, Misha announced a research project dedicated to the design of a car. As a result, he understood the structure of the main blocks of the car, learned to distinguish between brands and describe their advantages and disadvantages. After the presentation of the project, Misha became a kind of expert on cars and gained unprecedented authority among the boys, which could not but affect the nature of his communication with his peers.
If we describe research project activities through the stages of its implementation, then for the most part they are associated with the design of a research project.
First stage involves the creation of a situation in which the child independently comes to the formulation of a research problem. There are several possible strategies for teacher behavior. The first strategy is that the teacher sets the same problem situation for all children, and as a result, a general research question is formulated. So, the question of where electricity comes from can be discussed by the whole group. The second strategy involves carefully observing children's activities and identifying each child's area of interest, and then creating a special situation in which the child asks a research question. For example, a girl who loves to play with dolls and dress them up can be led to the question of what the dolls looked like before, what they were dressed in, etc. The third strategy involves the involvement of parents who, together with the child, formulate a research problem for the project. Over time, children begin to independently formulate a research problem, based on an attempt to understand the real situations in which they find themselves.
At the second stage the child draws up a project. Parents help the baby, but it should be remembered that the organizer is the child, the parents perform an auxiliary function, following his plan.
The first page is devoted to the formulation of the main issue of the project and, as a rule, is a colorful headline created by joint efforts: parents write, the child helps to decorate the page.
The second page reveals the importance of the question posed, from the point of view of the child, peers, parents and acquaintances. The child must independently conduct a survey and draw illustrations depicting the content of the answers given by peers, parents, acquaintances and himself. In the first projects, it is not necessary to involve the entire circle of people in the survey, but it is important that several different points of view (belonging to the child and two or three others) are presented.
The third page is devoted to various answers to the question posed. Sources can be people, books, TV programs, etc. The child can use clippings, photographs, make drawings on his own. Of course, adults should assist in writing down the answers that the child wants to present.
The fourth page is devoted to choosing the most correct answer, from the point of view of the child. The child must not only choose and fix the answer, but also give his own explanation - why he was chosen.
The fifth page is devoted to expressing the child's own position on this issue. He can express an original opinion or join the already expressed and formalized in the project.
The sixth page is devoted to possible ways of checking the answer proposed by the child, which are shown as a picture. It is important that various strategies for obtaining an answer are formed in the child's mind - turning to an adult (parent, teacher), turning to a peer, a book, watching a program, etc., that is, a new space of possibilities is being formed. At the bottom of the page, the child must draw the method of obtaining information that he used and justify the advantages of the chosen method (the latter is necessarily discussed with the child, but not necessarily displayed in the form of a verbal record - you can use pictorial icons that will help the child restore the meaning of the argument).
The seventh page shows the result of checking the correctness of the answer. It is displayed whether it was possible to check how difficult the selected method turned out to be.
The last page reflects the possibilities of applying the project in practice, which are realized or invented by the child: he can talk about the project in a group, with his friends, organize a game, etc. (possible areas of application depend on the content of the project).
Third stage- protection of the project. The child, together with their parents, must apply for the protection of the project: that is, go to the teacher and sign up for the defense schedule. It is important that parents confirm the possibility of their presence at the defense of the project and help the child prepare a story about the work done. On the day of the defense of the project, the child brings his folder with sheets and hangs them on the stand before the start of his speech. The teacher helps him fix the sheets and arrange them in the correct sequence. Then the child talks about the work done, pointing to the corresponding images, records, etc.
Fourth stage. After protection, work with projects does not end. The teacher organizes an exhibition of projects and comes up with various tasks and intellectual games to consolidate and systematize the knowledge presented in children's projects. At the end of the exhibition, the projects go to the library of the kindergarten group, are sewn into a book and are freely available.
Projects not only enrich preschoolers with knowledge and stimulate their cognitive activity, but also influence the content of role-playing games. So, for example, on the basis of the project "Space - far and near", a game in space was organized. The room was divided into explored space and unknown planets. In the corner there is a science center with maps, models and drawings of the starry world. From the materials at hand, the children made various attributes of the game on their own: fabric capes turned into spacesuits, twisted sheets of paper became telescopes, boxes and jars - equipment for flying to distant galaxies, etc.
Work on research projects is interesting because the range of children's knowledge is extremely wide, and it is constantly increasing, as kids begin to acquire knowledge on their own, attracting all available means.
(Continued in the next issue.)
Terms of use The copyright holder of this article is allowed to use it only for personal non-commercial use for educational purposes. The publisher is not responsible for the content of the article materials.Nikolai Evgenievich Veraksa, Alexander Nikolaevich Veraksa
Project activity of preschoolers. Handbook for teachers of preschool institutions
Library "Programs of education and training in kindergarten" under the general editorship of M. A. Vasilyeva, V. V. Gerbova, T. S. Komarova
Veraksa Nikolai Evgenievich- Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Head of the Department of Social Psychology of Development of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Head of the Laboratory of Pedagogy and Psychology of Abilities of the Institute for the Development of Preschool Education of the Russian Academy of Education, Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Modern Preschool Education. Theory and practice".
Personal website address - www.veraksaru
Veraksa Alexander Nikolaevich- PhD student, Faculty of Psychology, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, lecturer at the Faculty of Social Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Master in Psychological Counseling (University of Manchester, UK).Foreword
The book offered to the reader is devoted to the issues of supporting children's cognitive initiative in the conditions of preschool educational institutions and families. This topic is very relevant for a number of reasons. Firstly, a person should get a positive social experience of implementing his own ideas as early as possible. The uniqueness of a person is manifested not in her appearance, but in what a person contributes to his social environment. If what seems to him the most significant is also of interest to other people, he finds himself in a situation of social acceptance, which stimulates his personal growth and self-realization. Secondly, the ever-increasing dynamism of economic and social relations requires the search for new, non-standard actions in a variety of circumstances. Non-standard actions are based on the originality of thinking. Thirdly, the idea of harmonious diversity as a promising form of social development also implies the ability to take productive initiative.
Such a skill must be nurtured from childhood. However, there are certain difficulties on the way of its formation. One of them is related to the fact that society is a strict normative system in which a person must act according to certain rules, that is, in a standard way. The initiative always involves going beyond the limits defined by tradition. At the same time, this action must be culturally adequate, that is, it must fit into the existing system of norms and rules. A child who shows initiative must orient himself in the reality around him, understood as a certain culture that has its own history. General abilities are called upon to provide such an orientation. We understand abilities in the context of the cultural-historical theory of L. S. Vygotsky and the theory of activity. Abilities act as a psychological tool that allows the child to move in the space of culture. At the same time, we emphasize once again that the cognitive initiative is a way beyond the limits of culture. But how, in a culturally appropriate way, can a transcendence of culture be presented? The project activity will help to solve this problem. It is this that allows not only to support the children's initiative, but also to formalize it in the form of a culturally significant product, that is, in the form of a certain cultural model (or norm).
Such an interpretation of the children's initiative and its implementation in project activities is based on a study conducted under our supervision (since 2000). It was carried out in pre-school educational institutions in Novouralsk and on the basis of the Little Genius resource center in Moscow. The results of the work showed that preschoolers can successfully carry out project activities. At the same time, there are distinct positive changes in the cognitive development of children, there is a personal growth of preschoolers, which is expressed in the desire to perform original creative work. The interpersonal relations of preschoolers change significantly, children acquire the experience of productive interaction, the ability to hear others and express their attitude to various aspects of reality. There are changes in the relationship between children and parents. Children become interesting for parents as partners in joint activities.
Children's cognitive initiative
One of the effective methods of working with children of senior preschool age is the method of project activity, which is based on understanding the role of the child's personality in the system of preschool education. Usually, a person is understood as a person with individual characteristics inherent in him (often of a psychophysiological plan, for example, aggressiveness, mobility, etc.). However, the concept of personality is associated not so much with psychophysiological qualities, but with how a person manifests himself among other people. Consequently, personality is a socio-psychological category, it is a social assessment of a person as a member of society. However, a person does not always manifest himself as a person. In some cases, he acts in accordance with accepted norms and traditions. For example, when one person listens to another, he is adhering to a social norm. It is clear that if a person does not follow social norms, then those around him direct all their efforts to subordinate his actions to generally accepted rules. For example, if a child eats carelessly or fastens buttons incorrectly, then adults try to make sure that the baby learns the appropriate rules. But when a preschooler learns to eat soup with a spoon, it can hardly be considered a unique personality.
Nikolai Evgenievich Veraksa, Alexander Nikolaevich Veraksa
Project activity of preschoolers. Handbook for teachers of preschool institutions
Library "Programs of education and training in kindergarten" under the general editorship of M. A. Vasilyeva, V. V. Gerbova, T. S. Komarova
Veraksa Nikolai Evgenievich- Doctor of Psychology, Professor, Head of the Department of Social Psychology of Development of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Head of the Laboratory of Pedagogy and Psychology of Abilities of the Institute for the Development of Preschool Education of the Russian Academy of Education, Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Modern Preschool Education. Theory and practice".
Personal website address - www.veraksaru
Veraksa Alexander Nikolaevich- PhD student, Faculty of Psychology, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, lecturer at the Faculty of Social Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Master in Psychological Counseling (University of Manchester, UK).Foreword
The book offered to the reader is devoted to the issues of supporting children's cognitive initiative in the conditions of preschool educational institutions and families. This topic is very relevant for a number of reasons. Firstly, a person should get a positive social experience of implementing his own ideas as early as possible. The uniqueness of a person is manifested not in her appearance, but in what a person contributes to his social environment. If what seems to him the most significant is also of interest to other people, he finds himself in a situation of social acceptance, which stimulates his personal growth and self-realization. Secondly, the ever-increasing dynamism of economic and social relations requires the search for new, non-standard actions in a variety of circumstances. Non-standard actions are based on the originality of thinking. Thirdly, the idea of harmonious diversity as a promising form of social development also implies the ability to take productive initiative.
Such a skill must be nurtured from childhood. However, there are certain difficulties on the way of its formation. One of them is related to the fact that society is a strict normative system in which a person must act according to certain rules, that is, in a standard way. The initiative always involves going beyond the limits defined by tradition. At the same time, this action must be culturally adequate, that is, it must fit into the existing system of norms and rules. A child who shows initiative must orient himself in the reality around him, understood as a certain culture that has its own history. General abilities are called upon to provide such an orientation. We understand abilities in the context of the cultural-historical theory of L. S. Vygotsky and the theory of activity. Abilities act as a psychological tool that allows the child to move in the space of culture. At the same time, we emphasize once again that the cognitive initiative is a way beyond the limits of culture. But how, in a culturally appropriate way, can a transcendence of culture be presented? The project activity will help to solve this problem. It is this that allows not only to support the children's initiative, but also to formalize it in the form of a culturally significant product, that is, in the form of a certain cultural model (or norm).
Such an interpretation of the children's initiative and its implementation in project activities is based on a study conducted under our supervision (since 2000). It was carried out in pre-school educational institutions in Novouralsk and on the basis of the Little Genius resource center in Moscow. The results of the work showed that preschoolers can successfully carry out project activities. At the same time, there are distinct positive changes in the cognitive development of children, there is a personal growth of preschoolers, which is expressed in the desire to perform original creative work. The interpersonal relations of preschoolers change significantly, children acquire the experience of productive interaction, the ability to hear others and express their attitude to various aspects of reality. There are changes in the relationship between children and parents. Children become interesting for parents as partners in joint activities.
Children's cognitive initiative
One of the effective methods of working with children of senior preschool age is the method of project activity, which is based on understanding the role of the child's personality in the system of preschool education. Usually, a person is understood as a person with individual characteristics inherent in him (often of a psychophysiological plan, for example, aggressiveness, mobility, etc.). However, the concept of personality is associated not so much with psychophysiological qualities, but with how a person manifests himself among other people. Consequently, personality is a socio-psychological category, it is a social assessment of a person as a member of society. However, a person does not always manifest himself as a person. In some cases, he acts in accordance with accepted norms and traditions. For example, when one person listens to another, he is adhering to a social norm. It is clear that if a person does not follow social norms, then those around him direct all their efforts to subordinate his actions to generally accepted rules. For example, if a child eats carelessly or fastens buttons incorrectly, then adults try to make sure that the baby learns the appropriate rules. But when a preschooler learns to eat soup with a spoon, it can hardly be considered a unique personality.
Personality is a special social characteristic of a person, which has two features. The first is related to the fact that a person does something that distinguishes him from other people. The second feature is that this difference turns out to be important and useful for other people.
The main feature of this or that achievement lies in its novelty and connection with the sphere of need. Let's take an example. The well-known domestic inventor A. S. Popov created a device that was called "radio". This device made it possible to transmit information wirelessly over long distances. Such an invention proved to be extremely useful for a large number of people. In the same way, V. Van Gogh, who painted the painting The Lilac Bush, created such a work that continues to delight and thus satisfy the aesthetic needs of the Hermitage visitors. Undoubtedly, both A. S. Popov and V. Van Gogh are unique personalities extremely significant for society.
Important characteristics of a person are the thinking and imagination of a person, which allow, in a figurative way, to first present the idea of a work, consider its various options and find the best one, and then bring it to life. In fact, when creating a work, an inventor, an artist, a teacher embody their idea of an ideal, which at the same time becomes an ideal for the people around them. Thus, personality always involves the creation of something new, the acceptance of this new by others.
What contributes to the personal development of a person?
One of the main conditions is to support the activity of the individual. Such support is impossible without a positive social assessment of activities aimed at creating something new. As a rule, the new is the result of solving some problem in which the creative person is interested. Therefore, we can say that it is creative activity that is the main feature of personality. An equally important condition contributing to personal development is an adequate social presentation of the results of human activity.
Personal support is largely related to the attitude of society to the presented creation. As soon as a creative product is completed and presented to society, it ceases to be new. This phenomenon can be especially clearly seen in the example of songs that composers compose. Quite often a new song, which at first struck with its novelty, loses popularity and can be completely forgotten. Support for the composer's personality is ensured by the fact that the song continues to be performed, that is, it becomes some traditional content of various social situations. In fact, the song is institutionalized, becomes the norm. For example, the song of Crocodile Gena from the cartoon about Cheburashka is quite often performed at children's birthdays, although it has clearly lost its novelty.
The main task associated with supporting the creative beginning of the individual, which faces preschool education, is to find forms in which such support can be carried out.
The cognitive activity of children is carried out in a specific cultural space, which is a system of norms set by adults. Hence the need to consider the activity of the child in the normative situation.
