Experimental activities in kindergarten: tasks, methods and techniques
Oksana Shelkoplyas
Experimental activities in kindergarten: tasks, methods and techniques
Experimental activities in kindergarten
A preschool child actively strives to learn as much as possible about the world around him. Along with play activity, cognitive activity , during which the ability to form initial forms of generalization and inference is formed. Children become interested when they themselves can discover new properties of objects , their similarities and differences, giving them the opportunity to acquire knowledge on their own.
The Federal State Educational Standard for preschool education sets modern teachers the task of creating conditions for the child’s development that open up opportunities for his positive socialization, his personal development, the development of initiative and creative abilities based on cooperation with adults and peers and age-appropriate activities . We believe that experimental activities , along with play, contribute in the best way to solving this problem , since these two types of children's activities have a significant impact on the full, comprehensive development of the child’s personality. The correct organization of these two truly children's activities is a favorable condition for the development of preschool children.
Experimentation is a method of understanding the patterns and phenomena of the surrounding world and relates to cognitive and speech development. The child’s need to learn every day lies in the new impressions that he can receive, and the process of training and education in kindergarten is precisely aimed at revealing in the child’s personality those qualities that he will need to achieve any goals in the future. Developing an inquisitive mind, introducing people to the properties of objects through direct observation of phenomena and processes, developing the ability to plan and analyze practical work - these are the tasks of the modern education system. A child is capable of independently searching for knowledge if the teacher has prepared the appropriate conditions for this.
The modern education system in kindergarten is moving away from the method of transmitting knowledge to children using the information method (direct transmission from teacher to student)
.
The goal of experimental activities in preschool educational institutions is to form and expand children's ideas about objects of living and inanimate nature through practical independent knowledge.
The teacher works in this direction during educational activities, on walks, thematic leisure activities, and motivates experimentation in independent activities . For experimental research, a subject-spatial environment is organized: a research corner, an experimentation or a mini-laboratory is created. Children's experimentation is in many ways similar to scientific experimentation; children experience positive emotions from the feeling of the importance of the work done, obtaining visible results, and new information.
Objectives of experimental activities in preschool educational institutions
Educational objectives
Formation of an idea about objects: their properties and qualities.
Forming the ability to determine relationships between objects and phenomena.
Formation of the ability to draw conclusions and discoveries.
Developmental tasks
Development of thinking abilities: comparison, comparison, systematization, generalization, analysis.
Development of fine motor skills and coordination of movements.
Development of visual, auditory, sensory perception.
Development of attention and memory.
Development of speech abilities.
Educational tasks
Creating positive motivation for independent experimentation .
Creating a friendly atmosphere in the group during research.
Developing the ability to work in a team and a sense of mutual assistance.
Cultivating perseverance and accuracy.
Methods and techniques of experimental activities in preschool educational institutions
Among the techniques and methods for organizing experimental activities, we will highlight those that are relevant for use in a preschool educational institution:
• Problem-search method . The teacher creates a problem situation in which children have to identify issues that need to be solved, put forward hypotheses on how to solve the problem, conduct experimental activities and draw conclusions . The problem-search method is the leading one for the modern education system, in which, through a lively discussion with the teacher, children become motivated to actively experiment and strive to get results.
• Observations of the object. organized indoors or on the territory of the kindergarten develops the visual and auditory abilities of children. Explorations carried out during walks immerse children in the natural world with all its diversity of sights, colors, sounds and smells. Observation is one of the active practices of experimental research activities among preschoolers .
• Experiences and experiments . Along with play, experimentation is considered a leading activity . By performing elementary experiments on objects (dropping them on the floor, trying to break them, extracting a sound, etc.), kids acquire information about their properties. Preschoolers are happy to participate in experiments on familiar substances, deepening their knowledge: they conduct experiments with water in liquid and solid states , with sand, stones, clay, plants. You need to start conducting experiments with children of the younger group, encouraging the desire for independent experimentation . This method of research activities develops observation, activity, independence in children, contributes to the formation of a friendly atmosphere and team cohesion .
In experimental activities, the development of children's mental and practical abilities is carried out. If during the research process the task was to obtain new information by improving practical skills, then the experimental activity in this case is cognitive in nature. experimentation skills and training to work with various tools is carried out within the framework of research experimental activities .
Types of Experimentation
• Experimental games . Since the leading activity of preschool children is play, the first experiments and experiments are carried out in line with the play orientation. During the lesson there is a fairy-tale character who gives the children tasks or asks for help in a problem situation. It is possible to create a game situation where children will act in imaginary conditions (the kingdom of snow and ice, visiting the Fairy of the Air, etc.)
.
• Simulation. knowledge about the properties of objects through studying or building models of real-life objects (volcano, iceberg, aurora)
.
of modeling in experimental activities (for example, they model a vortex using the power of pieces of paper and creating an air flow; it is important for the teacher to take into account the age characteristics of children; the model must be understandable and accessible.
• Experiments. Conducting experiments allows in a visual form explain physical phenomena in classes on the surrounding world. It is necessary to provide instructions on working in a mini-laboratory or experimenting in the workplace , discuss safety rules together with the students. Independent experimentation is more vividly imprinted in the child’s memory. Preschoolers conduct experiments with water, air, various types soil, magnets. Complex types of experiments in kindergarten are usually aimed at expanding ideas about the properties of soil, water, air. Complex experience allows you to deepen knowledge about water (the ability to dissolve)
and obtain information about other substances
(butter, flour, salt)
Methods for recording the results of children's experimentation : Recording the results of practical research or observation is a mandatory stage of experimental activity . Children need to be taught to fixate gradually, since this type of work is considered difficult for preschoolers. And this stage is necessary so that the results of the experimentation are imprinted in the pupils’ memory (visual, sensory, auditory, motor, olfactory)
.
1. Graphic. The simplest way to record results visually using ready-made forms: cards, pictures, graphic diagrams, photographs, three-dimensional images, audio recordings. This method can be used in experimenting with children 3–4 years old , asking them to choose from several ready-made forms the one that represents the results of practical work in the current lesson. With pupils of the middle group, simple graphic diagrams or mnemonic cards are used.
2. Mental. To record the results of experimental activities, children's speech skills are used: the child talks about the results of practical research. The mental method is used in working with children of the middle group: students develop the ability to independently pronounce the results of the experiment , compare them with the results of similar experiments conducted earlier. During mental fixation, older preschoolers improve their ability to generalize and systematize knowledge about objects.
3. Practical. It consists of recording the results of experimentation on paper - by sketching or writing. When working with preschoolers, schematic sketching and sketching with conventional symbols are more often used. For this purpose, children keep observation diaries, experiment logs, and fill out experiment . writes down a story about the results of practical research in kindergarten from the words of the children, for example, to secure a report on the work done in the group journal, on a stand in the knowledge corner.
Preschool children have a strong desire for observations, direct contact with the objects being studied, and conducting experiments . They are especially attracted to classes in mini-laboratories, where they can use special tools and unusual materials for research.
It is important for the teacher to organize a lesson on experimental activities so that in the first place the pupils have the desire to acquire new information. It often happens that the practical side evokes such vivid positive emotions in children that they lose the joy of discovery itself, which is what every experience and experiment . Therefore, it is recommended to devote the beginning of classes to activating attention and strengthening motivation to solve any problem situation and search for an answer to the question posed. For these purposes, visual material is used (posters, cards and postcards, book illustrations, encyclopedias, outdoor and didactic games, themed gymnastics and exercises are arranged, discussions are held in which children are given the opportunity to give examples from personal experience, and fairy-tale characters are invited to participate.
An important role for successful work within the framework of the assigned tasks is the correct organization of the developing subject-spatial environment. From clause 3. 3. 1. of the Educational Standard it follows that the developing subject-spatial environment ensures the maximum realization of the Educational potential of the space of the Organization, group, and territory. The developing subject-spatial environment must be content-rich, transformable, multifunctional, variable, accessible and safe (clause 3. 3. 4. Federal State Educational Standard)
.
The subject-spatial environment for experimental activities should be focused on the zone of “proximal development”
child, contain objects and materials that children can work with an adult, as well as independently.
In order to develop children’s cognitive activity and maintain interest in experimental activities , it is recommended to allocate experimentation zones in each group - mini-laboratories .
Experimentation in preschool institutions can take different forms. The older a child gets, the greater the variety of forms he can master. Mastery of each form of experimentation is subject to the law of transition of quantitative changes into qualitative ones. Having emerged at a certain age, each successive form develops, becomes more complex and improves.
The original form from which all others developed is the manipulation of objects (L. S. Vygotsky)
.
This form occurs at an early age, most often at about 3-3.5 months, when it is the only form of experimentation . The child spins objects, puts them in his mouth, and throws them. Items (for him)
they appear, then disappear, then break with a ringing sound.
Adults laugh, say something, or scold. experiment is underway : both natural and social.
The information received is entered and stored in memory for life. The child accurately remembers that any object released from his hands falls to the floor and does not fly to the ceiling, that some things break, others don’t, that ropes can be twisted out of grandmother, but mother is not to be trifled with. Over the next two to three years, the manipulation of objects and people becomes more complex, but in principle remains manipulation. This period could be called “What is it?”
.
Every child is ready to inspect the contents of his mother’s bag and all furniture drawers every day, he tries to break every toy and any object that falls into his hands, he sniffs it, licks it, feels it, i.e., performs the so-called inspection actions that are well known to every adult. This is a very important stage in personality development, since at this time information about the objective properties of objects and people that the child encounters is acquired. This period lasts the first, second and third years of life. At this time, the formation of individual fragments of experimental activity , not yet interconnected into any system.
After three years, their integration gradually begins. The child moves into the next period - the period of curiosity ( “What’s there?”
).
Some adults perceive it as restlessness, restlessness, even bad manners, because children of this age begin to cause unnecessary trouble. But from a biological “point of view,”
the more active a child is, the more developed his curiosity is, the more valuable he is as a person. He continues to acquire more complex information - information about processes and phenomena, as well as about his capabilities to perform certain operations.
Somewhere in the middle of the period of curiosity (in the fourth year of life)
the initial form
of activity - manipulation of objects - is divided into three areas. The first direction will develop into play, the second into experimentation , and the third into work.
Junior preschool age (fourth year of life)
.
Children in the younger group should try, if possible, not to impart knowledge in a ready-made form, but to help the child obtain it independently by performing a simple experiment. In this case, the child's question turns into a goal formulation. Children at this age are already able to establish the simplest cause-and-effect relationships. The participation of the teacher in any action is mandatory.
Work with children of this age group is aimed at creating the conditions necessary for sensory development in the course of familiarization with the phenomena and objects of the surrounding world.
The teacher solves the following tasks :
- compare objects that are similar in appearance: fur coat - coat, tea - coffee, shoes - sandals (didactic game like “Make no mistake”
)
- combine the display of an object with the child’s active action to examine it: touching, listening, tasting, smelling (a didactic game like “Wonderful Bag”
);
— teach children to compare facts and conclusions from reasoning (Why does the bus stop)
- actively use practical experience , gaming experience (Why sand doesn’t crumble)
Middle preschool age (fifth year of life)
.
Children in the middle group begin to make their first attempts to work independently, but visual control from an adult is necessary to ensure safety and for moral support, since without constant encouragement and expression of approval, the activity of a four-year-old child quickly fades.
In this age group, experiments to determine the causes of individual phenomena; children study the properties of water, snow, and sand.
Work with children of this age group is aimed at expanding children’s understanding of phenomena and objects in the world around them. The main tasks solved by teachers in the process of experimentation are:
- active use of children’s experience in play and practical activities (Why do puddles freeze at night and thaw during the day? Why does the ball roll)
— grouping objects according to functional characteristics (What are shoes, dishes needed for? What purpose are they used for?)
;
- classification of objects and items according to specific characteristics (teaware, tableware)
.
Senior preschool age
For children in the older group, more complex chains of cause-and-effect relationships become available. We should try to ask them more often at this age the question “Why?”
Very often they
ask it themselves , which indicates certain shifts in the development of logical thinking.
In this group, long-term experiments , as well as simple monitoring (for example, to determine the level of air pollution on the site and in the preschool premises). Children continue to study the properties of water, snow, sand, soil, clay, learn about the properties of air, and draw conclusions. That there is no such thing as bad weather, that plants and animals need snow in winter, they study the water cycle using the example of indoor plants, and become familiar with the influence of environmental factors on living organisms.
In the preparatory group, children are already trying to put forward any hypotheses, they are able to draw conclusions about the hidden properties of objects and phenomena , often they independently draw conclusions without leading questions.
experimental activities , they learn about the natural features of certain climatic zones (permafrost in the tundra, tropical rainfall, etc., continue to study the influence of environmental factors on living organisms, get acquainted with the adaptations of organisms to their environment, study the influence of human activity on natural communities (oil spills into the sea, soil trampling, etc.)
Work with children is aimed at clarifying the entire range of properties and characteristics of objects , the relationship and interdependence of objects and phenomena. The main tasks solved by the teacher in the process of experimentation are:
— active use of research results in practical (everyday, play)
activities (How to quickly build a durable house for dolls)
;
- classification based on comparison: by length (stockings - socks, shape (scarf-shawl - kerchief), color, ornament (cups: single and multi-colored, material (silk - woolen dress), density, texture (game “ Who can name more qualities and properties ?
).
To prevent overwork, various forms of activity : gaming (didactic games, physical (physical education, outdoor games), entertainment (singing, educational (studying visual material, conducting a conversation)
.
Practical work is preceded by a repetition of safety rules and a recitation of the sequence of actions during the experiment .
At the end of the experiment, each student tidies up his/her workplace and helps the teacher put away the tools. A reflection stage is required at the end of the lesson: the guys report the results of the experiment and share their emotions from the discovery process.
In conclusion, I would like to note that at the stage of completing the preschool level of education, the following indicators can be considered the result of successful work on organizing experimental activities . Firstly, stable motivation to conduct practical research, including in independent activities (on walks, in independent experimentation , at home). Children take the initiative in choosing materials and tools for conducting experiments, ask and solve problematic questions, test their own assumptions experimentally, and strive to complete what they started in order to find out and record the result of the experiment .
Secondly, a high level of children's independence , the range of their interests is expanding, children are proactive in putting forward and testing hypotheses, and are looking for unusual approaches to solving problem situations.
Organization of experimentation work in older preschool age
Alevtina Korablina
Organization of experimentation work in older preschool age
Municipal State Preschool Educational Institution kindergarten No. 5 of a general developmental type in the urban district of Novovoronezh
Organization of experimentation work in older preschool age
Prepared by: teacher Korablina A.V.
2019
Experimentation is the main type of indicative research (search)
activities.
It is believed that experimentation claims to be a leading activity during preschool childhood , the basis of which is cognitive orientation; that the child’s need for new impressions underlies the emergence and development of inexhaustible research activities aimed at understanding the world around him. Children’s experimentation is closely related to other types of activities - observation, speech development (the ability to clearly express one’s thoughts makes it easier to carry out experiments, while replenishing knowledge promotes speech development).
Experimentation can be organized in three main directions: independent activity of children, joint activity of a teacher with children, specially organized training . The purpose of the experimental lesson is to model a natural or physical phenomenon, a visual demonstration of the process of its occurrence and the properties of interacting objects, which allows the child, as a result of his own observations and reflections, to come to independent conclusions.
Objectives of the experimental activities of senior group :
to form experience in observing the rules of safe behavior in the process of experimentation ;
introduce the nature of physical phenomena (light refraction, magnetism, reflection)
;
to form specific ideas about the properties of sand, water, clay, air, and other natural and artificial materials (wood, leather, rubber, foam, plastic)
;
introduce some properties of chemicals: soda, dye, acetic acid;
learn to trace elementary cause-and-effect relationships in the natural world;
stimulate cognitive activity;
introduce the rules of safe behavior with household chemicals (washing powders, soaps, shampoos)
;
cultivate a caring attitude towards the natural world around us;
develop curiosity, logical thinking, memory and attention.
Types of experimentation in the senior group :
familiarization with the properties of sand and clay;
air, its properties and meaning;
studying the properties of water;
conducting experiments on snow and heat;
formation of knowledge about the human body;
natural and artificial materials, their essential features and properties;
observation of the phenomenon of magnetism;
soil, its properties and influence on the life and growth of plants.
Examining the seeds of different plants, observing the appearance of sprouts.
Planting seeds with and without sprouts and observing their growth.
Observations of plants and water, plants and light, plants and heat.
Studying the man-made and non-man-made world through a magnifying glass (magnifying glass)
.
Techniques that are used in classes on experimental activities :
Observation - contributes to the formation of knowledge about the properties and qualities of objects, and also helps to track the transformation of objects.
Game ( experimental game , didactic, active)
- used in combination with explanations, demonstration, clarifying and leading questions. Example of didactic games:
• "Taste it"
;
• “Identify by smell”
;
• "Recognize by voice"
;
• “Let’s dress the doll for a walk”
;
• "Where the Water Lives"
Experience is the transformation of an object in order to identify hidden properties and establish cause-and-effect relationships. Rules for conducting the experiment:
• establish a goal (why the experiment is being conducted)
;
• prepare material and equipment;
• think through step-by-step instructions;
• summarize;
• explain in words accessible to the child why this or that phenomenon occurred.
Walk - observing plants and natural phenomena, conducting experimental games in natural conditions.
Equipment that can be used in older preschool age .
Schemes, tables, models with algorithms for performing experiments.
A series of paintings depicting natural communities.
Educational books, atlases.
Thematic albums.
Collections: mini-museum (themes vary, for example, “There are different watches”
,
"Stone Products"
.
Materials are divided into sections: “Sand, clay, water”
,
“Sound”
,
“Magnets”
,
“Paper”
,
“Light”
,
“Glass”
,
“Rubber”
.
Natural materials: stones, shells, sawdust and leaves of trees, moss, seeds, different types of soil, etc.
Recycled material: wire, pieces of leather, fur, fabric, plastic, wood, cork, etc.
Technical materials: nuts, paper clips, bolts, nails, cogs, screws, construction parts, etc.
Different types of paper: plain, cardboard, sandpaper, copy paper, etc.
Dyes: food and non-food (gouache, watercolors, etc.)
.
Medical materials: pipettes with rounded ends, flasks, wooden sticks, measuring spoons, rubber bulbs, syringes without needles and other materials: mirrors, balloons, oil, flour, salt, sugar, colored and transparent glasses, candles, etc.
A sieve, funnels, halves of soap dishes, ice trays.
Helper devices: magnifying glass, hourglass, microscopes, magnifying glasses - oilcloth aprons, sleeves, rubber gloves, rags.
Hint cards (permissive - prohibitory signs)
“What is allowed, what is not allowed
.
Experimental lesson in the senior group
lesson in the senior group lasts 25–30 minutes and has its own logical structure:
Organizational stage - a motivating start in a playful way (up to five minutes)
.
The main stage is the most active practical part of the lesson, which includes:
conducting experiments;
didactic games;
physical education, finger exercises or gymnastics, which will help you relax, unwind, and relieve physical and intellectual fatigue.
Final, final stage (up to five minutes)
— conclusions, cleaning of
workplaces .
A variety of motivating means and pedagogical techniques will help to intensify cognitive interest, stimulate search activity and the attention of your little pupils:
a surprise moment - the introduction into a dialogue with children of a toy character, a favorite fairy-tale hero, who will ask for help, puzzle and delight, and invite children on an exciting journey.
video message from a fairy-tale or fictional character;
poems and riddles;
educational story;
dialogue with children;
problematic situation;
music, viewing pictures, demonstrating presentations, videos or animated films.
Methodology for conducting experiments in different age groups
Lecture 7. Determining the content of experimental research activities in different age groups
G.
The Federal State Educational Standard (FSES) states that the work of a teacher should be aimed at developing cognitive activity and research skills in children. The modern education system moves away from teaching children through direct transfer of knowledge, but develops in them the desire to search for new information using a variety of methods. The teacher instills in the child the motivation to find answers to emerging questions and encourages curiosity. Cognitive and research activity is also manifested in independent activities that accompany gaming activity.
The ability to pose a question in connection with the emergence of an unknown or still little-studied object and find an answer indicates a high level of mental and psychological development of future first-graders.
The purpose and objectives of cognitive activity of preschool children
The purpose of organizing cognitive-research activities in kindergarten is to develop a research type of thinking in preschoolers. This does not mean that the teacher sees future professional researchers, experimenters and scientists in his students; he allows the children to feel the delight of discovery. It is wrong to impart pure information to children. It's right to let them discover the world anew. With the help of visual, acoustic and sensory perception, preschoolers identify the qualities and properties of objects, with the development of analytical skills - they establish cause-and-effect relationships in the surrounding reality, generalize and systematize accumulated knowledge.
Objectives of cognitive development in preschool educational institutions:
· development of interest in objects and phenomena of the surrounding world;
· formation of primary ideas about their properties (shape, color, size, structure, sonority, etc.);
· development of thinking abilities: analysis, comparison, generalization, classification, orientation in time and space, establishing relationships;
· creating positive motivation to independently search for the necessary information;
· stimulation and encouragement of curiosity and observation;
· formation and improvement of skills in working with various tools, development of fine motor skills.
Forms of organizing research activities in preschool educational institutions
To implement the assigned tasks, the teacher works together with the children in various types of classes: studying the world around them, forming elementary mathematical concepts, preparing for literacy, speech, creative, sports and music lessons . For example, the study of iotated vowels can begin with an auditory study: “What sound does the word YAMA begin with? Count how many sounds you hear. How many sounds are in the word BALL? and drawing conclusions about the sound of the letter I in the analyzed words.
Children also gain new knowledge while walking, observing objects of living and inanimate nature. In younger groups, observations on the territory of the kindergarten are short-term and aimed at obtaining primary information about natural phenomena, representatives of the animal and plant world. Older preschoolers conduct long-term research, observing changes in nature.
Research activities at preschool educational institutions are organized in the following forms:
Collective. A lesson aimed at developing research activities is conducted in a group form in compliance with the following principles: accessibility (each student participates in the research process), structure (the lesson consists of a statement of the problem, the main part and summing up), short duration (overworking should be avoided, introduction into classes, game elements and physical exercises).
Subgroup. Research work is carried out in subgroups, when conclusions are assumed after a comparative analysis of several research results (in which soil will the seeds sprout - fresh or salty, for example).
Individual. The teacher organizes tasks for the development of research activities on an individual basis, if the level of knowledge and skills lags behind the general one in the group (the child has been transferred from a junior group or has not attended kindergarten before), if it is possible to develop a spontaneous interest in learning something.
Methods and techniques
Among the techniques and methods for organizing cognitive and research activities, we highlight those that are relevant for use in preschool educational institutions:
Heuristic method . Teachers often create problematic situations as a motivating start to the lesson: thus, there is a feeling of group cohesion in finding a solution, and mental abilities are activated when analyzing the current situation. The development of curiosity, research and speech skills is facilitated by heuristic conversations, which are based on questions and problems. For example, “Why do tree branches have sufficient flexibility in the warm season, but become brittle in cold weather?”, “Why are some species of birds migratory?” Conducting a heuristic conversation requires careful preparation: the teacher determines the main problematic issue in accordance with the level of knowledge of the children, prepares additional leading and clarifying questions, predicts possible answers and reactions to them. In younger groups, the duration of the conversation aimed at finding a solution is 10–15 minutes; older preschoolers are able to work productively in line with the heuristic method for longer.
In the older group, you can have a heuristic conversation on the topic “Why do you need a daily routine?”
Observation. The perception of objects and processes organized indoors or on the territory of the kindergarten develops the visual and auditory abilities of children. Explorations carried out during walks immerse children in the natural world with all its diversity of sights, colors, sounds and smells. Observation is one of the active practices of scientific research among preschoolers.
In the younger group, children get to know the properties of water in a playful way.
Experiences and experiments. Along with play, experimentation is considered the leading activity of preschoolers. By performing elementary experiments on objects (dropping them on the floor, trying to break them, making a sound, etc.), kids acquire information about their properties. The children are happy to participate in experiments on familiar substances, deepening their knowledge: they conduct experiments with water in liquid and solid states, with sand, stones, clay, and plants. You need to start conducting experiments with children of the younger group, encouraging them to want to experiment independently when they reach preschool age. This method of scientific research activities develops observation, activity, independence in children, and contributes to the formation of a friendly atmosphere and team cohesion.
Pupils of senior preschool age are capable of independently conducting experiments.
Project activities. This type of work involves the joint research activity of children and the teacher and, as an option, parents. In achieving the cognitive goal of the project, not only the child’s thinking abilities are used, but also creative skills. The teacher encourages independent construction of the course of observations and experiments, and only if necessary directs the student’s actions.
TRIZ - technologies. The theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) came to pedagogy from the engineering field and is effectively used in working with young children and schoolchildren. The essence of TRIZ technologies is to encourage the child to independently construct an algorithm of actions to solve the problem that has arisen. This method is used outside the educational process: “Is the toy not working? Determine what happened. A wheel breaks, think about how you can fix it. Compare the broken wheel with those that are in good working order.” In kindergarten, TRIZ technologies are most often implemented in the form of game tasks: “Oh, our doll Masha the Confused has lost her cup, how can she drink juice now? And now the doll can’t find an umbrella, how can she get to her grandmother in rainy weather?” This method of work contributes to the development of an analytical type of thinking.
During experiments, children learn to analyze information.
Motivating start to classes
Research abilities are inherent in human nature and spontaneously manifest themselves from the first years of life. The craving for observations, direct contact with the objects being studied, and setting up experiments and experiments becomes stronger in preschool children. Particularly attractive are classes in mini-laboratories, where you can use special tools and sometimes unusual materials for research.
It is important for the teacher to organize a lesson on cognitive activity in such a way that the students’ desire to acquire new information comes first . Often, the practical side evokes such vivid positive emotions in children that they lose the joy of discovery itself, which is what every research strives for. Therefore, it is recommended to devote the beginning of classes to activating attention and strengthening motivation to solve any problem situation and find an answer to the question posed. For these purposes, visual material is used (posters, cards and postcards, book illustrations, encyclopedias), outdoor and didactic games are held, themed physical education and finger exercises, conversations in which children are given the opportunity to give examples from personal experience, surprise moments and problematic situations are created .
The use of visual material when organizing experimental activities in preschool educational institutions
Within the framework of the designated topic, we are not talking about visual materials traditionally used in classes - posters, illustrations, cards with diagrams. Research activities are accompanied by a mandatory stage of work - documenting the information received. The teacher should draw the children's attention to the fact that scientists (researchers and inventors) write down their observations and conclusions that they come to in the process of studying any phenomena or properties of objects.
To record observations of preschoolers, the following forms can be used:
· Research cards. The children fill out special forms, which are then compiled into a file cabinet of observations and experiments.
· Personal diary of observations. This form offers more room for creativity and expression of individuality than cards. Children can be allowed to make notes, sketches, and diagrams in their diary.
· Stands. You can record children's experimentation by designing stands: hanging a plan for conducting experiments, diagrams and photographs with the results.
· Lapbooks - hand-made folding books on the topic of research carried out (“Water”, “Weather”, “Insects”, “Properties of Air”, etc.). Templates can be used to create such books. It will be great if parents help the children in designing lapbooks.
A laptop is a thematic folder containing a number of pockets, windows, and miniature nested books. It can accommodate a huge amount of material on the topic, presented in the form of cards, illustrations, diagrams, educational games, etc.
The observation log displays the results of daily research.
Analysis and diagnosis of cognitive and research activities
To evaluate the results and effectiveness of students’ cognitive and research activities, the teacher conducts diagnostics according to the following criteria:
· ability to formulate problems by students;
· competent formulation of questions;
· building an algorithm of actions to solve the problem;
· putting forward hypotheses;
· choice of research methods;
· ability to describe observations during the research process;
· presence of thinking skills (analysis, comparison, generalization, systematization);
· degree of independence at each stage of the research;
· ability to make inferences, conclusions, summing up.
A high level of cognitive and research activity is evidenced by the presence of stable motivation to solve problem situations and search for answers to posed questions, independent construction of a research algorithm and carrying out practical work (experiments), competent formulation of the information obtained, and correct drawing of conclusions. A child with a developed research type of thinking takes the initiative in choosing materials and tools for conducting observations, is not afraid to put forward hypotheses and test them experimentally, and brings what he starts to the end in order to obtain compliance with the voiced hypothesis or refute it.
Future researchers are not afraid to put forward hypotheses and test them experimentally
To identify the attitude of pupils towards experimental activities and determine the level of mastery of research skills, the teacher can invite children to keep a special journal in which preschoolers record the results of the work done. At the same time, it is recommended that the teacher keep diagnostic cards for each student, in which he enters data from his own observations of the children’s research activity.
Methodology for conducting experiments in different age groups
Experience should always be built on the basis of existing ideas that children received in the process of observation and work. Its task and purpose should be clear to preschoolers. When conducting an experiment, the teacher should not cause harm or damage to plants and animals. It is important that children be active participants in setting up and conducting the experiment (selecting vases for branches, pouring water, determining where it is best to place the vase, etc.). During the experiment, it is necessary to equalize all conditions except one, the value of which should be clarified. For example, when conducting an experiment to determine the need for light for plant growth, the teacher selects two identical plants, provides the same care for them, but places one plant in a dark place and the other in a light place. When discussing the results of an experiment, he leads children to independent conclusions and judgments.
In kindergarten, experiments are carried out with inanimate objects, plants and animals.
Simple experiments can be used in children's games; they can be associated with their work in a corner of nature and in the garden, and be included in classes.
An example of organizing experience.
Target. Bring children to the conclusion that light is necessary for plant growth.
Progress of the experiment. The teacher sets a task for the children: where will oats grow better - in a dark or light place? After discussing the assumptions made with the children, he offers to test them and organizes an experiment. Two boxes with sprouted oats are placed in different lighting conditions: one in a dark place, the other on a sunlit windowsill. Together with the children, he establishes that all conditions (size of plants, their number, size of boxes, amount of water for irrigation) are the same, except for one thing - the degree of illumination. The teacher conducts long-term observation of changes in plant species and establishes the reasons for this. Children sketch the most striking changes during the experiment.
When changes become obvious, the teacher invites the children to compare plants and draw conclusions. To confirm the findings, plants that grew in a darker place are placed in a light one. The changes that occur are again noted and discussed.
Recording experience. During the experiment, the teacher maintains interest in it by recording the most characteristic stages in the observation diary (in the form of drawings, models). This at the same time helps children to note the state of conditions and identify reasons for changes.
Early preschool age
At this age, the child first begins to unconsciously manipulate objects, then consciously throws toys, knocks them against each other, tries to bite and break them. Children act and remember a lot, but they do not have a purposeful process of observation. To develop a child’s manipulative activity, an adult must enrich the environment with various objects—both toy and real. The adult accompanies all actions - both his own and the child's - with words. The child does not yet understand their image, but imprints the sound image of the word in memory and “ties” the word to objects and actions. At this stage the child:
- manipulates objects;
- watches how an adult does it;
- begins to remember the meaning of some words.
By the end of the year, manipulation becomes more complex and manageable. The child begins to carry out actions at the request of an adult, at the same time he must remember the word “No!”, to understand the meaning of which he must come through his own experience. Children's attention is extremely unstable, so adults take a direct part in experimentation, which at this age is almost indistinguishable from entertainment. The developing environment is enriched with new objects, the vocabulary is enriched - the child should understand almost all words.
In the third year of life, visual and effective thinking reaches its maximum development. Manipulating objects begins to resemble experimentation. The environment is enriched with more complex objects, the adult creates conditions for the development of the child’s independence, since the child must love to act and express this with the words “I myself!” This is the main new formation of this age, which is important in the development of both experimentation and the personality as a whole.
By the end of the second year of life, normally developing children should name all familiar objects and actions with them by their full name, have correct ideas about many objects and their parts, the most common forms of animal behavior and natural phenomena, and the ability to closely and purposefully examine objects and events. This makes it possible to begin making simple observations. All observations organized by adults are short-term and carried out either individually. Or in small groups.
Children are able to carry out certain simple tasks, they are beginning to perceive instructions and recommendations, but they are not yet ready for independent work.
Junior group
In the fourth year of life, visual-figurative thinking appears. Children become more curious and begin to ask adults numerous questions, which indicates important achievements:
- children have accumulated a certain amount of knowledge (as you know, no questions arise on a completely unfamiliar problem);
— a need has formed to compare facts, establish at least the simplest relationships between them and see gaps in one’s own knowledge;
— there was an understanding that knowledge can be obtained verbally from an adult.
It is very useful not to convey knowledge in a ready-made form, but to help the child obtain it on his own through a little experience. In this case, the child's question turns into a goal formulation. The adult helps the child think through the methodology for conducting the experiment, gives advice and recommendations, and carries out the necessary actions together with him. Children of this age are not yet able to work independently, but willingly do it together with an adult.
While working, you can sometimes ask the child to perform not one, but two actions in a row (pour out the water and pour in new). It is helpful to start involving children in predicting outcomes by asking questions. Children begin to develop voluntary attention, which allows them to make their first attempts to record the results of observations, for example, using symbolic notations.
Middle group
In the fifth year, the number of children’s questions increases, and the need to obtain an answer experimentally becomes stronger. Thanks to the accumulation of personal experience, the child’s actions become more focused and deliberate. The first attempts to work independently appear, and children are able to receive three instructions at once if the actions are simple and familiar. The direct participation of an adult in familiar work is no longer so important, but visual control is necessary to ensure the safety of experimentation. Likewise for moral support, because... Children’s activity is not yet stable and quickly fades away without constant encouragement and approval.
In this group, experiments can be carried out to determine the causes of individual phenomena. When recording observations, ready-made forms are most often used, but at the end of the year they begin to use drawings that adults make in front of children, as well as the first schematic drawings of those children who have well-developed technical skills.
Giving a verbal account of what they saw, children pronounce several sentences, making prerequisites for a detailed story. The teacher, with leading questions, teaches to highlight the main thing, compare two objects and find only the difference between them.
From this age, long-term observations are carried out, which will be a prerequisite for conducting long-term experiments in the future.
Senior group
With proper organization of work, children in the older group develop a strong habit of asking questions and trying to find answers to them on their own. The initiative to conduct experiments passes to the children, and the teacher no longer imposes his advice and recommendations, but waits for the child, having tried different options, to ask for help. But even in this case, you should first use leading questions to direct the children’s actions in the right direction, and not give ready-made solutions.
In the older group, the role of tasks to predict results increases. These tasks are of two types: predicting the consequences of one’s actions and predicting the behavior of objects.
When conducting experiments, work is most often built in stages: after listening and completing one task, children receive the next one. Due to the increase in memory capacity and strengthening of voluntary attention, in some cases you can try to give one task for the entire experiment, and then monitor the progress of its implementation.
The possibilities for recording results are expanding: graphic methods are used, various methods of recording natural objects are being mastered (herbarization, volumetric drying, canning, etc.). Children learn to independently analyze the results of experiments and draw conclusions. Write a detailed story about what you saw. The teacher should ask questions that stimulate the development of logical thinking.
In the older group, long-term experiments begin to be introduced, during which general patterns of phenomena and processes are established. By comparing two objects, children learn to find not only differences, but also similarities, which allows them to master classification techniques.
The increased complexity of experiments and the independence of children require stricter compliance with safety rules.
Preparatory group
In this group, conducting experiments should become the norm, the only successful method of introducing children to the world around them and the most effective way to develop thought processes. Experiments make it possible to combine all types of activities and all aspects of education. The initiative to carry them out is distributed evenly between the children and the teacher. If children independently conceive an experiment, think through the methodology themselves, distribute responsibilities, carry it out themselves and draw conclusions, then the role of the teacher comes down to general monitoring of the progress of work and compliance with safety rules. The proportion of such experiments in kindergarten is small, but they bring great joy to children.
At this age, children have access to complex mental operations: putting forward hypotheses, testing their truth, and the ability to abandon a hypothesis if it does not come true. Children are able to draw conclusions about the hidden properties of objects and phenomena, independently formulate conclusions, and also give a bright, colorful description of what they saw.
With older preschoolers, you can begin to solve experimental problems. This type of activity represents the beginnings of real experimentation. Problem solving is carried out in two options:
1) children conduct an experiment without knowing its result. And thus they acquire new knowledge;
2) children first predict the outcome and then check whether they thought correctly.
