Forms and methods of environmental education for preschool children

Environmental education is an important component of the educational process in schools and kindergartens. Teachers organize their work in this direction both in the process of educational activities and in extracurricular activities. Forms, means and methods of environmental education are selected in accordance with the age of the children, the degree of their interest, and the natural environment.

Methods, forms and means of environmental education depend on the age of the children. The leading form of organizing work on environmental education is a lesson (class in a preschool educational institution). Experiences, experiments, observations, projects, the use of literature, conversations - those are the methods that the teacher uses in direct educational activities. In addition, in extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities include excursions, holidays, themed leisure, and work with parents. All forms and methods can be used both in combination and separately.

Definition of the concept of environmental education

Environmental education is the inculcation of moral categories that are responsible for developing a caring attitude towards the environment in a person.
Environmental education should begin from preschool age, since it is at this moment that a person develops a set of basic moral values. Note 1

As part of environmental education, the child becomes familiar with the basic concepts of nature, realizes that he is part of this nature, and that people are responsible for almost everything that happens on our planet. The child must learn to take care of the environment. These goals and objectives are precisely realized within the framework of environmental education.

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MAGAZINE Preschooler.RF

Cognitive development of preschool children and the formation of primary ideas about the world around them.

Educator: Svetlana Arkadyevna Lazovskaya. GBDOU kindergarten No. 6 Krasnogvardeisky district of St. Petersburg.

Content.

The main goal of environmental education is the formation of the child’s correct attitude towards the nature around him, towards himself as a part of nature. Love for nature, a conscious, careful and interested attitude towards it, should be cultivated from early childhood, therefore our kindergarten pays great attention to environmental education.

We have identified the following tasks:

• Formation of a conscious attitude towards nature in preschoolers.
• Improving the ability and skills of observing living and inanimate objects of nature;
• To develop ecological thinking and creative imagination in the process of experimental research activities of children;
• Develop basic standards of behavior in relation to the natural world and the environment in general.

The goal of environmental education is to form the foundations of an ecological worldview and ecological culture of preschool children.

In our opinion, ecology can be passed through all types of activities of a preschooler.

To help children in an entertaining way identify the features of natural phenomena, seasonal changes in nature, determine the qualities of an object, the habits of animals, we use riddles, poems, proverbs and sayings every day.

An important source of knowledge about nature is observation. In the process of observation, children learn to peer, admire, rejoice and admire the beauty of nature. They develop observation and curiosity, a kind, caring attitude towards natural objects. Observation makes it possible to introduce children to natural phenomena and the relationship between living and inanimate nature.

In our work on environmental education, we use various traditional and non-traditional forms, methods and techniques, taking into account the age and individual characteristics of children. To expand children's understanding of nature and expand their knowledge, we use an interactive whiteboard. With its help, children, due to its clarity, colorfulness and simplicity, can be transported to different countries and visually get acquainted with various natural phenomena, insects, flora and fauna.

But still, games are one of the most effective and most interesting means of environmental education for children. We use games of environmental content, first of all, for the purpose of clarifying, consolidating, generalizing, and systematizing knowledge. While playing, children better acquire knowledge about objects and natural phenomena, learn to establish relationships between them and the environment, learn about ways of adaptation of living beings to the conditions of their habitats, about the sequential change of seasons and about changes in living and inanimate nature.

Didactic games are a multifaceted and complex phenomenon. We use didactic games not only in children’s free activities, but also include them in direct educational activities (DEA), targeted walks, as well as in experimental activities of pupils. Games with various natural materials are very effective, they bring children as close as possible to nature, and always arouse keen interest and an active desire in children to play.

Health Days evoke special joy and interest among children. Where they, together with their parents, prepare fruit salads, do creative work using natural materials and, together with their parents, help maintain cleanliness and order in the kindergarten territory.

We also use experimental research activities in our work. This is the most exciting activity because... children are born explorers. And this is confirmed by their curiosity, constant desire to experiment, and desire to independently find a solution to a problem situation. Our task is not to suppress this activity, but, on the contrary, to actively encourage them, drawing their attention to the problem of environmental degradation. Children's experimentation is the cognition of the properties and connections of objects through various actions, which contributes to the development of thinking and other aspects of the child's personality. When he tries to do the experiment himself, he will remember it for a long time. Experiments can be carried out with all children at once.

In the nature center, children systematically observe and care for indoor plants and seedlings. In the process of care, children develop a careful, caring attitude towards nature, develop a responsible attitude towards their responsibilities, and gain ideas about the diversity of the plant world, how plants grow and develop, and what conditions need to be created for them.

The most effective way to implement the tasks of environmental education is to organize project activities. Our kindergarten has been participating in the long-term project “Lids of Kindness” .

Good Caps" is a Russian environmental and charitable volunteer project that has a dual goal: to make our world cleaner and to help children who need support. The project was organized jointly by the Public Movement “KIND LIDS” and the Charitable Foundation “Volunteers to Help Orphans” .

Our students, together with their parents, as well as all employees, collect ONLY plastic screw caps from drinking products (including drinking water) and caps from Immunele.

Here's how it works: plastic caps from bottles and jars are collected in a container that stands in groups. A large batch of caps is then sent to a plastic recycling plant. The plant weighs the raw materials and transfers funds for the collected caps to the account of the Volunteers to Help Orphans Charitable .

Who we help: This project “Lids of Kindness” has wards of the project “Close People” - these are children with special needs who are brought up in foster families. With these seemingly uncomplicated actions, our kindergarten helps not only protect nature, but also help people who find themselves in difficult life situations, and our pupils are the main good wizards for them.

During the warm season, our kindergarten implements the “Ekolyata” . Where are our students in June 2022? met nature conservationists. The Forest Fairy came to visit the children and introduced the children to her friends - defenders of Nature: Naughty, Clever, Quiet and Yolochka. They asked the children riddles, asked tricky questions, and offered difficult tasks. The children passed all the tests. And then the Forest Fairy said that they deserve to become members of the detachment of Nature defenders - preschool eco-children. During the summer and on warm autumn days, the children participated in creative workshops, quizzes and competitions, subordinated to the goals of nurturing love, caring and respectful attitude towards Nature.

The experience of our work has shown that purposeful, systematic work on environmental education of preschoolers, in an interesting, entertaining form, helps children see all the beauty of nature, reveal all its secrets and laws, instill in children kindness, a responsible attitude towards the world around them, the people who live near.

Thank you for your attention! I wish you all prosperity and goodness.

Forms of environmental education

There are the following forms of environmental education:

• educational activities
• excursions
• themed holidays
• getting to know nature in everyday life
• work activity
• exhibitions, competitions, olympiads

Educational activities are the leading method of introducing students to nature and the surrounding world. In the process of educational activities, the teacher systematically provides knowledge about natural phenomena and objects to children, taking into account their age, psychological characteristics and the specifics of the area in which the children live.

Classes can have several varieties:

• introductory lessons
• generalizing lessons
• in-depth educational lessons

During introductory lessons, students can become familiar with different species of animals, plants and natural phenomena that are not found in their area. During the lesson, the teacher uses a large number of visual aids. They help students develop correct ideas about the topic of the lesson.

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Course work Methods and forms of environmental education 430 ₽ Abstract Methods and forms of environmental education 250 ₽ Examination Methods and forms of environmental education 200 ₽

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During a generalization lesson, children learn to generalize their knowledge regarding certain natural phenomena and objects. During this lesson, children learn to analyze, compare, and generalize.

During an in-depth cognitive lesson, children expand their knowledge of the phenomena that they see every day in everyday life. The teacher supplements the existing information with new information.

Excursions occupy a special place in the process of environmental education. During excursion lessons, children can get acquainted with natural phenomena in a natural setting. It is advisable to conduct excursions to the same places at different times of the year so that children can notice seasonal natural changes.

Themed holidays are very interesting for children and adults. They can be dedicated to a certain time of year, natural phenomena, animals, etc. The peculiarity of this form of work is that children develop a positive response to it in their consciousness.

In a preschool institution, during daily walks, the teacher introduces children to natural phenomena and materials, for example, children play in the sand, with snow, and with fallen leaves.

Labor activity occupies a special place in the process of environmental education. Labor activity is exciting for children; it can take place in the garden, vegetable garden or flower garden. Children can plant seeds, water plants, remove weeds, and harvest crops. Any work activity instills in children a love of work and independence, and in the process of environmental education, in addition, there is the formation of responsibility for the surrounding nature.

Children can take part in various competitions and quizzes, where they can demonstrate their knowledge about objects and natural phenomena, and children can also make crafts from natural materials.

Forms and methods of environmental education for preschool children

«Forms and methods of environmental education for children of senior preschool age

»

When talking about methods and forms of work on environmental education, it is necessary to know the meaning of these words.

A method from the point of view of environmental education, a way of joint activity between a teacher and children, during which the formation of environmental knowledge, skills and abilities is carried out, as well as the development of attitudes towards the surrounding world.

Form “there is an internal organization of content”

. This is a way of organizing the educational process.

The organization of effective training and education is possible only with knowledge and skillful use of various forms of organization of the pedagogical process.

Thus, the concept of " method "

characterizes the content, or internal, side of the educational process. The form denotes the external side of the organization of the educational process and reflects the nature of the relationship between the participants in the pedagogical process.

The same form can be used in different teaching methods, and vice versa.

Methods of environmental education and upbringing are: visual, practical, verbal. All three groups of methods are used in teaching throughout preschool age, just as the basic forms of thinking coexist. Each of the identified groups of methods involves the inclusion of techniques of a different nature (visual demonstration of a sample, method of action, question, explanation, game techniques - imitation of voice, movement, etc., as a result of which each method uses all three forms of thinking in various combinations when the leading, determining role of one of them.

Environmental education for children of senior preschool age involves the use of not only a variety of methods, but also forms of work. The following forms are used in pedagogical activities: frontal, group, individual.

The main method in environmental education of children is observation. With its help, the child not only learns the external parameters of natural objects (color, structure, smell, etc.), but also acquires various skills aimed at understanding or practically transforming nature (work on caring for plants and animals, artistic activities and children’s stories based on observations ).

Observations contribute to the formation of a consciously correct attitude towards nature. The variety of natural phenomena surrounding preschoolers creates conditions for the teacher to organize observations. The general pedagogical goal is to awaken the interest and cognitive activity of children, to develop their powers of observation, desire and ability to look at the world around them. With this approach, observation becomes a holistic pedagogical process and a joint activity of the teacher and children. At the same time, the teacher’s actions are aimed at planning and organizing observation, at solving educational problems, and the children’s mental efforts are aimed at fully perceiving the object and obtaining the necessary information. With such activities, observation becomes a method of environmental education, through which specific environmental knowledge about objects and attitudes towards them are formed. Observation develops in children different shades of attitude towards nature: cognitive interest, aesthetic experiences, sympathy.

Environmental education and its goals

In the endless whirlpool of everyday affairs and worries, in the pursuit of material wealth, we often forget about what gave us the opportunity to live on earth. Nature, the gifts of which people sometimes use so irrationally, gives us not only the opportunity to exist, but also allows us to enjoy its truly unique beauty and instills the best moral qualities.

Environmental education, the purpose of which is to introduce children to the life of nature, instill responsiveness, and the desire to preserve its wealth, is a fairly new section in pedagogy. However, the problems that this educational direction solves are very relevant, because the difficult environmental situation in the world forces us to take immediate measures to prevent a possible natural disaster.

It must be emphasized that environmental education should begin from early childhood, at the moment when the child is just beginning to learn about the world. The child’s attitude towards the surrounding nature depends on how adults guide his actions.

Is it possible to hit a kitten or uproot flowers? Why make bird feeders in winter? A growing person is interested in many questions. And he will look for the answer not in moralizing conversations, but in clear examples demonstrated by adults.

You can talk for a long time and interestingly about how you can’t cut down trees because people won’t be able to breathe, but at the same time you can drive away a hungry dog ​​by shouting or even hitting him. Is it worth saying that such environmental education will be meaningless?

Ecology and life are concepts closely related to each other, so it is important to teach children who are just beginning to explore this unknown vast world, to hear and see with their souls, to realize that they are part of it.

Necessary Definitions

In order to properly use the possibilities of environmental education, it is necessary to understand its essence.

Until recently, nature was studied purely from a biological point of view. However, it has always been called the source of knowledge, since it represents a storehouse of opportunities for personal development. Teachers should take advantage of this, because the essence of environmental education is the ability to find harmony in everything that surrounds a person. Moreover, the education of morality is an integral part of getting to know the natural world, because in order to learn to feel and love miraculous creations, you need to have spiritual potential.

Consequently, the concept of environmental education includes a set of measures aimed at developing the child’s consciousness, developing habits that will be responsible for the individual’s behavior in everyday life and will become the basis of his harmonious worldview.

Consciousness is formed on the basis of knowledge and beliefs, and the idea of ​​nature as the highest harmonious substance is formed in the process of observing the development of the surrounding world.

Correct environmental behavior is based on individual actions, as well as on the assessment of these actions by others and the individual himself.

Speaking about the essence of the teacher’s influence on the environmental development of the child, it is necessary to highlight 2 factors that are the main ones in this process.

1.Stepwise structure of cognition, which is based on the following points:

• representation;
• formation and development of consciousness and emotions;
• beginning to use the acquired knowledge in practice;
• instilling the skills of a proper relationship with nature;
• eradication of consumer attitudes towards natural resources;
• the duration of the process of developing a behavioral line;
• spasmodic development of skills;
• activity of pupils.

2. The significance of the psychological component of the education process, based on the following parts:

• Consciousness;
• Needs;
• Motives;
• Goals;
• Will.

Goal setting and problem solving

The definition of environmental education implies setting a clear goal in the process of developing the necessary skills and abilities. It determines the formation of a caring attitude towards the world around us, based on the moral consciousness of the child. It is important to take into account that the concept of “nature” in the educational process includes the person himself, who is part of it. Consequently, environmental culture is part of a person’s general education.

Ecological culture is a complex, multifactorial concept that includes the following components:

• Knowledge of the laws of natural life;
• Compliance with rules that imply careful treatment of natural gifts;
• Activities for the study of natural resources and their conservation;
• Propaganda work.

The set goal is realized subject to a comprehensive solution to the problems of environmental education:

• Educational, with the help of which students are provided with a system of knowledge about environmental problems and the possibilities of their resolution;
• Educational, aimed at developing motivational habits of correct environmental behavior, the desire to lead a healthy lifestyle;
• Developing, promoting the development of theoretical and practical skills and abilities, the ability to assess the state of the environmental situation in their region and the world.

In any case, ecology and life are the subject of study of upbringing and education, since the goals and objectives determine the knowledge and perception of objects in the surrounding reality.

The system of educational process of environmental development includes the following areas:

• Political;
• Scientific;
• Legal;
• Moral and aesthetic;
• Worldview.

Each of these components determines the directions and forms of the teacher’s work.

Means of educational influence

To effectively develop the correct worldview in children, aimed at protecting natural resources, teachers use different forms and means of environmental education.

Each component in this system is designed to develop the comprehensive cognitive activity of children. These include independent research of popular science literature, game complexes, observation of natural phenomena, and others.

Methods of environmental education are selected taking into account the level of development and preparation for the perception of information of children. Let's consider several stages of work and criteria for choosing methodological tools.

The initial stage involves the selection of such forms and means of work that will help analyze and correct the information and motivation that children already have about the environmental problem. Using conversation methods, the teacher evokes an emotional response in students and forms a personal perception of the problem situation.

The next stage of cognition is based on methods that stimulate children’s independent activity. Discussions are very effective, they will summarize the experience gained and allow you to gain independent judgment skills.

The theoretical justification of the presented environmental problems requires the use of a lecture by a teacher who will provide scientifically proven facts of environmental problems at different levels: local, local, global.

Any cognitive activity requires the expression of a moral choice, with the help of which previously made decisions are generalized and the aesthetic needs of children are developed. In this case, methods need to be selected based on creative media: fine arts, fiction, cinema, etc.

Games, including role-playing, will provide psychological preparation for the correct guidelines in the field of environmental problems.

There are a large number of universal methods that can be used at all stages of working with children. Let's list some of them:

• Observation, analysis, reflection of objects of living and inanimate nature;
• Experiments and experiments;
• Labor activity based on the skills of caring for flowers, living areas, etc.;
• Educational and propaganda activities, including lectures, debates, events, weeks of environmental promotion;
• Excursions, expeditions, experiments.

The leading methods of the education process included encouragement, control and punishment. In this case, the punishment is humane and does not humiliate the personal dignity of the student.

The importance of choosing the right methods is difficult to overestimate. After all, the formation of an environmentally literate and educated personality depends on their effectiveness.

Family values

A child should understand how ecology and life are connected from a very early age. And since his life path originates in the family, parents bear great responsibility for the formation and development of all the personal qualities of their offspring.

What a good attitude towards nature is, what actions are not permissible to perform in relation to all living things, the baby learns in the process of observing the actions of the people closest to him.

Each piece of paper thrown past the ballot box by the mother, or the contemptuous attitude towards the stray animals of the father will firmly enter the child’s consciousness as an algorithm of actions that he will certainly repeat in the future.

The authority of parents is so unquestionable in the eyes of children that they do not need additional lectures or stories about correct behavior. Therefore, adults should not be surprised why, in adolescence, their children show aggression towards animals, do not clean up garbage after themselves in the forest, and do not understand at all why they need to save water.

The example of parents is the main, determining method of family environmental education.

For parents of preschool children

Any educational impact is based on contact between the teacher and the student. Young children need clear guidance from adults as they are just beginning to come into contact with the amazing world of nature. Parents can use the following means of instilling a humane attitude towards the riches of nature:

• Walking is a great way to observe natural life. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to go on long hikes, because there are many interesting things near the house that will tell you about the life of nature.
• Communicate with your baby, paying attention to everything that surrounds him: how the flowers smell and the leaves sway, how wet the grass and the kitten’s fur feel to the touch. From these small but very important details begins the knowledge of natural wonders.
• Name every object and phenomenon that you encounter during your daily walks. You can use literary poems, folk songs and sayings. With their help, the child will not only learn the necessary names, but also expand his vocabulary.
• Take care of flowers. The ideal solution would be to plant a plant together with your baby, regularly caring for it and watching its growth. The first independent discovery will be an important step in the moral development of the baby, because it will prove that all living things need care, love and care.
• Make crafts using natural materials. In parallel with the development of fine motor skills, you will teach your child to use “recycled” raw materials in the form of dry leaves, sticks and cones to create “masterpieces” of art.
• Read works of fiction devoted to the topic of ecology and the protection of natural resources. Discuss the actions of the characters, transfer their actions into your everyday life and analyze similar situations.

Ecological development of schoolchildren

During school years, when the main activity of children is intellectual knowledge, environmental education is built on the basis of educational activities. It is important to develop the following skills:

• Formation of skills in design and creative activities;
• Developing the right position towards the use of natural resources;
• Acquiring the necessary knowledge about a healthy lifestyle;
• Discussion skills training.

During the period of study at school, the source of environmental education is training sessions, electives and interest groups. The priority areas of activity are research and labor activity. On their basis, the professional orientation of students is formed.

Like any educational influence, environmental development at different age stages has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account. Individual and psychological differences in children also influence the choice of means to achieve their goals and objectives.

Using these recommendations, you can help your child enter the wonderful world of nature, acquire harmony, and learn to appreciate all its resources. Children who have received the right environmental education are able to create a society that can prevent future global changes in the world ecology. They will be able to enjoy the beauty of nature’s creations and contribute to its development.

The upbringing of a new generation of people capable of preserving and increasing natural resources depends only on the correct integrated influence of educational institutions and the family.