What is thinking?
There are many definitions of this concept, but, in essence, they all boil down to one thing: thinking is the process of cognition through generalizations, an indirect reflection of reality. That is, this is knowledge that we receive not from the senses, but through the thought process.
A simple example can be given: we look at a boiling kettle and know for sure that the water in it is very hot. We do not need to measure its temperature using special instruments, we do not need to test the water with our hands. We remember what boiling water looks like, and, having generalized our knowledge and extended it to a specific kettle of water, we draw a conclusion. This is how the thinking process works.
Let's look at the basic mental operations that help the cognitive process.
- Analysis is the mental operation of decomposing the object being studied into its component parts, properties or characteristics. Analysis helps to highlight certain properties of an object that we need in a particular case. There can be as many of them as you like. For example, how can you describe an apple? It is round, red, edible.
- Synthesis is an operation opposite to analysis, when objects or phenomena are combined into groups based on common features. In our example: something red, round and edible - what could it be? Apple? Yes, but not only - obviously, the description would include a tomato, a plum, and a candy of the appropriate shape.
- Generalization is the combination of various objects or phenomena into one group based on a common feature. For example: several items of different shapes - an apple, a banana and a pear - can be combined into the “Edible” group. And the apple, red bow and fire truck are in the “Red Objects” group.
- Comparison . Everything is simple here: objects or phenomena that have a common characteristic are compared with each other. The apple is as red as a fire truck, but much smaller. The common feature is color, the difference is size.
- Concretization . Based on general characteristics, specific objects can be identified. In our case: red objects - an apple, a fire truck, a bow. Edible products: banana, apple, pear, tomato.
- Analogy . Transferring knowledge about one subject/phenomenon to another (less studied or inaccessible for study). Knowing the characteristics of one apple, we can draw conclusions about all the apples in the basket.
Thinking operations also include:
- Abstraction is when, while studying a subject, it is necessary to concentrate on one of its properties, ignoring the rest. For example, a ball and an orange are round objects, and that’s where their similarities end. But if we need to name exactly objects that have the shape of a ball, we can abstract from the remaining properties of an orange and a ball.
- Classification is the distribution of objects according to some characteristics. For example, we can categorize objects by shape (round or not); color (red and not), the sign “edible or inedible”. Mental classification helps organize knowledge about a subject.
- Systematization - arrangement of objects in a certain order. For example, all red objects can be arranged according to size: fire truck - apple - bow.
The process of learning, acquiring any new knowledge, as a rule, includes a person simultaneously performing several such mental operations.
Formation of thinking of preschoolers
The development of thinking in a preschooler is determined by the ability to use universal mental operations inherent in thinking: attention, analysis, synthesis, comparison, classification, generalization
Comparison
The baby learns to compare the essential and non-essential features of an object.
It is necessary that he understands the importance of the process
Analysis
This method allows you to break the object under study into parts and isolate its constituent components. For example, a child can easily name parts of a house: roof, chimney, window, door, etc.
Synthesis
The opposite of analysis is a mental operation, that is, in the process of synthesis, the preschooler combines individual elements into a whole. An example would be the skill of coherent reading.
Generalization
Typical for a preschooler aged 6 years. Appears as vocabulary accumulates and generalized concepts are used in speech.
Classification
A mental operation that allows you to find similar and distinctive features of certain objects, concepts and phenomena.
Peculiarities of thinking of preschoolers
Psychologists distinguish three types of thinking characteristic of preschool children:
1. Visually effective . Involves studying a subject through direct interaction with it. It develops in a child very first, by the age of 2-3 years. Thinking at this age is based on the principle: “action - observing the results - trying to understand what is happening.” The baby is not yet thinking and practically does not refer to previous experience.
2. Visual-figurative . Appears from 3-6 years of age. Here, previously acquired experience plays an important role. At this age, a child does not have to perform certain actions if he knows their result. He can imagine a familiar object (its image) and even perform certain mental actions with it with the help of memories and imagination.
For example, a 2-year-old child needs both a doll and a spoon to “feed” a doll, and at 5 years old a child calmly operates with an invisible spoon, conducting an active dialogue with the doll, which also sometimes exists only in his imagination.
3. Verbal-logical . Typical for children of older preschool age. This is the most developed stage of thinking. Here, not only actions and images are involved in the process of cognition - the child uses mental operations and reasoning. At this stage of thinking, speech is actively used.
Of course, even at this age, visual material is of great importance, but the child is already able to analyze the situation, predict its development based on previous experience, generalize, and draw conclusions. They say that at the age of 5-7 years, a child’s “logic turns on.”
“Logic” literally translated from Greek means “the science of correct thinking” or “the ability to reason.” That is, in order to develop logical thinking in a preschooler, you need to teach him to think and reason correctly.
It must be remembered that a child’s logical thinking must be based on a certain level of knowledge. Therefore, it is important not only to develop the child’s thinking apparatus, but also to provide him with information about the world around him.
Leading type of thinking
Senior preschool age is a period of 5-6 years. A unique time for a baby who absorbs information like a sponge. The leading type of thinking in children of senior preschool age is visual and figurative, but logical thinking is already beginning to take shape. The child becomes able to work with simple diagrams and tables, draw conclusions, find commonalities between objects, and can choose the correct answers in complex tasks.
Dot drawing classes for preschoolers in kindergarten
The preschooler begins to think more and more, imagining objects; he no longer necessarily has to constantly see what is the subject of his thoughts. Thinking becomes more flexible, the frame that previously seemed to hinder development disappears. Prerequisites appear to explain this or that phenomenon, to determine the laws of the process.
It's important to understand. Children with mental retardation (MDD) may have lower intelligence compared to their peers, therefore, the teacher and, first of all, the parents are required to make great efforts in developing the child’s thinking.
Any developmental disorder that parents notice should not go unnoticed by a specialist, who, as a result of the examination, may indicate developmental delay. Such children need additional classes (art, rhythm, salt dough, design), which will be a good stimulus for development.
Forms of logical thinking
There are three forms of logical thinking: concept, judgment and inference.
A concept is a generalized characteristic of a phenomenon or object, or rather, a group of objects or phenomena that are similar in some way.
For example, “snow is a type of precipitation of crystalline form.” In this case, the concept of “snow” identifies precisely this type of precipitation based on the attribute “crystalline form”.
Judgment is a reflection of connections between objects or phenomena. It is not necessarily true - it can be false, and private, and individual.
An example of a true and general proposition in our case could be the expression “snow always falls at low temperatures,” a particular one — “there are snowless winters,” and a singular one — “there was no snow this winter.”
Inference is the establishment of such connections between concepts (or judgments) in which a new one is obtained from one or more initial judgments - a conclusion.
Obviously, it is the ability to draw conclusions (conclusions) from the information available to a person that speaks of his ability to think logically.
Features of the development of thinking in preschool age
Children's thinking is characterized by a qualitative originality that distinguishes it from the thinking of adults. The development of thinking in preschool age is included in subject-related activities. A preschooler gains knowledge and experience through actions. These actions develop into ready-made schemes, are appropriated by the child (internalized) and become the basis of intellectual activity.
But the child not only uses ready-made connections that are familiar to him from actions with objects, but is aimed at establishing new relationships for him. A preschooler doesn’t just try on construction kit parts; selects a suitable object to “feed” the doll; builds a garage for his car - all these actions require analysis, comparison, generalization. That is, the child thinks, reflects.
The formation of a preschooler’s speech skills has a tremendous impact on the thinking process. Speech arises from the child’s need to communicate and interact, and then it acquires the functions of thinking.
In the first years of life, adult speech helps the child organize thinking and keep it in accordance with a specific goal. “Which ring in the pyramid will be next? Is it suitable? - the mother asks questions to the baby, and in response he tries to understand why one ring fits and the others do not.
The formation of active speech of the preschooler himself rapidly changes the conditions for the development of thinking. Now the child can ask a lot about what piques his interest. And the appearance of numerous questions is not long in coming.
Receiving answers, the baby finds out hidden characteristics and connections of objects that are not obvious to him, and children's thinking acquires elements of criticality and planning.
From younger to older preschool age, the internal mechanisms of the thinking process change. If in a small child the thought process is triggered by actions, then after 5 years a preschooler begins to actively operate with images.
Development of logical thinking in preschoolers
A 5-7 year old child is already able to use mental operations: analyze objects and phenomena, highlight their characteristic features, establish cause-and-effect relationships, and draw conclusions. That is, logical thinking is quite accessible to children of older preschool age.
At the same time, child psychologists warn parents against trying to quickly “transfer” a child from the stage of imaginative thinking to the more developed stage of logical thinking. It is not worth preventing a child from “thinking in pictures”, if only because such a skill develops creativity in children, and therefore facilitates the search for solutions to non-standard problems. The lack of developed imagination can result in a child’s inability for abstract thinking, which develops later, by the age of 10.
The main role of parents is to provide children with the most effective learning process. Children under 3 years old, who “think with their hands,” should be given as many opportunities as possible to tactilely explore objects and their transformations. The child must assemble a tower of cubes, make a cake out of sand, bathe a duck in water, and so on. Material for research may be limited only for safety reasons.
To develop imaginative thinking, it is necessary that the child be able to draw or sculpt objects from plasticine from memory, observe nature, coherently describe pictures, and be able to talk about what result he wants to achieve by assembling a construction set.
You should not expect that, having reached a certain age, a child will immediately jump from one type of thinking to another. He is developing the ability to move to a new level, and he can only realize it with the help of an adult. At the first stage, the participation of an adult in children's activities is necessary. At the same time, he not only does the same thing as the child, but also involves him in the discussion: “What do you think, if you put this detail here, what will happen?” (assembling a construction set), “I forgot what a fly agaric looks like” (drawing a forest).
At a later age, the child needs to be involved in the search for cause-and-effect relationships between phenomena and objects. For example, do not immediately answer his questions, but reason with him or ask him to offer his options. The main thing in this case is not the correct answer, but the search for a solution.
At the age of 5-6 years, children can be offered simple logic problems for preschoolers. The main thing is not to overload your baby: at this age, 10-15 minutes of exercise a day will be enough. And to maintain your child’s interest, try to choose tasks with a fascinating plot and colorful illustrations.
Ways to develop thinking
Children's brains are constantly active. The baby absorbs information about the world around him through all his senses:
- vision;
- hearing;
- sense of smell;
- touch.
Thinking must be developed
He tries to build cause-and-effect relationships, analyze and draw conclusions. It is in early childhood that logic is formed. The task of adults is to help develop it by creating various game situations, solving logic problems and puzzles.
How does thinking develop in people?
The methodology for developing thinking in the garden is based on an understanding of age-related characteristics. Exercises must correspond to the level of mental development of the child. Otherwise, the goal will not be achieved, and the little family member will lose interest in such games.
Thinking in its development goes through three stages:
- Visual-effectiveness is inherent in children of the first years of life. It does not require speech, allowing contact with surrounding objects.
- Visual-figurative thinking characterizes three-year-olds. Some objects at this age are replaced by their creative images, and children begin to think abstractly.
- Verbal-logical thinking is formed by 6-7 years after kindergarten and allows you to think using words, not abstract images.
Note! Each stage of development has its own tasks. Thinking abilities develop gradually
Also, didactic materials will gradually become more complex.
Games help in development
Features of the development of thinking in preschool children
Children 2-4 years old (younger and middle groups) need to study the object, touch it with their hands, try it on their teeth, and drop it on the floor. These manipulations give an idea of the qualities of the item (taste, smell, strength and the possibility of its use).
At this stage, the baby needs the active participation of adult family members. Due to his age, he is not able to understand the task the first time and complete it independently; he needs to repeat it several times, show examples, answer questions. A prerequisite is a discussion of the game process, excluding the intuitive nature of performing exercises.
By the age of 5 (senior group), preschool children can think using the method of images. They can compare not only things of the same type, but also objects that are different in color, shape and size.
Note! Success in solving logical problems depends on regular practice. They should become daily
It is not necessary to conduct them in the classical form at a gaming table. Once parents turn on creative thinking, they will be able to learn while doing everyday things.
In the sixth year of life, abstract thinking begins to form. At this age they have a rich conceptual apparatus and a developed imagination. The main means of understanding the world during this period is speech.
Games and exercises to develop logical thinking in preschoolers
Children's games to develop logic will be useful at any age. Here are some examples of such games and exercises.
"The Game in Reverse"
An adult says a phrase that contains a deliberately incorrect message. The child must quickly correct it. Depending on age, you can complicate the original phrases. For example, the little ones understand that the phrase “The snow is hot” should be immediately answered: “Cold”; “Tomato blue” - “Red”. And older children can already compare and answer the phrase “An elephant is smaller than a mosquito”: “More.”
The good thing about this game is that it can be played by an unlimited number of children. In addition, kids are always very cheerful and readily “correct” adults.
"Extra item"
The Find the Odd One game is also a fun activity suitable for all ages.
Pictures or objects are collected in one place (box, hat) according to some principle, and one extra object is thrown there. It needs to be identified and named.
Tasks can be very simple or more complex. For example, for kids you can throw a ball into a box of fruit, and for older children you can put a vegetable in the same fruit.
In this case, in a playful way, the child learns to analyze objects, identify common and different features, and acquire classification skills.
“What does it look like?”
Play association games with your child. Let him say what this or that object reminds him of. You can start with the simplest (an orange is a ball, a potato is a pebble) and gradually move on to more complex associations: what does a rainy sky, a fluffy kitten, a mitten, a table look like?.. The more surprising the association, the better.
Don’t try to tell your child a trivial answer: even if you don’t think that ice cream looks like a balloon, it’s okay, it’s important that the child develops his own images.
This game is more suitable for average preschoolers.
"What does it mean?"
A lightweight version of a full-fledged logic game.
Invite your child to continue the phrase in as many ways as possible: “I took candy from the table. What does it mean?" Options, for example, could be: “There is no more candy on the table”, “The candy is now in my hand (pocket)”, “There are fewer candies on the table”, “I have stained my hand with chocolate”...
The more options are born, the more amazing they are. This game is not for the youngest, but at 4-5 years old children already play it with pleasure.
“Complete the drawing”
The simplest creative task. You can draw any figure (squiggle) on the sheet and invite the child to complete the drawing, so that this figure is definitely involved. For younger children, you can depict something quite recognizable, but not completed, and for older children, do not limit your imagination.
"Find a Pair"
Make pairs of pictures that are logically related to each other. Divide into two piles. Let the child find a pair for each item.
For younger children, you can choose simple options: tree - leaf, fish - aquarium. Older children can cope with a more complex task - for example, “picking up” a syringe for the doctor.
"Item Description"
You name the object, and the child must choose as many epithets for it as possible. For example, a Christmas tree: prickly, tall, beautiful, elegant, green.
The reverse option is also interesting. What could be prickly? The same tree, hedgehog, needle, snow, scarf... The more associations, the better.
The game, of course, is not for the little ones.
"Find the sequence"
For children who can count to at least 10, you can create an elementary number sequence, where each subsequent number is greater/less than the previous one (by a certain number).
2 - 4 - 6 - ...What's next?
9 - 7 - 5 - ...What's next?
Older preschoolers will enjoy pattern-finding games not only with numbers, but also with pictures.
"The Most Necessary Items"
Invite your child to go to the countryside / desert island / on a trip around the world, taking with him only things, for example, with the letter “k” or green, and no more than 10 pieces. Let him explain why he needs this or that thing.
Besides being fun, it's also a good way to test your child's ability to predict future events.
There are many types of developmental activities. Which one to choose depends only on the imagination of adults and the inclinations of children. Some children perceive information better in verbal form, others - through illustrations. The main thing is that the child is interested, so that he gets involved in the process of finding a solution, and begins to think: “Why is this so?” and “What if?”
Logic and mathematics for children
We develop logical thinking, teach you how to work with information and make the right decisions in an interactive game format.
Learn more.
Development of preschooler thinking
Tatiana Kukarskaya
Development of preschooler thinking
CONTENT
Introduction Page 3
1. Types of thinking Page . 3
2. Mental operations as the main mechanisms of thinking . Page 6
3. Age-related features of the development of thinking in a preschooler . Page 8
4. The importance of children’s assimilation of knowledge for the development of their thinking . Page eleven
Conclusion Page eleven
Literature Page 12
Introduction
Preschool childhood is a very short period in a person’s life, only the first seven years, but it has enduring significance. This is the period when the child develops rapidly and rapidly. Every year he changes physically and acquires completely new mental abilities and qualities. From a helpless baby, he turns into a relatively independent, active person. The preschool period is sensitive for the development of many mental processes. In early childhood, the foundations for the development of a child's thinking . Based on the visually effective form of thinking , a visually figurative form of thinking .
In preschool childhood, the child has to solve increasingly complex and varied problems that require the identification and use of connections and relationships between objects, phenomena, and actions. In playing, drawing, constructing, and when performing educational and work tasks, he not only uses memorized actions, but constantly modifies them, obtaining new results. Developing thinking gives children the opportunity to foresee the results of their actions in advance and plan them.
It should be noted that, despite numerous theoretical searches and experimental studies, there is no consensus on the structure and nature of thinking . Thus, thinking in modern psychology is understood as the highest form of reflection of reality, superior to the sensory and emotional reflection of objects of inanimate nature. It is now indisputable that thinking is one of the highest cognitive mental processes, which has a significant impact on all human activities.
1. Types of thinking
In psychology, there are several approaches to classifying types of thinking . Let's take a closer look at them.
So, according to the type of problems being solved, the following are distinguished:
• theoretical (knowledge of laws, rules)
and practical
(preparing the physical transformation of reality) thinking .
According to the time of the process, according to its division into stages and according to the level of occurrence, awareness or unconsciousness, they distinguish:
• intuitive (proceeds quickly, there are no clearly defined stages, is minimally realized) and analytical ( developed in time , has clearly defined stages, is largely represented in consciousness) thinking .
Also distinguished:
• realistic (regulated by the laws of logic and aimed mainly at the outside world)
and artistic (related to the realization of human desires, prone to distortion of reality)
thinking .
According to the degree of novelty of the product of cognition obtained in the process of mental activity, thinking is divided into
• productive and reproductive.
According to the degree of activity of the subject of mental activity, they distinguish
• voluntary and involuntary thought processes.
The most common classification is the division of thinking , depending on the nature (form of presentation of conditions)
and a method for solving problems of the following types:
1. visually effective (practical,
2. visual-figurative (figurative,
3. and conceptual (verbal-logical)
thinking [11] .
First of all, in phylogenesis, as well as in the process of individual development , visual and effective thinking . This is thinking carried out in the process of actions in an externally given objective situation. Accordingly, the solution to the problem occurs with the help of a real transformation of the situation, through an observable motor act, and the result of solving the problem is the transformation of the objective situation in accordance with the goal of the subject. In this case, the construction and testing of hypotheses occurs directly in the process of practical activity. Speech is involved in visual-effective thinking to a lesser extent than in other types of thinking . Practical thinking is present not only in humans, but also in higher animals. Visual-figurative thinking , which begins its development within the framework of practical thinking , is the next stage in the development of mental activity.
The functioning of figurative thinking is associated with the mental representation of situations and those changes in them that a person wants to obtain with the help of his transformative influence on situations; but, in contrast to visual-effective thinking , the situation when using figurative thinking is transformed only in terms of the image. There is an operation with images-representations of objects or their images, and the whole variety of different actual characteristics of objects can be recreated.
Finally, verbal-logical thinking , which primarily attracted the attention of psychologists, is distinguished by the fact that problems are presented and solved in verbal (verbal)
form.
In this case, concepts are used (both concrete and abstract, logical constructions that function and generally exist on the basis of linguistic means. The end result of verbal-logical thinking is the derivation of new knowledge. Conceptual thinking allows solving mental problems in a generalized way and is, within the framework of this classification, the final stage of the development of thinking [1] 2.
Mental operations as the main mechanisms of thinking
In the structure of thinking , one should also highlight mental operations that have a significant impact on all human activity. Let's consider the main mental operations: analysis, synthesis, comparison, abstraction, concretization and generalization.
1. Analysis is the mental decomposition of a whole into parts or the mental isolation of its sides, actions, and relationships from the whole. In its elementary form, analysis is expressed in the practical decomposition of objects into their component parts. A table, for example, can be divided into parts such as a lid, legs, drawers, spacers, etc. When introducing children to a plant, they are asked to show part of it (trunk, branches, leaves, roots)
.
Analysis can be practical (when the thought process is directly included in speech activity) and mental (theoretical)
.
If analysis is divorced from other operas, it becomes vicious and mechanistic. Elements of such an analysis are observed in a child in the first stages of thinking development , when the child disassembles and breaks toys into separate parts, without using them further.
2. Synthesis is the mental unification of parts, properties, actions into a single whole. The operation of synthesis is the opposite of analysis. In its process, the relationship of individual objects or phenomena as elements or parts to their complex whole, object or phenomenon is established. Synthesis is not a mechanical combination of parts and therefore cannot be reduced to their sum. When individual parts of a machine are connected, their synthesis produces not a pile of metal, but a machine capable of moving. The chemical combination of oxygen and hydrogen produces water. Both synthesis and analysis occupy an important place in the educational process. So, when learning to read sounds and letters, syllables are made, words are made from syllables, and sentences are made from words.
3. Comparison is the establishment of similarities or differences between objects and phenomena or their individual characteristics. In practice, comparison is observed when applying one object to another; for example, one pencil to another, a ruler to a desk, etc. The process of comparison occurs when we measure space or weigh weights. The comparison is one-sided (incomplete, based on one criterion)
and multilateral
(complete, in all respects)
;
superficial and deep; unmediated and indirect. of thinking as the ability to find differences in the most similar objects and similarities in different ones
is especially important 4. Abstraction consists in the fact that the subject, isolating any properties, signs of the object being studied, is distracted from the rest. We can talk about the color green as having a beneficial effect on human vision, without specifically indicating objects that have a green color. In this process, a feature separated from an object is thought of independently of other features of the object and becomes an independent subject of thought . Abstraction is usually achieved through analysis. It was through abstraction that abstract, abstract concepts of length, breadth, quantity, equality, value, etc. were created. Abstraction is a complex process that depends on the uniqueness of the object being studied and the goals facing the researcher. Thanks to abstraction, a person can escape from the individual, the concrete. At the same time, abstraction does not exist without sensory support, otherwise it becomes meaningless and formal. Among the types of abstraction we can distinguish practical, directly included in the process of activity; sensual or external; higher, indirect, expressed in concepts.
5. Concretization involves the return of thought from the general and abstract to the concrete in order to reveal the content. Concretization is turned to in the event that the expressed thought turns out to be incomprehensible to others or it is necessary to show the manifestation of the general in the individual. When we are asked to give an example, then, in essence, the request is to specify the previous statements.
6. Generalization - mental unification of objects and phenomena according to their common and essential characteristics[12]. For example, similar characteristics found in apples, pears, plums, etc., are combined in one concept, which is defined by the word “fruit”
.
Mental activity is always aimed at obtaining results. A person analyzes objects in order to identify general patterns in them and predict their properties. A psychologist studies people in order to reveal the general patterns of their development .
The repetition of a certain set of properties in a number of objects indicates more or less significant connections between them. At the same time, generalization does not at all imply discarding the specific special properties of objects, but consists in revealing their essential connections. Essential, that is, necessarily connected with each other and precisely because of this, inevitably repeating. The simplest generalizations involve combining objects based on individual, random characteristics. More complex is complex generalization, in which objects are combined on different grounds. The most difficult generalization, in which species and generic characteristics and an object are clearly identified, is included in the system of concepts. All of these operations cannot occur in isolation, without connection with each other. On their basis, more complex operations arise, such as classification, systematization, seriation [2].
3. Age-related features of the development of thinking in a preschooler
At three or four years old, the child tries to analyze something. What he sees around him; compare objects with each other and draw conclusions about their interdependencies. In everyday life and in the classroom, as a result of observations of the environment, accompanied by explanations from an adult, children gradually gain an elementary understanding of the nature and life of people. The child himself strives to explain what he sees around him. But it is sometimes difficult to understand him, since he often takes the effect for the cause of the fact.
preschoolers compare and analyze in a visual and actionable way. But some children are already beginning to show the ability to solve representational problems. Children can compare objects by color and shape, and identify differences in other ways. They can generalize objects by color (it’s all blue), by shape (it’s all round, size (it’s all small)
.
In the fourth year of life, children more often use generic concepts such as toys, clothes, vegetables, animals, dishes in conversation, and include a larger number of specific names in each of them. The relationship of the general to the particular and the particular to the general is understood by the child in a unique way. So the words dishes and vegetables are for him only collective names for groups of objects, and not abstract concepts, as is the case with more developed thinking .
Children aged 4–5 years begin to develop imaginative thinking . Children are already able to use simple schematic images to solve simple problems. They can follow a pattern and solve maze problems. Anticipation develops . Children can tell what will happen as a result of objects interacting based on their spatial location. However, at the same time, it is difficult for them to take the position of another observer and internally commit. mental transformation of an image. Children of this age are characterized by the well-known phenomena of J. Piaget: preservation of quantity, volume and size.
For example, if a child is presented with three black paper circles and seven white ones and asked: “Which circles are more, black or white?”
, the majority will answer that there are more white ones. But if you ask:
“Which are more – white or paper?”
, the answer will be the same - more whites.
Thinking as a whole and the simpler processes that make it up cannot be considered in isolation from the general content of the child’s activity, from the conditions of his life and upbringing. Problem solving can occur in visual-effective, visual-figurative and verbal terms, and the main task of the teacher is the formation of a variety of specific ideas. It is also necessary to teach children and generalize.
In older preschool age, children continue to develop imaginative thinking . Children are able to solve a problem not only visually, but also to transform an object in their minds. The development of thinking is accompanied by the development of mental means, the ability to generalize is improved, which is the basis of verbal-logical thinking . As has been shown in studies by Russian psychologists, children of senior preschool age are able to reason, giving adequate causal explanations, if the analyzed relationships do not go beyond the limits of their visual experience.
In children 6–7 years old, visual-figurative thinking , but by the end of preschool age verbal-logical thinking . It involves developing the ability to operate with words and understand the logic of reasoning. Concept development begins in preschool . Fully verbal-logical, conceptual, or abstract thinking is formed by adolescence.
An older preschooler can establish cause-and-effect relationships and find solutions to problem situations. Can make exceptions based on all studied generalizations, build a series of 6-8 consecutive pictures.
By the end of preschool age, children begin to solve rather complex problems that require an understanding of certain physical and other connections and relationships, and the ability to use knowledge about these connections and relationships in new conditions.
4. The importance of assimilation of knowledge for the development of thinking
Expanding the range of tasks available to a child’s thinking is associated with his assimilation of more and more new knowledge. Acquiring knowledge is a prerequisite for the development of children's thinking . The assimilation of knowledge occurs as a result of thinking ; it is the solution of mental problems. A child simply will not understand an adult’s explanations, will not learn any lessons from their own experience, if he fails to perform mental actions aimed at identifying those connections and relationships that adults point out to him and on which the success of his activities depends. When new knowledge is learned, it is included in the further development of thinking and is used in the child’s mental actions to solve subsequent problems. The basis for the development of thinking is the formation and improvement of mental actions. What kind of mental actions a child masters determines what knowledge he can learn and how he can use it.
Conclusion
The formation of thinking in children occurs mainly through the learning process and, depending on the system of knowledge in which all the external and internal experience of the child is realized, it also depends on what mental apparatus is used to dissect, analyze, connect, and process his external and internal experience. thinking is restructured and rises to a new level as, in the process of learning, the child masters a system of knowledge of various “subjects”, which contains the generalized experience accumulated by humanity, and breaks down its content in a completely different way than it is divided in perception. On the empirical basis of this experimental knowledge, “rational” mental activity is formed. It characterizes the next stage in the development of thinking , followed by the highest level of “reasonable,” theoretical thinking . And so, we saw what a complex path the development of a preschooler’s thinking , and what significance it has for his further development .
