Elena V. Gorshkova

This article deals with issues connected with the development of character creativity in preschoolers. They give а short review of approaches to understanding the nature of expressive movement (in the field of psychology, psychophysiology, and art criticism). The definitions of key concepts are provided: (character, character creativity, performance and compositional creativity, etc.). Character movements are considered to be arbitrary expressive movements. For preschoolers, learning such movements supports the development of a wide range of abilities such as creative, communicative, and regulatory competence. The author explains the underlying principles of their methods for character creativity development in toddlers and preschoolers, which is based on teaching children the language of movements. This method is contrasted with the traditional approach to creativity development in preschools as exemplified by expressive (dance) movements.

The article presents the experimental methodology and findings of research on the possibilities and means of relationship improvement between preschool children in a peer group through developmental activities based on theatre material. The general principles of the developmental methodology, which aim to teach children the expressive creation of characters through the integrated use of theatre tools, are highlighted. These tools are facial gesture, pantomime, gestures, vocal intonations, etc., that convey the acts, characteristic motion , and emotions of the characters interacting with each other according to the plot, allowing the children to experience the whole character by relying on figurative movement with the “whole body”. The data from the control and experimental groups are contrasted in two ways: by creative and sociometric principles. The outcome of the analysis shows a significant improvement in the results of the experimental group, unlike the control group, where there was no difference. The opportunity to improve relationships in the peer group is proved, as well as the efficacy of the experimental methodology for child development through theatre activity as compared to traditional techniques.

The paper is the second one in a series of articles dealing with issues of the development of character creativity in preschoolers, which we consider as a kind of play activity, when the figures of different characters engaging in the plots, are embodied using expressive movements and bodily plasticity. The article clarifies the similarity of character creativity with play (improvisation, performance of the role, etc.). The psychological and pedagogical conditions for the development of character creativity in children at age 3-4 are provided, which guarantee the development of basic visual-acting ideas about the simplest expressive opportunities of the language of movements for the embodiment of a character and “wordless” communication. The basic methodological principles of working with younger preschoolers are explained based on teaching them a language of expressive movements – through two main methods: the development of emotional-movement interaction and the development of the ability to embody different characters. Each stage of the work process in these directions is given: learning the simplest ways to embody different characters (from external acts and properties to internal qualities of the character) and communication by gestures with a game partner (a doll, an adult in the role of a character). The article gives a brief summary of the characteristics of additional methods helping to develop productive imagination, expressiveness of movement and elements of compositional creativity. The results of the development of character creativity in children at age of 3-4 are shown: different characters are embodied schematically through single movements indicating their actions; as well as through fragments providing a character’s emotions or a character’s plasticity through a complex combination of expressive movements of the hands, arms, legs, feet, head and body. The main result achieved by young preschoolers was the initial development of the ability to perform both meaningful and arbitrary expressive movements.

The paper reveals the psychological and pedagogical conditions for the development of figurative and plastic creativity in children of 4-5 years old. The article also explains the methodological principles and stages of work with children of 4-5 years old on the basis of teaching them the language of expressive movements, in the two main directions of methodology. One of them is the core of the whole method for children of this age, which is the development of paired figurative and plastic interaction of peers in the creation of the given plot situations. The other one is the development of the ability to visually reincarnate the image with a new principle of detailing, i.e. the image of the character’s situational behavior. The article also shows the results of development of figurative and plastic creativity in children of 4-5 years old. The image of this or that character is embodied by means of movements that are complexes combining simultaneously means of expression, including movements of legs, gestures, poses, mimics, and also short sequences of movements. These short movements convey the reactions and interactions of the characters. Creative performance increasingly manifests itself as arbitrary expressive movements that convey feelings and relationships of characters based on the retention of each of the actors of the “dual position”, thanks to which the child performs its role without being confused by the imitation of a peer partner.

The article shows the relevance of the development of arbitrary behavior in preschool children. According to the hypothesis of the investigation, methods of emotional-motor psychotechnics can optimize the development of arbitrary behavior in children 5–6 years. At the same time, emotional-motor psychotechnics are considered as a direction of psychological and pedagogical assistance in overcoming the child’s problems by solving practical tasks on the material of figurative-motor exercises with rich emotional content. The methods and results of the investigation are described. The basic principles of work with children by methods of emotional-motor psychotechnics are compared with traditional methods of development of arbitrary behavior in preschool children by means of Board games with rules. 75 children aged 5–6 years took part in the investigation. Based on the comparison of primary and control diagnostic data in the three groups of children is shown a growth in arbitrariness in the experimental group, where lessons were conducted in emotional-motor psychotechnics, in contrast on another experimental group , where lessons with traditional methods were less effective, and control group, where the primary data remained almost unchanged.

The article describes the peculiarities of embodiment of the propulsion-plastic images in individual creative work (copyright of diagnostic methods “Video letter”): using expressive movements of the child transfers the contents of verbal concepts (emotions, personality traits). According to the hypothesis, in children from middle to senior preschool age, the proportion of arbitrary expressive movements as a means of implementing a given image increases and the proportion of their own involuntary expressive movements as spontaneous reactions to the situation of a creative task decreases. Two samples of preschool children are compared: experimental groups where 4-year purposeful development of figurative and plastic creativity (under the program “Expressive movement”) was carried out, and control groups which were not trained under this program. There is shown that in the experimental groups the confirmation of the hypothesis is more obvious than in the control groups, – it proves the active influence of learning the language of movements on the development of conscious use of expressive movements for the embodiment of the image.

The relevance of the topic of the article. Figurative and plastic creativity is optimal for the development of productive imagination in preschoolers – the basis of the creative process. The continuation of its development on the basis of teaching the language of movements allows children 6–7 years old not only to solve hard creative tasks, but also to master ways of nonverbal communication.

The aim of the study is to reveal the possibilities of developing figurative and plastic creativity in preschoolers of 6-7 years old on the basis of teaching the language of expressive movements, which is a continuation and culmination of the work carried out from the younger group.

Description of the research progress. Based on the explanation of the age characteristics of the psychological development of children 6–7 years old, the possibilities of solving by children tasks to compose and express performance during the embodiment of images of diverse characters in plot situations are shown. The psychological and pedagogical conditions of its development in preschoolers of 6–7 years old are explained. The features of the methodology are revealed, the central point of which is the detailing of the personage’s image – with a comprehensive solution to the tasks of developing children’s figurative-plastic interaction and the ability to figurative embodiment. The types of tasks aimed at the development of are described: ways of detailing images; the ability to sensitively perceive (understand) a partner; new ways of conditional stage interaction; expressive performance of complete plot compositions by roles, – as well as the development of composing creativity in the proper sense of the word in the processes creating under music (in co-creation with a peer) a composition of a figurative-plastic etude based on a generalized plot given verbally.

The results of the study. During and upon completion of the developmental training, children aged 6–7 years detail images (characters) with their development from episode to episode of a holistic plot, which becomes a sign of compositional figurative-plastic creativity, which is combined with creative performance in figurative-plastic improvisations to a given musical accompaniment. The data of diagnostic studies confirm the effectiveness of the methodology for the development of figurative-plastic creativity in children aged 6–7 years as a result of the work under the program.

Conclusion. The methodology for the development of figurative and plastic creativity in accordance with the age capabilities of children aged 6–7 allows for the real development of children’s creativity in art and play activities.

The relevance of the topic of the article is due to the importance of the development of figurative-plastic creativity as the most optimal for the development of productive imagination – the basis of any creative process. At the same time, figurative-plastic creativity, which develops among preschoolers on the basis of teaching children the language of movements, contributes to the development of non-verbal communication in preschoolers. The proposed methodology in practical work with preschoolers allows to solve a wide range of problems: cognitive, communicative, creative.

The article is aimed at showing how children of 5–6 years can develop figurative-plastic creativity on the basis of teaching them the language of expressive movements, started from the younger group; to formulate psychological and pedagogical conditions for its development in preschoolers aged 5–6 years.

Description of the research progress. Based on the explanation of the age-related features of the mental development of children aged 5–6 years, the possibilities of solving more complex tasks than in the younger and middle preschool age, the development of creative “composing” and performing in the embodiment of images of diverse characters and their relationships in plot situations are shown. The peculiarities of the methodology are revealed – in two main directions of development of creativity. In the development of figurative-plastic interaction, emphasis is placed on the development of ways to convey communication and relationships of three characters in a single plot situation; the development of paired figurative-plastic interaction continues with the development of more complex ways of transmitting stage illusion by partners-peers. In the development of the ability to figurative transformation, ways of detailing the image are mastered – with the image of the continuous process of its modification, development, with the installation of a complex transmission in figurative movements (“whole body”) of the features of a particular character: his/her emotions, characteristic plasticity, relationships with other characters of the plot.

Research results. The article shows the results of the development of figurative-plastic creativity in children aged 5–6 years: the images of characters are embodied through both movements-complexes and coherent sequences of movements that are connected in meaning, conveying a change in the reactions and emotions of the characters in the course of their interaction with other characters of the plot; creative performance is increasingly manifested as arbitrary expressive movements that convey the feelings and relationships of the characters based on each of the actors holding a “dual position”, thanks to which the child performs the role without straying to imitate peers.

Conclusion. The results obtained indicate both the effectiveness of the methodology of its development in children aged 5–6 years, its compliance with the age capabilities of children, and its theoretical and methodological validity.

The relevance of the topic of the article. The problem of adaptation of younger preschoolers to the conditions of preschool education is one of the most urgent in connection with the importance of finding effective means to optimize the reduction of the period of habituation of young children to a new social situation.

The aim of the study is to describe an experimental study and the results of optimizing the adaptation of children of the 3rd and 4th years of life to the conditions of preschool education when using game exercises with elements of nonverbal communication.

Description of the research progress. According to the hypothesis, game exercises with elements of nonverbal communication contribute to the optimization and reduction of the period of adaptation of younger preschoolers to the conditions of preschool education. The empirical study involved 40 children of the 3rd and 4th years of life, divided into two groups: experimental (EG) and control (KG). The study was conducted in three stages: ascertaining diagnostics, developmental classes and control. During the assessment and control, modified observation maps were used to diagnose the peculiarities of the emotional state of children, including indicators of nonverbal behavior and communication of children. In developing classes with EG children, game exercises with elements of nonverbal communication were used, forming an address to a partner (peer, adult). 12 classes were held (15-20 min.) 3 times a week for a month. The results of both groups were compared with each other. Methods of mathematical statistics were used in the processing of quantitative data of psychological and pedagogical experiment.

The results of the study. Classes in the EG allowed to reduce the period of adaptation of children of the 3rd and 4th years of life to one month with the expected effect: the emotional background of the EG children became steadily positive, the level of play activity and interaction with peers increased.

Conclusion. The results confirmed the hypothesis and allowed us to clarify information about the differences in the development of children of the 3rd and 4th years of life due to the effects of experimental classes (in EG) and without it (in KG).