2018, 6

Shiyan O.A. Children’s Narratives as a Possible Resource for Development of Dialectical Thinking in Senior Preschool Children

2018, 6 p. 11–27

Shiyan O.A.

857

Goal-setting. The paper focuses on narrative abilities of preschool children as a resource for their cognitive development. Considering the speech and language development by children applies Lev Vygotsky’s cultural-historical approach. The development is viewed as a dialectical process: development is considered not as a gradual growth, but as a series of qualitative transformations. The study emphasizes two statements from Lev Vygotsky’s analysis: first, the idea of the genetic connection of telling (and drawing) stories with the future learning of reading and writing; second, the idea of connection between figurative and verbal means of creating narratives at the preschool age. Lev Vygotsky’s ideas were considered in relation with current studies on children’s narrative abilities.

Procedure and Methods. The paper describes the study on connection between the structure of children’s narratives and the dialectical thinking of preschoolers.

Applied methods: “What can be at the same time?” (N.Veraksa); “What can be the other way round?)” (A. Belolutskaya); “Children’s test of cyclic representations” (N. Veraksa, S. Senyukova), “Tell a story” (A. Mak Keib). The study involved 34 children aged from five years to six years and eleven months. Each child was studied individually to avoid the influence of other children on the content of the story. A study on the method “Compilation of history using a dialectical pattern” (I. B. Shiyan) involving 44 senior preschool children (5 – 6.5 years of age) has been conducted. Children were asked to invent their own story (based on imagination or describing real events that happened to the child) using a dialectical pattern (beginning, middle, end) or without using one.

Results and Conclusion. The connection with the success of dialectical approach was detected only for stories based on the pattern. The study came to conclusion that using the “beginning, end, middle” storytelling pattern encourages children to create a more complex narrative, including operating with opposites. The creation of narratives can be used as a resource of cognitive development, in particular development of dialectical thinking in senior preschool children.

Keywords: narratives dialectical thinking pattern cognitive development of preschool children

DOI: DOI: 10.24411/1997-9657-2018-10021

Yakshina A.N., Le-van T.N., Krasheninnikov-Khait E.E., Loginova L.V., Kholodova O.L. Educational Capacity of Modern Public Playgrounds: Expertise and Opportunities for Development

2018, 6 p. 28–42

Krasheninnikov-Khait E.E. , Loginova L.V. , Kholodova O.L. , Le-van T.N. , Iakshina A.N.

893

Introduction. The paper examines the necessity of public urban playgrounds for children. Psychological and pedagogical studies reveal that the quantity and quality of outdoor play areas do not cover the needs of children. The authors monitored playgrounds in different areas of Moscow, Russia in order to explore the actual situation in the urban space from the perspective of well balanced development and spontaneous outdoor learning of children of different ages. They looked into how existing public playgrounds covered the needs of children, and if the outdoor learning was possible.

Methods. The study had two stages. The data was collected by structured non-participant observation with interview elements in which 24 public playgrounds in Moscow were involved, 417 adults were interviewed. The authors carried out an analysis of the equipment of playgrounds, and children activities to determine whether and how far playgrounds were used for communication in mixed age groups.

Analysis and Results. The authors analyzed characteristics of playgrounds, including: location, observation time, age and number of visitors, equipment and its arrangement, presented play areas and infrastructure, surface materials, individual and group activities of children and adults. The observation discovered that children of three different ages (early, preschool and school age) were using public playgrounds at the same time. The vast majority of the playgrounds near apartment blocks (76.9%) and almost a half of the playgrounds in parks (45.5%) had separated play areas for children of different ages, which largely meets the needs of parents. The qualitative analysis revealed that the equipment of the park playgrounds was more diverse, while almost a half of the playgrounds near apartment blocks (53.8%) showed one and the same type of equipment. The authors emphasize that, both playgrounds near apartment blocks and playgrounds in parks, were more focused on active exercises; most components of the equipment were of the same type and had closed character. The authors discovered lack of equipment for experimenting. The infrastructure of the playgrounds of both types showed that the playgrounds were considered as a space for children only, the interests and needs of adults coming with children were not taken into account.

Conclusion. The study indicates the need to create additional conditions for supporting and developing of children’s game, and increasing educational capacity of playgrounds. Among the measures proposed by the authors is increasing the educational capacity of playgrounds, and creating a citywide digital resource with a map and description of psychological and pedagogical characteristics of outdoor areas for children. An important role is given to educational work with families, that will increase the parental competence and responsibility in the field of educational structuring and outdoor learning.

Keywords: playground outdoor learning early childhood age preschool age junior school age competence of parents

DOI: 10.24411/1997-9657-2018-10022

Kalinina L.Y. Art-Composition as an Indicator for the Musical Aptitude in Senior Preschoolers: Goal-Setting

2018, 6 p. 43–49

Kalinina L.Y.

637

Introduction. This paper deals with the phenomenon of musical aptitude in senior preschool children, and new ways of its detection. The purpose of this work is to offer techniques for early detection of this personal quality in the course of art activities.

Methods. Research methods were bases on ideas of identifying the child as gifted (J. Renzulli, A. Gesser, K. Heller, F. Monks, K. Eriksson, A. I. Savenkov, D.B. Bogoyavlenskaya, V. D. Shadrikov, A.А. Nikitin, M. Storfer, E.I. Shcheblanova and others), the concept of the “Art-composition” educational technology as a resource for art education (L.Y. Kalinina), research data on aspects of art activities by senior preschool students of the “Creativity” non-school education center in Samara.

Structure of the Study. A hypothesis based on the obtained data predicts that it is possible to identify a talent in the course of art activities in the early stages. An approach to the testing of the hypothesis was developed, the key role in which has the “Art-composition” educational technology: a conclusion about the presence of a talent can be drawn from the results of the child’s creative performance, and the evaluation of the products of their activity using special criteria.

Results. The study describes experience of encouraging creativity in senior preschool children in classes with elements of art-composition. To improve the arsenal of means for early identifying of talent we offered diagnostic tools that are applicable in a natural learning environment. General activities of a teacher aimed at revealing musical aptitude in senior preschool children in the course of teaching art-composition were described.

Conclusions. Authors present an easy-to-use methodology that makes it possible to “indicate” the presence of musical aptitude in senior preschool children based on generalization of the theory and work experiences.

Keywords: talent identification of a talent in children creative learning art composition

DOI: 10.24411/1997-9657-2018-10023

Nichiporenko L.K., Yafizova R.I., Atarova A.N. Social Construction of Modern Childhood: Determinants of Research

2018, 6 p. 50–61

Nichiporenko L.K. , Atarova A.N. , Yafizova R.I.

625

Introduction. This paper describes results of an integrated multivariate research project, provisionally called “Artifacts of Childhood”, that studied sociological and pedagogical tendencies connected with correlation between the values of the modern adult’s and child’s worlds. The purpose of this study was to look into the specifics of the modern attitude to the childhood, the child’s values-based attitude towards the adult’s world, and to develop an understanding of the value determinants of the child’s social and personal development.

Methods. Research methods were based on Adlerian conceptual model of a deliberate and purposeful changing of parenting styles (A. Adler); the concept of a cultural-historical development (L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leontiev) of the child’s personality in the course of mastering the knowledge of previous generations with guidance from an adult (N. F. Radionova); understanding of the child as the subject of child’s activities (T. I. Babayeva, A. G. Gogoberidze and others).

Results. Authors defined essential and structural characteristics of the value‑based attitude of children towards the adult’s world, and established pedagogical determinants that ensure the development of the values-based attitude to the childhood period. Authors received actual data on the interaction between the preschool and the family in the course of shaping the value orientation of adults and modern preschoolers.

Keywords: sociology of childhood values-based attitude towards child’s world children’s subculture child’s activities exploitation of the child image

DOI: 10.24411/1997-9657-2018-10024

Mikheeva E.V. Pedagogical Conditions for Developing Creative Abilities in Preschool Children within Cultural Practices

2018, 6 p. 62–71

Mikheeva E.V.

668

Introduction. The paper presents results of theoretical research and practical evaluation of the problem of developing creative abilities in senior preschool children. The purpose of the study was to develop a system of pedagogical support for creative self-realization of preschool children.

As theoretical foundation pedagogical studies on encouraging creative activities in children, made by L. A. Venger, N. F. Vishnyakova, R. I. Zhukovskaya, Т. S. Komarova, I.Ya. Lerner, A. I. Savenkov, N. M. Sokolnikova, A. I. Usova, O.S. Ushakov were used. The authors showed the possibility of developing creative abilities in preschool children by providing a focused learning process in preschool.

The practical significance of the research lies in determination the cultural practices pedagogical means of developing creative abilities in preschool children. Results of the research can improve the process of aesthetic development of preschool children in the system of preschool education. Results of the research can be used by preschool teachers, students of pedagogical universities colleges; they can be useful for creating preschool educational programs.

Conclusions. Pedagogical support in developing creative abilities in children is determined by a special set of pedagogical conditions: studying the level of creative activity of a child; development and implementation of the partial educational program, which presupposes developing creative abilities in children in the process of learning the culture and traditions of their country; pedagogical education of parents about creative development of senior preschool children.

Keywords: preschool education creativity activity creative activity pedagogical conditions cultural practices

DOI: 10.24411/1997-9657-2018-10025

Güler Yıldız T., Ertürk Kara H.G., Fındık Tanrıbuyurdu E., Gönen M. Examining Self-Regulation Skills According to Teacher-Child Interaction Quality

2018, 6 p. 72–79

Fındık Tanrıbuyurdu E. , Güler Yıldız T. , Gönen M. , Ertürk Kara H.G.

784

Peer play provides ample opportunities for the use and development of selfregulatory and mathematical skills. This study aimed at examining whether children’s engagement in solitary low-level play, interactive play and competent play influences their self-regulatory and number sense skills. The effect of demographic variables and children’s social skills on these skills was also investigated. The participants in this study were 149 children (Mean age = 68 months, SD = 3.71) from public and semi-independent kindergarten programs in a city in southwest Turkey. Children’s play was observed during free play time, and their self-regulation and mathematical skills were measured. Teachers rated children’s social skills. Binary logistic regression was used as an analytical tool. The results showed that children’s engagement in peer play significantly improved their chances of having higher number sense and self-regulatory skills. In particular, interactive play significantly contributed to children’s selfregulatory and number sense skills. Moreover, child age, family income, and social skills were influential factors for these skills. The findings show the importance of peer play for supporting the development of self-regulatory and mathematical skills.

Keywords: self-regulation teacher-child interaction PSRA CLASS early childhood education

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