The main neoplasms of preschool age: a general characteristic of the development of the child

Child development is not only physical growth that is noticeable to others. It is also a gradual, phased formation of mental, personal qualities that are not so noticeable to an outside observer. The child, as it were, goes up the stairs from simple to increasingly complex and significant qualitative changes.

Why do we need an age-old approach to raising children

The age-related features of each personality dictate the need for their consideration in organizing both its physical existence and mental and social development.

The age-based approach implies a rational organization of the child’s living space, which should stimulate the development of two of the most important mental processes in him:

• selection of items of use in accordance with his age-related needs;
• ways and content of communication with him, which should stimulate cognitive interest in the environment.

Failure to comply with these conditions leads to inhibition and distortion of the growth of personal qualities, to the appearance of deviations in the physical and social formation of a person.

Scientific periodization of preschool age

The age-related approach to raising children is built taking into account and using the specifics of their physical, mental and social development. Currently adopted the following periodization of preschool age:

• 0-1 year - early childhood, infancy;
• 1-3 years - early age;
• 3-7 years old - preschool age.

Each of these periods is completely different from the others in the originality of the child’s relationships and interactions with the world around him. Its development is a series of translational changes in the psyche that occur during certain periods of life (L. S. Vygotsky).

Neoplasms in the development of the child

Age-related features that require accounting and changes in approaches to raising a child are formed under the influence of emerging neoplasms in its development.

A neoplasm is something new that first appeared (for example, the first tooth) as a result of growing up. The main neoplasms of preschool age are:

1. The emergence of a need for understanding the causes and interconnections of the processes of the world. The child, not possessing sufficient knowledge, is trying to explain what is happening around him: “It's dark, because the sun has gone to sleep.”
2. Formation of ethical and aesthetic ideas: "Getting dirty is ugly."
3. Change of motives of actions from “I want” to “necessary”.
4. Development of strong-willed qualities. Impulsivity gradually gives way to conscious self-restraint in actions and desires in accordance with general norms and rules of behavior.
5. Awareness of oneself as a person. The emergence of the desire to take a significant, worthy place in relations with adults and peers, to participate in public affairs.
6. The emergence of a pronounced need for new knowledge, the child becomes "how-much." High cognitive activity speaks of his psychological readiness for schooling.

The development of a preschooler is characterized by a movement from a simple state to a complex one, the emergence of new features (neoplasms), more complex in structure and content.

Features of the development of the baby

In a newborn, the hand is clenched and unclenched by 5 months of life, becoming the organ of touch. An adult, putting various objects into the baby’s hand, stimulates the appearance of such a neoplasm as grabbing. Arm muscles develop, space expands, and the ability to sit and sit is stimulated, since in order to grasp an object, one must strain and reach.

At 4-7 months, the baby randomly manipulates toys, listens to sounds, and at 7-10 months already can act two at once to knock, put one into the other. From 10-11 months, he discovers the functionality of objects: he learns to stack them one on top of another, to string pyramid rings, open and close boxes, and make sounds. Actions are becoming more conscious and accurate, spatial perception is developing faster.

Sitting opens the horizons of visual perception of the environment. Remote objects become accessible to children only with the help of adults, and the relationship between them becomes situational and business (according to M. I. Lisina). The movement of the hand in the direction of an inaccessible object more and more takes on an indicative character: the adult perceives a grasping movement in the direction of the desired thing as a signal “give me this” and gives it to the child. Over time, with the repetition of this situation, the child consciously uses this hand movement as a pointing gesture.

Other major neoplasms of infancy are the appearance of walking and situational speech. Walking expands the cognitive space and moves the child away from the adult, since the mother is already following him, and not vice versa, as it was before.

The baby’s speech is not structured, it does not consist of understandable sounds and their combinations, individual syllables, it is emotional, but as it develops, it more and more becomes a means of communication.

Characteristics of the development of a younger preschooler (1-3 years)

Personal and social development of a child in early childhood is based on imitation of adults and in the process of subject-speech communication with them. By naming and describing properties, qualities, the purpose of a huge number of objects surrounding a child, adults develop an understanding of speech and learn to use it.

Adults provide him with a positive emotional state through satisfying needs in comfortable living conditions, and meaningful communication, protection stimulate active cognition of the environment. Sensual support, expressions of love, approval of actions form self-awareness, self-confidence, attachment to adults. Otherwise, when a child at this age is deprived of close relations with his parents, he grows less obedient, does not learn self-control and self-discipline, he has low self-esteem.

Having started walking confidently, the baby purposefully and persistently finds and overcomes all sorts of obstacles. Statement "I myself!" - This is a sign of the formation of willpower and the desire for the development of space. At 1.5 years old, he is already able to manipulate kind and tender feelings for him, getting what he wants from adults, but can show pity and sympathy if he sees that someone is crying - hugging, kissing, stroking.

By the age of 3, a child develops a need to recognize his success from others. He is sensitive to approval and censure. By this age, he gains the experience of awareness, appreciation of his own and others' strengths and failures. Learns to correlate their strengths and capabilities with the upcoming task.

The main activity by the end of early childhood is the subject-gun. That is, the child gradually learns the purpose of objects and learns to use them correctly. This becomes the basis for the development of further gaming and productive activities.

Preschooler 4-7 years: features of development

Central neoplasms of preschool age are:

1. Distance from an adult - the boundaries and circle of communication are expanding, the rules of behavior outside the narrow family world are being more and more mastered. A child tries to enter the world of adults, but does not have opportunities, so he does this in games.
2. The development of creative imagination. In art (drawing, designing), in role-playing games, the child expresses his needs for full participation in adult life. Here he imagines himself to be an equal member of society, loses roles that in reality are not yet accessible to him: he depicts himself as a brave soldier in the figure, plays the role of a mom-doll in a doll scene.
3. The controlling function of speech. For a child, speech becomes a way of organizing, planning behavior and activities. Its development is being completed, the topic of communication with adults and peers is expanding.
4. The arbitrariness of behavior arising from the desire to independently plan and carry out their actions.

The main psychological neoplasms of preschool age (arbitrary behavior and cognition, imagination, imaginative thinking, voluntary memory and thinking, self-awareness as a separate person) are the foundation for successful adaptation to school.

Crisis periods in the development of a preschooler

As a preschool child grows up, neoplasms come into conflict with old, established forms of behavior and habits. There is a need to replace the methods of environmental adaptation that have become ineffective, that is, there is a crisis state, a conflict requiring immediate resolution.

Crisis periods in preschool age psychologists consider:

1. The crisis of the newborn. When a child gets into the environment at birth, he is forced to adapt to new conditions of existence, stimuli (temperature of air, water, light, many sounds). The type of respiration and nutrition changes dramatically.
2. The crisis of the first year. It marks the transition from infancy to early preschool age. The desire for independence and cognition of the environment cause increased activity, which requires reasonable restraint on the part of adults. This causes a stormy, sometimes hysterical, reaction, a protest against restrictions. The child becomes uncontrollable, stubborn, tyrannical, aggressive, contradictory in his actions, but at the same time he is oriented not only on physical assistance, but also on adults' approval of his actions, looking for him. There is a rupture of dependent relationships with adults, but the physical and psychological possibilities of independent existence do not yet exist.
3. The crisis of three years. In the younger preschool age, neoplasms in the psychological sphere, in physical development lead to an increase in volitional qualities, to the need to act independently. The extreme forms of crisis manifestations are negativism, rebellion, self-will, in which there is a need for equality with adults, for respect on their part. He demands to reckon with his desires, no matter what they concern, and sees this as a sign of "adulthood." New tastes and attachments, habits, forms of behavior when depreciating old ones appear. Quarrels with relatives and other children are frequent, since the child requires them to fulfill his will, does not agree to fulfill the requirement.
4. The crisis is 6-7 years old. Psychological and personal neoplasms of preschool age make the child internally ready to study at school, form a sense of maturity and cause the need to demonstrate this to others. Copying the behavior of adults results in a manner, a long pause between asking a child and fulfilling it turns into disobedience and stubbornness, but criticism causes tears and scandals ... The child rejects “children's” games and toys and seeks to participate in “adult” affairs.

Undoubtedly, the age crisis in preschool age is a serious test both for the child himself and for those around him. The boundaries and its severity are blurred, depending on the individual timing and characteristics of neoplasms of preschool children.

Psychologist advises parents

The main task of parents during the crisis periods of preschool age is to help the child cope with negative feelings. He must find in his parents' friends a pattern of calm understanding and help.

So, parents should:

• Do not scream, do not insult, do not compare it with "good children." A calm explanation of the reasons for adult discontent is the shortest way to a child's awareness of his behavior.
• To diversify and gradually complicate any of its activities (cognitive, artistic, physical), taking into account age and personal interests.
• Also complicate the rules of behavior and increase their number, taking into account pre-school age-related neoplasms (psychological, personal, social).
• Stimulate the desire to participate in common affairs, maintain relationships with other children, respect their opinions.

An important parental task is to form an emotional responsiveness of a child from an early age, attracting other people to all possible help.

Conclusion

Parents always worry about the health of the child - and rightly so. However, the upbringing of the baby does not always take into account that he also needs not only care and expressions of parental love, but also respect, recognition of him as an autonomous person.

Adults should be literate in the choice of educational means, when psychological neoplasms of preschool age declare themselves to be changes in the behavior of the child, sometimes not for the better. And here the advice of Freken Bock (who does not know her!) Is appropriate: "Patience, only patience!"