What is the result of the child's development process. Types of development. The specificity of the mental development of the child. Features of the process of childhood development

3. The specifics of the mental development of the child.

What is development? How is it characterized? What is the fundamental difference between development and any other changes in an object? As you know, an object can change, but not develop. Growth, for example, is a quantitative change in a given object, including a mental process. There are processes that fluctuate within "less - more". These are processes of growth in the proper and true sense of the word. Growth occurs over time and is measured in terms of time. The main characteristic of growth is the process of quantitative changes in the internal structure and composition of the individual elements included in the object, without significant changes in the structure of individual processes. For example, when measuring the physical growth of a child, we see a quantitative increase. L. S. Vygotsky emphasized that there are phenomena of growth in mental processes as well. For example, the growth of vocabulary without changing the functions of speech.

But behind these processes of quantitative growth, other phenomena and processes can occur. Then the growth processes become only symptoms, behind which are hidden significant changes in the system and structure of processes. During such periods, jumps in the growth line are observed, which indicate significant changes in the body itself. For example, the endocrine glands mature, and profound changes take place in the physical development of the adolescent. In such cases, when there are significant changes in the structure and properties of the phenomenon, we are dealing with development.

Development, first of all, is characterized by qualitative changes, the emergence of neoplasms, new mechanisms, new processes, new structures. X. Werner, L. S. Vygotsky and other psychologists described the main signs of development. The most important among them are: differentiation, dismemberment of the previously single element; the emergence of new aspects, new elements in development itself; restructuring of links between the sides of the object. As psychological examples, one can mention the differentiation of the natural conditioned reflex to the position under the chest and the revival complex; the emergence of a sign function in infancy; change during childhood of the systemic and semantic structure of consciousness. Each of these processes corresponds to the listed development criteria.

As L. S. Vygotsky showed, there are many different types of development. Therefore, it is important to correctly find the place that among them is occupied by the mental development of the child, that is, to determine the specifics of mental development among other developmental processes. L. S. Vygotsky distinguished: reformed and unreformed types of development. A preformed type is a type when at the very beginning, both the stages that the phenomenon (the organism) will pass and the final result that the phenomenon will achieve are set, fixed, fixed. Here everything is given from the very beginning. An example is embryonic development. Despite the fact that embryogenesis has its own history (there is a tendency to reduce the underlying stages, the newest stage affects the previous stages), but this does not change the type of development. In psychology, there has been an attempt to represent mental development on the principle of embryonic development. This is the concept of St. Hall. It is based on Haeckel's biogenetic law: ontogeny is a brief repetition of phylogeny. Mental development was considered by Art. Hall as a brief repetition of the stages of mental development of animals and ancestors of modern man.

The unpreformed type of development is the most common on our planet. It also includes the development of the Galaxy, the development of the Earth, the process of biological evolution, the development of society. The process of mental development of the child also belongs to this type of processes. The unpreformed path of development is not predetermined. Children of different eras develop differently and reach different levels of development. From the very beginning, from the moment the child is born, neither the stages through which he must go, nor the end he must reach are given. Child development is an unpreformed type of development, but this is a very special process - a process that is determined not from below, but from above, by the form of practical and theoretical activity that exists at a given level of development of society (As the poet said: "Only born, already waiting for us Shakespeare"). This is the nature of child development. Its final forms are not given, but given. Not a single process of development, except ontogenetic, is carried out according to a ready-made model. Human development follows the pattern that exists in society. According to L. S. Vygotsky, the process of mental development is the process of interaction between real and ideal forms. The task of a child psychologist is to trace the logic of mastering ideal forms. The child does not immediately master the spiritual and material wealth of mankind. But outside the process of assimilation of ideal forms, development is generally impossible.

Human development is a very complex process. It occurs under the influence of both external influences and internal forces that are characteristic of man, as of any living and growing organism. External factors include, first of all, the natural and social environment surrounding a person, as well as special purposeful activities to form certain personality traits in children; to internal - biological, hereditary factors. Factors influencing human development can be controllable and uncontrollable. The development of a child - not only a complex, but also a contradictory process - means his transformation as a biological individual into a social being - a personality.

During development, the child is involved in various types of activities (game, labor, educational, sports, etc.) and enters into communication (with parents, peers, strangers, etc.), while showing his inherent activity. This contributes to the acquisition of a certain social experience.

It has been established that for each age period of a child's development, one of the activities becomes the main, leading one. One type is replaced by another, but each new type of activity is born inside the previous one. A very small child is completely dependent on adults, even the brightest objects, the child pays attention to toys only after they are pointed out by adults. Therefore, at first the leading role is played by the emotional communication of the child with the adult. Then the objects begin to attract the attention of the child on their own, and the adult becomes only an assistant in mastering them. The child masters a new type of activity - subject. Gradually, the child's interest moves from objects to actions with them, which he copies from adults - this is how a game activity, or a role-playing game, is formed.

When a child enters school, he masters learning activities, and teachers and other adults help him in this. Along with educational activities, the child retains plot-role-playing games and forms new types of activities: labor, sports, aesthetic, etc. Adolescence is characterized by the activity of children aimed at solving two questions: what to be and who to be? Adolescents are looking for the answer to the first question, mainly in intimate-personal communication, which acquires the character of a leading activity. The second question is related to the interest in future professional activities. In early adolescence, it becomes the main one, therefore, activities aimed at any particular, professional area of interest are put forward in the first place.

Communication is essential for the normal development of a child from birth. Only in the process of communication can a child master human speech, which, in turn, plays a leading role in the child's activities and in the knowledge and development of the world around him.

From birth and throughout the entire period of growing up, successively and periodically replacing each other, the leading types of activities and forms of communication, ultimately, ensure the development of the child's personality.

An important role is played by the external purposeful influence on this process. The effect of external influences depends on those internal forces and factors that determine the individual response of each developing person to them, as well as on the skill of the educator, who influences the formation of the child's personality.

The driving forces of personal development are contradictions that arise between the growing needs of the child and the possibility of satisfying them. Needs form certain motives of activity that induce the child to satisfy them. In the process of development, the child is formed as a person, reflecting the social side of his development, his social essence.

The social and biological in a person are not two parallel, independent components, in each personality they are closely intertwined and interdependent. Researchers single out two most important factors in the basis of a child's development - heredity and environment, which are both sources and conditions for development. In the process of human development, they enter into complex relationships and interactions.

Adolescence and youth in the modern international tradition is considered in unity and often this stage is denoted by one term.

– adolescence (Rice P., 1996). True, in this case, two stages are usually distinguished - early adolescence (up to 14 years old) and senior adolescence (up to 19 years old), which corresponds in the domestic tradition to the separation of adolescence and youthful age.

So, adolescence and adolescence are considered within the boundaries: from 11 to 19 years, with the allocation of early and older adolescence (Raye F.,

2000); from 10 to 17 years, with the allocation of adolescence and the first period of adolescence (Feldstein D.I., 1999); from 12 to 18 years old (Quinn V., 2000); from 12 to 19 years old

(Erikson E., 1963; Craig G., 2000).

Early adulthood is considered as an age: from 21 to 25 years

(Bromley D., 1966); 17-25 years old (Birren, 1964); from 20 to 25 years (Erikson E., 1963); from 20

up to 40 years (Craig G., 2000).

Average adulthood is considered as an age: from 25 to 50 years (Birren, 1964); from 25 to 60 years (Erikson E., 1963); from 35 to 60 years (Feldshtein D.I., 1999);

from 40 to 60 years (Craig G., 2000); from 40 to 65 years (Quinn V., 2000).

Late adulthood (old age) is considered as age: 50 to 75 years (Birren, 1964); from 40 to 55 years, and taking into account the transitional stage - up to 65 years

(Bromley D., 1966); from

65 years old (Erikson E., 1963); from 60 years old (Craig G., 2000); from 60 to 75 years (Feld-

Stein D.I., 1999); from 65 years old (Quinn V., 2000).

As we can see, there are notable differences of opinion. Position

further aggravated by the fact that both subjective self-perception and objective

Causes of the flourishing of a person's strength or old age, wilting are determined not only by chronological age.

In fact, factors of a completely different order are also of significant importance: socioeconomic status, educational level, specificity

professional activities and many others. For this reason, in modern

Developmental psychology is increasingly asserting the opinion (Kraig G., 2000) that it is quite difficult to accurately determine the boundaries of the stages of development of adults if

is it even possible.

Key terms and concepts

Infancy

preschool age

Childhood

Youth

early adulthood

early maturity

Medium maturity

Late maturity

Old age

Early childhood

middle childhood

Adolescence

Elderly age

13. Features of the process of childhood development

The problem of development is one of the most complex and relevant in many areas of scientific knowledge - in philosophy, sociology, biology, pedagogy, etc. In psychology, it can be considered cardinal. In an effort to penetrate into the psychological

Russian psychologists conduct in-depth and multidirectional research on the nature of the driving forces of the development of a person as a person. Peculiarities

developments are traced in these studies over a long period of life. The characteristics of different levels of development, the patterns of its manifestation are determined, primarily at the stages of childhood (infancy, preschool, primary school, adolescence and youth).

The accumulated knowledge - on the one hand, new approaches of modern science - on the other, as well as the emerging requirements of modern society for a person, reveal not only the missing links in the understanding of development, but also many of the most important areas of search, defining the problems of childhood development.

The need to address these and many other problems and issues

in recent years, increased attention to them has been reflected in the literature (see: A. G. Asmolov, 1996; V. P. Zinchenko, 1991, 1992; M. K. Mamardashvi-

Lee, 1993; F. T. Mikhailov, 1990; K. N. Polivanova, 1994; D. I. Feldshtein, 1985, 1989, 1996; B. D. Elkonin, 1994).

The real theory of childhood development is based primarily on the concept

tual provisions and experimental materials of the scientific school of Vygotsky-Leontiev-Elkonin.

Analysis of these provisions and materials allowed.VP. Zinchenko (see: V. P. Zinchenko, E. B. Morgunov, 1994) to single out some of the most important principles that

characterizing processes of the mental development of the child, which are already guiding both in the development of the foundations and in the design of the educational system.

teaching, raising children, and in organizing the study of childhood. Among

1) the creative nature of development, manifested in the generation of signs and symbols by the child, when he acts as a subject of culture from infancy;

2) the leading role of the socio-cultural context of development, manifested differently

occurring in different periods, affecting, for example, at school age, the process

sy formation of the image of the world, style of behavior and activity;

3) special significance of sensitive periods of development (different for different

ages), that is, the periods most sensitive to awareness, assimilation and

implementation of norms, forms, conditions of human life (language, ways of communication, etc.);

4) joint activities of adults and children as the driving force behind the development of the child, the transfer of achievements of historical human development to children by adults

5) the presence of leading activities in each age period and laws

her shifts as the basis for the continuity of periods of a child's mental development;

6) determination of the zone of proximal development of a growing person;

7) amplification (expansion) of child development as a condition for the child to freely search for and find himself in the material, in one form or another of activity and communication;

8) enduring value for the formation of a full-fledged personality of all

stages of child development;

9) the principle of the unity of affect and intellect - the formation of consciousness as a result of the joint activity of affective and personal components;

10) mediating role sign-symbolic structures in the formation of links between objects and actions;

11) interiorization and exteriorization as mechanisms of development;

12) unevenness (heterochronism) of development, which is extremely important to take into account, while representing not only its levels and components, but the entire “front” of development.

The enumeration of the principles of development (within the framework of the theory of cultural and historical development) can be continued and correlated with others, not mentioned

mint. For example, the principle of highlighting the leading activity correlates with the regular alternation of the two sides of a single process of development of activity (B. G. Ananiev, 1996; A. N. Leontiev, 1983; D. B. Elkonin, 1971, 1995), taking into account the most important regularity " reverse action "(see D. I. Feldstein, 1985,

1989, 1996), etc. The provisions of Russian psychology highlighted by V. P. Zinchenko provide a kind of “program grid”, highlighting the most important achievements in

studying the development of the child, providing directions for theoretical research, as well as outlining the main tasks in developing an education program.

At present, there is a fairly large amount of knowledge that reveals the development process from different angles (driving forces, conditions, forms, features). At the same time, the real picture of childhood development is still not clear.

outlined. An in-depth study is required by the mechanisms of transitions from one age to another, the features of the interaction of the social situation and the specifics

development in this situation, the relationship between an adult and a child, etc. A differentiated approach to

environmental characteristics of childhood - the cultural context of its development. In this regard, the study of the real social environment is of particular importance.

child at each period of ontogeny and the environment in which

develops and shapes childhood as a whole. Hence, it becomes promising to distinguish on the basis of general patterns, including on the basis of stable particularities.

values and principles of development, a special holistic state of childhood as a

a developing subject, constantly acting as such in relations with the adult world. Here, the main direction of development is the denial by a growing person of himself in this childhood, at each next stage of it, the acquisition of a new one, an exit from this state.

The principles identified by V.P. Zinchenko, which are characteristic of all ages

there childhood and manifest themselves in different ways in them, characterize the development as a whole. Moreover, the very possibility of their selection shows that childhood is

is something whole. Unlike changes in the adult community, throughout

Throughout childhood, there is a process of structuring the qualities and properties that make up adulthood (not physiological, but social, psychological adulthood).

Relationships and connections are formed that already exist in the adult world and

having mastered which a growing person becomes an adult.

This process of becoming a person as a person really includes two

component:

a) development, carried out with a change in physiological, psychological conditions, and

b) development, manifested in the development of social space (children

nok masters social positions in the process of growing up).

These components underlie the knowledge of the characteristics and conditions of childhood development.

Here, psychologists focus on studying changes in mental, psychophysiological states, fixing the formation of new qualities in

various areas of the psyche (cognitive, motivational, emotional). Features of these qualities become an important indicator of the level of development of the child. However, the fixed qualities are considered only in isolation and do not reflect maturation as a whole. It is practically impossible to measure the degree of maturation (only individual components of adulthood serve as a measure of measurement - the appearance

abstract thinking, for example, etc.). Moreover, even such categories as self-consciousness, personal self-determination, which are the main indicators

indicators of the degree of age maturity are considered only as the assimilation of a certain social position.

In principle, any indicators of maturation identified by researchers for different periods of childhood do not really correlate with any integrating

quality that characterizes adulthood and in relation to which all acquired qualities are determined. Moreover, when characterizing the gene

The rational orientation of the development process usually emphasizes such a component as the child's appropriation of social norms and values. The degree of development of social skills that characterize the readiness of a growing person is revealed.

love to enter the adult world. At the same time, the individualization of the child is considered, as a rule, outside social ties.

In a word, there is no single “development curve” of that “what develops

sya” (as a quality, property, state) as a result of growing up. What underlies the formation of a person as a person, what is the expression of growing up (with

If the main goal defined in Russian psychology is the development of each child as a unique individuality), what should he have as an adult (as an "adult person")? What is development - a simple sum or an integrated property?

It is known that the child develops in an environment of adults who provide

helping children learn and use social skills. Sometimes this is done by imposing rigid frames and pressure on the child,

sometimes through the expansion of his freedom of action. However, regardless of the degree

freedom within its framework, the child carries out activities in which his development takes place. As a result of the activities of society and the activities of the child, the personality of a growing person is formed.

economic determinism of the individual, the development of which is considered in close relationship with the development of society (its goals, objectives, attitudes, ori-

entir).

The development of a person as a person is manifested in his formation as a part of society, a bearer of the culture of mankind, capable of introducing something new into this culture.

Analysis of the characteristics of child development available in the literature (J.

Bruner and A. Vallon, L. S. Vygotsky and

A. N. Leontiev, D. B. Elkonin and A. V. Zaporozhets, M. I. Lisina and V. V. Da-

vydov, P. Ya. Galperin and others) and received by our employees (D. I. Feld-

Stein, V. V. Abramenkova,

b. A. Alekseev, V. V. Bartsalkina, E. G. Belyakova, T. M. Bostandzhieva, E. B. Vesna, M. R. Ginzburg, I. D. Egorycheva, V. D. Ermolenko, S. P. Ivanov, B. V. Kai-

cities, S. V. Klimin, O. V. Lishin, V. N. Lozotseva, M. V. Rozin, N. N. Rumyantseva,

V. S. Khomik, I. P. Shakhova, etc.), suggests that growing up is, first of all, the development of social norms and their meaning at the level of the child’s consciousness.

IN As the core of child development, we single out the social, its awareness and development, where the measure is the degree of socialization of the individual.

This provision involves the study of the leading role of social factors in the development of the individual and the processes of socialization and individualization of a growing person at different stages.

It is necessary not only to study the changes that occur in the socialization-individualization of the child (considered by us as a single two hundred

Preschool age covers the period of mental development from 3 to 7 years. At this time, the structure of the psyche undergoes significant changes. The social situation is changing. New personal qualities and character traits are intensively formed. Preparations are being made for an important event in the life of every child - entering school. Let us consider the features of mental development that distinguish preschool children in more detail.

The development of preschool children occurs in several directions.

Features of the development of cognitive processes in preschool age

What are the features and main stages of the mental development of a preschool child?

It should be noted that at preschool age, the processes of the cognitive sphere acquire an important feature that predetermines their further development - arbitrariness. This suggests that from a certain moment they cease to be spontaneous, becoming controlled and subject to volitional regulation.

One of the reasons for this is the development of consciousness and the complication of forms of behavior.

The development of speech is one of the parts of mental development

Gradually, the child begins to master sign systems, the most important of which are language and speech. In the future, he will use them to regulate his psychological life, to conduct an internal dialogue. This, in turn, will open up opportunities for the internalization of many mental processes in the minds of children (transition from external to internal), as well as the exit of cognitive processes to a new level of development.

Thinking in preschool age

For example, when discussing the thinking of a child of primary preschool age, it is worth noting that it is very peculiar. And among its regularities there are often such mistakes, which often distinguish the development of a child at preschool age. Let's briefly describe their features:

Transduction (transition from a particular case to a particular one).
Artificalism (creating your own world, subject to your own laws).
Syncretism (inseparability of thinking).
Egocentrism (assessment of the events and facts taking place around only from one's own point of view when it is impossible to accept another).
Animism (animation of objects).
The problem with understanding contradictions.

Egocentricity in babies dominates up to 6 years

Over time, the child begins to overcome all these shortcomings of thinking, and gradually they become less and less pronounced. Egocentrism is gradually receding. Thanks to this, the child not only improves his thinking, but such a quality as empathy begins to appear - the ability to assess, feel and understand the state of mind of another person. Moreover, the quality makes itself felt even in cases where the mental state of the child and the feelings that the interlocutor experiences at the time of the conversation differ significantly.

However, such qualities of thinking as, for example, reversibility, begin to form in the creation of children only by the age of seven. By this age, they begin to successfully solve the proposed logical problems, understanding the patterns of conservation of the number of objects, mass, and later - the reversibility of some mathematical operations. Logical thinking in children begins to take shape in an independent form, but it can finally form only by adolescence.

Indicators of neuropsychic development

In the period of preschool childhood, all existing types of thinking are formed in a child to one degree or another, but the main role in his development is played by such types of thinking as figurative and schematic (to a lesser extent - verbal-logical, not yet internalized, but gradually turning into interior plan).

Memory in preschool age

There is no single point of view explaining the laws and features of the mental development of memory processes in preschool age. To date, at least three theories have been formulated that indicate its specificity.

Development of memory through didactic games

There are two types of memory that have a physiological and a psychological component.
Intensively developing at a younger age, memory begins to reduce its performance in the future.
The peak of memory development is reached at the age of ten. Then comes its slow deterioration.

A characteristic feature of the memory of a preschooler is that during this period its processes from involuntary gradually become arbitrary. And the child begins to set himself conscious goals to remember, remember, learn something; deliberate efforts are being made to achieve them. Such changes are primarily related to the fact that at the age of four, the child begins to develop an understanding of the motives of activity and its results.

The volume of short- and long-term memory of children increases, allowing the child to retain more information. The emerging logical thinking allows you to structure this information, giving it a more structured and complete look.

Development of communication skills in children

An important characteristic of communication at preschool age is the fact that the child is already sufficiently mastering speech. With the help of speech, it becomes much easier to convey to him information about the rules and norms of behavior, possible rewards and punishments. Thus, one of the most important functions of communication is realized - cognitive. Verbal means also allow you to receive more effective feedback, giving the child the opportunity to notify an adult about his mood, state and well-being at the current moment.

Communication skills develop from infancy

In addition, the period of preschool childhood is the time when the child begins to communicate not only with adults, but also with his peers. And then they become more selective, trying to interact only with those who, for one reason or another, seem to him more pleasant.

If you look at groups of preschoolers engaged in one activity or another, for example, creativity or play, it is easy to see that already during this period they have a clear distribution of roles. Leaders stand out, their inner circle, as well as less sociable and even rejected children.

Communication with peers is built in preschool age in several stages. At first, the child is actively involved in active activities, adopting forms of behavior from his environment, independently offering him certain scenarios, or directing the activities of younger ones.

Motives of behavior in children

After that, the child begins to separate himself from others and perceive himself independently of other children. He tries to demonstrate to other children his personal qualities, abilities and talents. In the process of joint activity, the character of the child and his personal qualities begin to appear. He already shows what he does not like and what he is dissatisfied with. Feedback acquires an important role: communicating with children and sharing any information with them, he already pays attention to their reaction, perception of himself.

The formation of character in preschool childhood

What are the features of the mental development of a personality in preschool age? First of all, on the basis of relationships with peers, as well as with parents, the child begins to form self-esteem, expressing his perception of himself and his own activities. It is this factor that will largely determine the features of the child's socialization in the future, making it much easier or making it more difficult.

Problems in mental development

However, the self-esteem of the child is not always formed adequately enough and often it can be deformed under the influence of factors such as pressure from adults, their refusal to perceive the child as he really is. The result of this is often an increased level of anxiety, aggression, fear of others.

In addition to self-esteem, the formation of a certain level of claims is also inherent in the younger preschool age. In contrast to self-esteem, the level of claims, requirements for oneself is conscious and more situational.

Since the preschooler already has a fairly clear understanding of what makes him sympathetic and what does not, in response to some stimuli, he may show such qualities as anxiety and aggressiveness. However, these qualities do not always play a negative role in the process of his socialization. For example, aggressiveness that does not go beyond the norm is an obligatory distinctive quality of a leader, the foundation of purposefulness; and anxiety is a quality that forms observation, the ability for self-control and self-organization.

Leading types of activities in preschool age

Considering the mental development of a child of both older and younger preschool age, one cannot ignore the leading types of activity in this period.

The role of play in the mental development of children

The formation of ideas about the world around us, understanding the peculiarities of human relationships - all this begins to happen in the period of preschool childhood thanks to the game. It is this type of activity that occupies a central place in the social situation of this age. Due to the presence of certain restrictions and rules and, at the same time, a fairly significant freedom of action, the game allows the psychological development of the child to undergo significant quantitative and qualitative changes. In addition to object-manipulative activity, the game begins to cover other areas (a vivid example is, for example, role-playing games, where each participant must act in accordance with the status assigned to him).

The important role of play activity in preschool age is explained by a number of significant factors.

The game allows the child to be included in various forms of active socially useful activity. He assimilates the most typical forms of relations between people and learns to navigate in their sphere.
With the help of play actions, the child begins to see the first results brought by his activity.
The game allows you to make previously uncontrolled activities of the child more purposeful and organized. Children learn to manage their resources more rationally.
The game is the mildest form of compliance with the first disciplinary and security moments.

The development of creative thinking is an important stage in the formation of personality

Various types of creative activity also acquire independent significance. The child's behavioral repertoire expands; new types of activity appear in it, which were not previously available for one reason or another.

The child begins to give an independent assessment of the process of activity, the result; acquires the first skills of forecasting and planning. He formulates expectations in children and compares them with real results.

Elements of a child's readiness for school

An important place in the period of preschool childhood is given to the formation of the child's readiness for a fundamentally new stage in his life - entering school. The phenomenon of readiness for school includes several basic components.

Aspects of school readiness

Let's briefly describe them:

Intellectual readiness - the child's mastery of the necessary system of school knowledge, skills, skills that are significant for learning. The ability to navigate the world around and the sphere of everyday knowledge at the proper level.
Motivational readiness - understanding the meaning and purpose of schooling. The presence in children of the proper level of formation of cognitive motivation.
Social readiness - understanding the status of the student. Awareness of what kind of changes will affect the life of the child after entering school, what features the life of a student has.
Physical readiness - the child's possession of the proper level of physical development, endurance, which make it possible to freely be in the lesson for the allotted time.

Assessing the mental development and readiness for school of a child at preschool age, it is necessary to take into account all the above features.

The development of logic helps the game of chess

And despite the fact that most of the components of school readiness are most often not given due attention, they have an extremely important meaning. A comprehensive assessment carried out by parents, as well as professional educators, makes it possible to attribute the child to the group of children:

ready for school;
still at the level of gaming activity.

The final stage of the preschool period is the crisis of the age of 6-7 years. The main problem of the mental development of children of older preschool age will be in resolving conflicts associated with the transition, a rather abrupt transition from the usual play activity to learning.

Section 1: The concept of development in special psychology.

Topic: The mechanism of mental development of the child.

Plan:

1. The social situation of the child's development.

2. Leading activity.

3. Crisis of development.

4. Psychological change.

Literature: Averin for children and adolescents, St. Petersburg, 1998.

To understand the mechanism of the child's mental development, its significance in the course of the child's mental development, we single out main components.

1. The first basic concept of the mechanism of mental development is the so-called social situation of child development . This is the one a specific form of relationship in which the child is with adults at a particular period of his life. The social situation of development is the starting point for all the dynamic changes that take place in the development of the child during a given age period. It completely determines the forms and ways of development of the child, the new mental properties and qualities he acquires. The child's lifestyle is determined by the nature of the social situation of development, i.e., the established system of relationships between the child and adults (). Each age is characterized by a specific, unique and unique social situation of development. Having clarified and understood it, we can thereby find out and understand how certain psychological neoplasms arise and develop from the life of a child, which are the result of the age development of the child.

It is within the framework of the social situation of development that the leading type (type) of activity. This is, perhaps, the central concept of the mechanism of the mental development of the child.

2. Leading activity - this is the activity of the child within the framework of the social situation of development, the implementation of which determines the emergence and formation of the main psychological neoplasms in him at a given stage of development.

Each stage of a child's mental development(each new social development situation) characterized by the corresponding type of leading activity.

Sign of transition from one stage to another is change the leading activity type.

Leading activity characterizes a certain stage of development, acts as a significant criterion for its diagnosis. It (leading activity) does not appear immediately, but goes through its development within the framework of a particular social situation.

It is important to note that the emergence of a new leading activity in each period of development does not cancel the previous one.

Leading activity causes major changes in mental development and, above all, the emergence of new mental formations. Modern data allow us to distinguish the following types of leading activities.

1. Direct emotional communication of the child with adults, inherent in an infant from the first weeks of life to a year. Thanks to him, the infant develops such mental neoplasms as the need to communicate with other people, grasping as the basis of manual and objective actions.

2. Subject-manipulative activity child, characteristic of early childhood (from 1 year to 3 years).

3. Game activity or role-playing game, inherent in children of preschool age (from 3 to 6 years).

4. Learning activities junior schoolchildren from 6 to 10-11 years old.

5. Communication adolescents aged 10-11 to 15 years in various activities (labor, education, sports, art, etc.).

Each type of leading activity generates its own effects in the form of new mental structures, qualities and properties (psychological neoplasms).

As part of the leading activity, training and development of all mental functions of the child take place, which ultimately leads to their qualitative changes.

The growing mental capabilities of the child are naturally a source of contradictions in the system of relationships between the child and adults. These contradictions find their expression in the discrepancy between the new psychological possibilities of the child and the old form of his relationship with the people around him. It is at this moment that the so-called development crisis sets in.

3. development crisis - this is the next basic element of the mechanism of child development.

under the development crisis understood the concentration of sharp and capital shifts and shifts, changes and fractures in the personality of the child. A crisis is a chain of internal changes in a child with relatively minor external changes. The essence of each crisis, he noted, is the restructuring of the inner experience that determines the child's attitude to the environment, the change in the needs and motives that drive his behavior. The contradictions that make up the essence of the crisis can proceed in an acute form, giving rise to strong emotional experiences, disturbances in the behavior of children, in their relationships with adults.

The crisis of development means the beginning of the transition from one stage of mental development to another.

He occurs on junction two ages and marks the end of the previous age period and the beginning of the next.

The source of the crisis speaks contradiction between the growing physical and mental capabilities of the child and the previously established forms of his relationship with other people and types (methods) of activity. Each of us has experienced manifestations of such crises.

Two sides of the crisis.

· The destructive side of the crisis. Child development includes the emergence of the new and the death of the old.

At these stages, there is a radical change in the entire "social situation of development" of the child: the emergence of a new type of relationship with adults, the replacement of one type of leading activity by another. These contradictions often take an acute form, giving rise to strong emotional experiences, violations of mutual understanding with adults. At school age within K. century. in children, there is a decrease in academic performance and working capacity, a weakening of interest in studies.

· The positive, constructive side of the crisis- the acquisition of psychological neoplasms by the child.

Features of the course of the development crisis.

1. characteristic indistinct borders , separating the beginning and end of the crisis from adjacent ages. Therefore, it is important for parents, teachers, educators or pediatricians to know the psychological picture of the crisis, as well as the individual characteristics of the child that leave an imprint on its course.

2. characteristic T ore education children in this moment. In general, it should be borne in mind that the stage of crisis is always accompanied by a decrease in the rate of progress of the child in the course of education.

developed an original concept in which he considered age development as a dialectical process. Evolutionary stages of gradual changes in this process alternate with epochs of revolutionary development - age m crisis .

Mental development occurs as a result of a change in the so-called stable and critical ages.

Within the framework of a stable age, mental neoplasms mature, which are actualized in K. century.

If a stable age is characterized by the progressive development of a child, then the development of the crisis itself is negative, destructive.

Vygotsky described the following age crises :

neonatal crisis - separates the embryonic period of development from infancy;

The crisis of the first year separates infancy from early childhood;

Crisis of three years - transition to preschool age;

· crisis of seven years - a connecting link between preschool and school age;

The crisis of 13 coincides with the transition to adolescence. H

4. Psychological neoplasm .

It is in the process of development, and not growth, that qualitatively new psychological formations arise, and it is they that constitute the essence of each age stage.

Psychological neoplasm - This,

First, mental and social changes, arising at a given stage of development and determining the child's consciousness, his attitude to the environment, his inner and outer life, the course of development in a given period of time.

Second, neoplasm is the generalized result of these changes, the entire mental development of the child in the appropriate period of time, when it becomes the starting point for the formation of mental processes and the personality of the child of the next age (up to).

Each age period is characterized by specific psychological neoplasms.

The significance of this concept lies in the fact that the appearance of fundamentally new mental characteristics significantly changes the psychological picture of age. By itself, this new picture can cause an inadequate reaction from parents, teachers or doctors.

For parents and teachers, a new behavior in a child often seems like a manifestation of their stubbornness or some kind of whims. And for doctors, new properties or qualities that appear in the child's behavior can cause incorrect diagnostic decisions and erroneous therapeutic measures, especially if this "new" behavior unfolds against the background of a pathological process.

The probability of diagnostic errors during such periods of age development increases, since the doctor may not be aware of either the newly emerging psychological qualities or the features of the developmental period that precedes their appearance.

development crisis).

Conclusion: TO basic concepts that describe the process of mental development of the child relate social situation of development, leading activity, periods of crisis and stable development of the child, psychological neoplasms.