The period of early childhood however. Early childhood period (1-3 years)

Early childhood is a special period of formation of organs and systems and, above all, brain functions. It has been proven that the functions of the cerebral cortex are not only fixed hereditarily, they develop as a result of the interaction of the organism with the environment. This occurs especially intensively in the first three years of life. During this period, there is a maximum rate of formation of prerequisites that determine all further development of the body, therefore it is important to timely lay the foundations for the full development and health of the child.

To protect and strengthen the health of children, preventive health work is of particular importance: adherence to the regime, balanced nutrition, hardening, gymnastics, medical and pedagogical monitoring of development and health.

For the first time, the entire complex of features of early childhood was formed by one of the founders of nursery education in our country, Professor N.M. Aksarina.

What are they?

1. For early age characteristic rapid pace of development of the body. In no other period of childhood is such a rapid increase in body weight and length and the development of all brain functions observed. A child is born a helpless creature. However, by 2 months he has formed conditioned reflexes (habits), and during the first year of life, inhibition reactions are formed. At this time, sensory skills and movements are actively developing, and the baby masters speech.

The rapid pace of development of a young child, in turn, has a number of features. First of all, the spasmodic development. At the same time, there are periods of slow accumulation, when there is a slowdown in the development of certain body functions, and alternating with them so-called critical periods (jumps), when the child’s appearance changes over a short period of time. This can be seen in the development of the speech understanding function of a child in the second year of life. Thus, at the age of 1 year to 1 year 3 months, a slow accumulation of the stock of understandable words is observed. During this period, the baby masters independent walking, which expands his ability to directly communicate with the outside world. On the one hand, walking seems to temporarily delay the manifestation of reactions associated with understanding speech. On the other hand, it is walking that promotes direct communication between children and surrounding objects (which an adult denotes with a word), helps them establish a strong connection between the object and the word, and leads to a leap in the development of understanding of speech.

Critical periods in child development are 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 6–7 years, 12–13 years. It is at this time that drastic changes occur, giving a new quality in the development of children: 1 year - mastering walking; 2 years – formation of visual and effective thinking, a turning point in the development of speech; 3 years is the period when the connection between the behavior and development of the child with the second signaling system is especially clear, the baby becomes aware of himself as an individual; 6–7 years – the period of school maturity; 12–13 years – puberty, puberty (L.S. Vygotsky).

Jumping reflects the normal, natural process of development of the child’s body, and, conversely, the absence of jumps is a consequence of defects in the development and upbringing of children. Therefore, it is so important, during the period of a child’s accumulation of experience, to create optimal conditions for the timely maturation of a new quality in the development of a particular function. However, critical periods are also difficult for a child. They may be accompanied by a decrease in the baby’s performance and other functional disorders. At this time, the baby especially needs good care, in a manner that is gentle on his nervous system.

The rapid pace of child development is due to the rapid establishment of connections with the outside world and at the same time the slow consolidation of reactions. Young children are characterized by instability and incompleteness of developing skills. (Taking this into account, repetition in training is provided, ensuring a connection between the influences of the adults surrounding the child and his independent activity.)

Unevenness in the development of a young child is determined by the maturation of various functions at certain times. Observing this pattern, N.M. Shchelovanov and N.M. Aksarina identified periods of special sensitivity of the baby to certain types of influence and outlined the leading lines in his development. They emphasized that when raising children, special attention should be paid to the formation of those reactions that are maturing for the first time and which cannot develop independently, without the targeted influence of an adult. For example, the “revival complex” that appears in a baby at 3 months, the ability to use simple sentences when communicating with an adult at 2 years, the appearance of role-playing games at 3 years.

In the first three years of a child’s life, there is great vulnerability and lability of his condition, due to the rapid pace of development of the body. Children of this age get sick easily, their emotional state often changes (even for minor reasons), and the child gets tired easily. Frequent incidence, as well as increased excitability of the nervous system are especially characteristic of stressful conditions (during the adaptation period when children enter a nursery, etc.).

However, a rapid pace of development is possible only with great plasticity of the organism and its great compensatory capabilities. This is especially true for brain functions. There is a lot of so-called unoccupied field in the child’s cerebral cortex, therefore, through specially targeted influences, it is possible to achieve a very high level of development of the baby and earlier formation of one or another function.

The basis for the education of young children should be, first of all, the development of such abilities as imitation, reproduction, the ability to watch and listen, compare, distinguish, juxtapose, generalize, etc., which will be necessary in the future for the acquisition of certain skills, knowledge, life experience.

2. An essential feature of early childhood is interrelation and interdependence of the health status, physical and neuropsychic development of children. A strong, physically healthy child is not only less susceptible to illness, but also develops better mentally. But even minor disturbances in the baby’s health affect his emotional sphere. The course of the disease and recovery are largely related to the child’s mood, and if it is possible to maintain positive emotions, his well-being improves and recovery occurs quickly. N.M. Shchelovanov established that the development of malnutrition is often associated with a deficit of emotions and dissatisfaction with the baby’s motor activity. It has been revealed that neuropsychic development, in particular speech function, largely depends on biological factors: the course of pregnancy, complications during childbirth of the mother, the state of health of the baby, etc.

3. For everyone healthy child in the first three years of life there is a high degree of indicative reactions to everything around. This age-related feature stimulates the so-called sensorimotor needs. It has been proven that if children are limited in receiving information and processing it in accordance with age capabilities, the pace of their development is slower. Therefore, it is important that the lives of children be varied and rich in impressions.

Sensory needs also cause high motor activity, and movement is a baby’s natural state, contributing to his intellectual development.

4. Of particular importance in early childhood are emotions, so necessary when carrying out routine processes - when feeding, keeping the child awake, shaping his behavior and skills, ensuring his all-round development. The early formation of positive emotions based on the establishment of social connections with adults, and later with peers, is the key to the development of a child’s personality. The emotional sphere also has a great influence on the formation of children’s cognitive abilities.

Interest in the environment in early childhood is involuntary and largely socially determined. It is impossible to force a baby to watch or listen, but many things can interest him, so positive emotions play a special role in teaching young children. Often, not yet understanding the meaning of an adult’s speech addressed to him, children react to its intonation and emotional mood, easily catch them and become infected with the same mood. This is both the simplicity and complexity of raising young children.

5. In the development of young children, the leading role belongs to adults. It provides all the conditions necessary for the development and optimal health of the baby. Communicating with him, he brings warmth, affection and information that is necessary for the development of the child’s mind and soul. A friendly tone, a calm, even attitude towards him is the key to a balanced state of the baby.

One of the conditions ensuring normal development and well-being of young children is unity of pedagogical influences on the part of everyone who participates in their upbringing, especially in the family, where often several people are involved with the child: mother, father, grandmother and other adults - and their actions in relationships they do not always agree with the baby and are not always constant. In these cases, the baby does not understand how he should act, how to act. Some children, easily excitable, cease to obey the demands of adults, others, stronger ones, try to adapt, changing their behavior each time, which is an impossible task for them. Thus, adults themselves are often the cause of unbalanced behavior in children. Therefore, it is very important that not only in the family, but also in the preschool institution, the requirements are equally feasible for children, agreed upon between parents and educators.

When accepting a child into a group for the first time, the teacher must know everything about him, having received information from the doctor, in a conversation with parents, in communication with the child even before he arrives at the preschool institution. In the first days of your child’s stay in the group, you should not sharply violate what he is used to at home, even if these habits are not entirely correct. For example, a child is accustomed to sleeping with a pacifier at home, and at first you should not wean him off. But the teacher must patiently explain to parents that, if possible, they should gradually prepare the child for weaning: tell them what skills the children need to develop at home, and what methods to use.

Young children are suggestible and easily convey the mood of those around them. A raised, irritable tone, sudden transitions from affection to coldness, screaming negatively affect the baby’s behavior.

It is very important to use prohibitions correctly in raising a child. You can't let your baby do whatever he wants. Both frequent prohibitions and permission to do whatever the child wants are harmful. In one case, the child does not develop the skills necessary for life; in another, the child is forced to deliberately restrain himself, which is a lot of work for him. How to deal with young children? First of all, prohibitions, if necessary, must be justified; demands for their implementation must be presented in a calm voice. You cannot allow something that was previously prohibited, for example, you should always demand that the child does not sit down to eat with unwashed hands, does not go near an open window, a burning stove, does not take things from the teacher’s table, etc. However, there should be much fewer prohibitions than what he is allowed to do.

The requirements must be feasible for young children to fulfill. Thus, it is difficult for a child not to move for a long time - to sit or stand, maintaining the same position, to wait until, for example, it is his turn to get dressed for a walk.

From an early age, children develop independence. Performing actions without the help of an adult begins to give the baby pleasure very early. Having barely learned to speak, he turns to an adult with the words “I myself.” This baby’s need for activity and self-affirmation should, as far as possible, be supported in every possible way. In play, children often try to overcome some difficulties themselves, and there is no need to try to help them right away. Let the child try to perform the action independently. This is one of the conditions for the development of skills and good mood of the baby.

Often the cause of a child's unbalanced behavior is a disruption in his activities. At an early age, a child cannot quickly and voluntarily switch from one type of activity to another, and therefore a sharp breakdown, a demand to immediately stop, for example, a game and do something else beyond his strength, causes a sharp protest. And vice versa, if an adult does this gradually - first he suggests finishing the game, putting the toys in their place, then he gives instructions to the new kind activities: “Now let’s go wash, fragrant soap. And for lunch there are delicious pancakes. Will you help me put the plates on the table?” – the child willingly obeys.

Education should take into account individual characteristics child. In children with different types nervous activity, the limit of working capacity is not the same: some get tired faster, they more often need a change during the play of calm and active games, and go to bed earlier than others. There are children who themselves come into contact with others, demand that they be called to such contacts, and more often support their positive emotional state. Children also fall asleep differently: some slowly, restlessly, asking for the teacher to stay with them; For others, sleep comes quickly and they do not need special influences. During the game, some children easily complete the adult’s tasks (therefore, it is important that the task is quite difficult and that the child solves it independently). Others are waiting for help, support, encouragement. Knowing the individual characteristics of a child not only helps the teacher find the right approach, but also contributes to the formation of certain personality traits of a growing person.

Often the cause of unbalanced behavior in children is improper organization of activities: when motor activity is not satisfied, the child does not receive enough impressions and experiences a deficit in communication with adults. Disruptions in behavior can also occur as a result of the fact that organic needs are not satisfied in a timely manner - inconvenience in clothing, diaper rash, the child is hungry, or did not get enough sleep. Therefore, the daily routine, careful hygienic care, methodically correct implementation of all routine processes - sleep, feeding, hygienic needs, timely organization of the child’s independent activities, classes, implementation of the correct educational approaches are the key to developing the child’s correct behavior and creating a balanced mood in him.

The characteristics of the early childhood period correspond to tasks and means of education child, they include physical, mental, moral and aesthetic education.

Objectives of physical education: protecting the health of children, their movements, full physical development; instilling cultural and hygienic skills.

Basic means of physical education: provision of sanitary hygiene care, carrying out hardening activities - extensive use of air, sun, water; rational feeding and nutrition; organization of massage and gymnastics; organization of the daily routine; methodically correct implementation of all routine processes (feeding, sleep, wakefulness); ensuring the child’s physical activity (room for movement, availability of special benefits in children’s institutions).

Objectives of mental education: formation of actions with objects; sensory development; speech development; development of gaming and other activities; formation of basic mental processes (attention, memory), development of visual and effective thinking, emotional development, the formation of primary ideas and concepts about the world around us, the development of mental abilities (the ability to compare, distinguish, generalize, establish a causal relationship between individual phenomena); formation of cognitive needs (need for obtaining information, activity in classes, independence in understanding the world around us).

Basic means of mental education: emotional and business communication between an adult and a child during the child’s own activities; special training provided by the teacher in the classroom; independent practice of the child himself in everyday life, games, communication.

The main activities at an early age are communication with adults, as well as the development of actions with objects. For their timely development, it is necessary to create optimal conditions.

Objectives of moral education: the formation of positive relationships with adults (the ability to calmly fulfill their demands, show affection and love for parents, family members, educators, the desire to help others, show an affectionate attitude, sympathy); nurturing positive personality traits (kindness, responsiveness, friendliness, initiative, resourcefulness, the ability to overcome difficulties, to finish a job); nurturing friendly relationships between children (the ability to play nearby without disturbing other children, share toys, show sympathy, provide help in case of difficulties, etc.); fostering positive habits (the ability to say hello, thank you, put toys away, etc.); teaching elementary forms labor activity(all forms of self-service, feasible assistance to younger and older children, for example, water flowers together with adults, bring napkins for dinner, clean paths in the area, etc.).

Means of moral education: patterns of adult behavior, approval of good deeds, teaching children positive actions; organizing special appropriate situations, reading books.

For the full and harmonious development of children, it is important from an early age to cultivate in them a love for the beautiful in the environment, nature, and everyday life, that is, to form aesthetic feelings.

Objectives of aesthetic education: developing the ability to notice the beautiful in nature, the surrounding reality, people’s actions, clothing, developing creative abilities (an ear for music, visual activity).

Means of aesthetic education: acquaintance with nature, music, learning to sing, draw, sculpt, read folk nursery rhymes, poems, fairy tales.

All of the above tasks are solved through joint efforts preschool and families. Proper organization of children's lives in a group environment allows the mother to work successfully, and the child to develop harmoniously under the guidance of specialists (pediatricians, educators, music workers).

Let's take a closer look at the features of child development at each stage of early childhood.

Currently, the attention of many psychologists around the world is drawn to the problems of early childhood. This interest is far from accidental, since it is discovered that the first years of life are the period of the most intense and moral development when the foundation of physical, mental and moral health is laid. The future of the child largely depends on the conditions under which it occurs.

The age limits of early childhood are from 1 year to 3 years. Authors describing the development of a young child (Elkonin, Vygotsky, Kulagina, Lisina) identify a number of parameters by which they describe the development of a child: physical development, emotional development, development of mental functions, speech development, leading type of activity, relationships with adults and other children. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

For physical And neuropsychic The development of children in the first two years of life is characterized by a rapid pace. During this period, the height and weight of the child intensively increases (especially in the first year), all body functions intensively develop. By the age of one year, the child masters independent walking. In the second and third years of life, his basic movements improve, and he begins to coordinate his motor activity with those around him. At an early age, active mastery of one’s own body occurs. General mastery of the body, upright walking, differentiated manual actions are achievements in mental and physical development, which are accompanied by a feeling of pleasure and self-satisfaction. By physically communicating with a significant adult, the child begins to realize the value and significance of physical contact; such contacts give the child self-confidence. For the child, physical support acts as recognition of his value.

Early childhood is a turbulent period speech development . The child’s autonomous speech quickly disappears (usually within six months). The child makes great progress in mastering his native speech; children master both its phonetic and semantic aspects. Pronunciation becomes more correct. The most important thing in changing a child’s speech is that the word acquires an objective meaning for him. At an early age, passive vocabulary grows quickly. By the age of two, a child understands almost all the words that an adult utters when naming objects in the surrounding world. The active vocabulary is also developing intensively. If the active vocabulary of a one-year-old child, as a rule, contains 10-12 words, then by the age of two their number increases to 200-300, and by three - up to 1500 words.

In development mental functions In a young child, perception dominates. The child is maximally connected with the current situation, all his behavior is impulsive; nothing that lies outside the visual situation attracts him.

At an early age, elementary forms of imagination are observed, such as anticipation, but there is no creative imagination yet; the child is not able to lie or invent something. During this period, memory is included in the process of active perception. Basically, this is recognition, although the child can involuntarily reproduce what he saw and heard.

Thinking in this age period is clearly effective. Source of intellectual development - subject activity. In interaction with an adult, the child learns ways of operating with a variety of objects.

The child reacts emotionally only to what he directly perceives. The child’s desires are unstable, quickly passing, he cannot restrain them, they are limited only by punishment and encouragement from adults. Vivid emotional reactions associated with the child's desires are characteristic.

At this time, the child develops self-awareness. At about 2 years old, the child begins to recognize himself in the mirror - this is the simplest primary form of self-awareness. Then the child calls himself - first by name, then, usually closer to 3 years, the pronoun “I” appears.

After 1 year relationship between child and adult change. Some distance from the mother is not evidence of complete independence; the child is still psychologically connected with her. He still has no idea of himself as a special, separate being; the baby is still very dependent on the attitude of those around him. Only emotional contact between mother and child, which includes, along with verbal means of communication, also non-verbal, tactile sensations - caresses, kisses, hugs - is capable of satisfying the baby’s need for love at an early stage of development. Depending on the degree to which this need is satisfied, the child will develop trust or distrust both in other people and in the world around him as a whole.

Starting from the age of one and a half years, assessment of a child’s behavior by adults becomes one of the most important sources of his feelings. The child is directly dependent on the elder. Already from infancy, he persistently seeks positive emotional reactions. Against the background of this dependence, in conditions of predominantly positive relationships, the primary assimilation of behavioral norms occurs. IN Everyday life adults make certain demands on the child, and in order to be recognized as an adult, the child strives to fulfill these requirements. The claim to recognition becomes a child’s need, which determines the success of his development.

Child's communication with other children usually it just appears, but does not yet become full-fledged. In the second year of a child’s life, when a peer approaches, the child may feel uneasy, interrupt his activities and rush to the protection of his mother. In the third year, he already calmly plays next to another child, but the moments of common play are short-lived, and there can be no talk of any rules. When communicating with other children, a young child always proceeds from own desires, he is self-centered, not only does not understand the other child, but also does not know how to empathize with him. Nevertheless, communication with peers is useful and also contributes to the emotional development of the child, although to a lesser extent than communication with adults.

According to D.B. Elkonin, leading type of child activity early childhood - subject-based activity aimed at mastering socially developed ways of interacting with objects.

The second year of life is the period of the emergence of procedural play. It can be characterized as follows. The first play actions appear in the second year of a child’s life. In terms of structure, they are distinguished by fragmentation, monotony, one-act nature, short duration, combined with endless repetitions of the same action. The content of these actions is imitation of an adult. Game material Only realistic toys are used. The motive of the game is initially located on the adult pole. The game unfolds primarily in his presence and requires constant participation. The child's emotional involvement in the game is weak. Gradually, the baby’s own activity develops in it, the variety of actions increases, they begin to line up in logical chains that reflect the real course of events, and the duration of game episodes increases. Substitutions are starting to creep into the game. Game motivation and the associated emotional component of the game are enhanced. Lack of role.

There are different approaches considering the period of early childhood. Let us present several concepts of the development of a young child, which we will rely on when building a model of interaction between a parent and a young child.

The concept of early childhood according to L.S. Vygotsky - D.B. Elkonin

· Age-related neoplasms: development of perception, intelligence, speech

· Social situation of development at an early age: “child - object - adult”.

· The main activity is substantive manipulative

· The dominant function of consciousness is perception

· The decisive role in the development of the child is rich subject environment, interaction with an adult

2. in love and acceptance

3. in the manipulation of objects

4. in interaction with an adult

Concept by Pamela Levine:

· Early childhood - 18 months to 3 years - thinking stage

Active emotional development of the child - the appearance of anger and other feelings

· The first manifestations of the volitional sphere

· Playing near other children

· Parents and educators, by providing adequate care and establishing positive discipline, help the child solve developmental problems.

Development objectives:

· Development of the ability of independent, cause-and-effect thinking

· Separation from parents

· Expression of feelings

Basic needs of the child:

1. safe and loved

2. with adult support

3. in a developing environment to ensure cognitive activity

Concept by D. Steiner:

· Early childhood - from 1 year to 3 years

· active physical development of the child

· separation from mother, fear of losing mother

· emotional development of the child - the emergence of fears, rage, disappointment

Interest in surrounding objects and toys

· Parents and educators, by providing adequate care and establishing positive discipline, help the child solve developmental problems.

Basic needs of the child:

1. in interaction with adults

2. stability and order in everyday life

3. in a saturated environment

Early childhood is a period of rapid formation of all psychophysiological processes characteristic of humans. Researchers note that the future of the child largely depends on the conditions under which this stage of development occurs. By the end of the first year of a child’s life, the social situation of development changes, with the expansion of opportunities, the child’s activity increases, now his interest is aimed at manipulating objects, and the circle of social contacts expands. The child’s activity and independence require a change in his relationship with an adult, who must take into account the child’s needs and rely on his capabilities.

To build a model of interaction between a parent and a young child, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the child’s development during this period and his needs. Analysis of the concept of early childhood development allowed us to identify the following needs of the child:

1. in love and acceptance,

2. in a rich subject environment,

3. in interaction with an adult.

Early age is a period of rapid formation of all psychophysiological processes characteristic of humans. Timely started and correctly carried out education of young children is an important condition their full development. For physical And neuropsychic development children of the first two years life x-n fast pace. During this period, the height and weight of the child intensively increases (especially in the 1st year), all body functions intensively develop. By one year the child masters walking. In the 2nd and 3rd years of life, his basic movements improve, he begins to coordinate his motor activity with those around him. The child makes great progress in mastering his native language. If the active vocabulary of a one-year-old child, as a rule, contains 10-12 words, then by the age of 2 the number increases to 200-300, and by the age of 3 - up to 1500 words. Development at an early age occurs against such an unfavorable background as increased vulnerability of the body - low resistance to disease. Every past illness will be denied. affects the overall development of children. Therefore, concern for the protection and promotion of health small child is one of the most important tasks of education in early childhood. In the first years of life, the relationship between physical and mental development. A strong, physically healthy child is not only less susceptible to illness, but also develops better mentally. At the same time, cheerful, active, active children physically more resilient. Minor health problems cause changes in their general well-being - they become irritable and lethargic, play poorly, and get tired quickly. At an early age, children are characterized by great emotional instability. conditions: for seemingly insignificant reasons, they often cry and cannot calm down for a long time; and vice versa, before the tears have time to dry, they are replaced by a smile. The good mood of children is supported by proper organization of their life - active activities, interesting impressions and ch. in a reasonably organized manner of communication with adults. Providing positive emotions. condition of children, their balanced behavior, protection nervous system, prevention of fatigue are important tasks of early childhood pedagogy. When raising young children, one should take into account the predominance of their excitation over inhibitory processes: a small child can hardly tolerate waiting for food, restrictions in movements, etc. Taking this feature into account, in nurseries and early age groups of nursery-kindergartens, the principle of consistent, gradual implementation of all regime processes, allowing to serve each child individually. Conditioned reflexes that quickly form in a baby and manifest themselves in habits may be. both appropriate for health and development (falling asleep and waking up at a certain time, actively staying awake), and inappropriate (falling asleep while rocking, sucking pacifiers, staying awake in the arms of an adult, etc.). Although habits are relatively easy to establish, they are difficult to change. Re-education is an extremely difficult matter and harmful to the functioning of the nervous system. Therefore, it is necessary literally from the moment the child is born to ensure his proper upbringing. The results of targeted education are evident as early as 2 months: the baby falls asleep, wakes up, and feels the need for food at a strictly defined time; sleepy and well-fed, he is calm and shows joy when communicating with adults. Possessing high plasticity of brain and mental functions, a child has great potential development opportunities, the implementation of which depends on the direct influence of surrounding adults, on upbringing and training. Early childhood pedagogy outlines specific tasks and methods for the comprehensive education of children. Educated in content. work at this age stage of childhood includes the following sections: - compliance with the daily routine established for young children, i.e. correct distribution during the day and a clear sequence of sleep, feeding, wakefulness, shift different types activities; - correct implementation of routine processes: feeding, hygienic care, putting to bed, dousing, etc.; - conducting individual and group classes, games, entertainment, etc. Successful implementation of tasks educational work depends on the pedagogically sound choice of its forms and methods, on the correct organization of the entire life of children.

IN The higher nervous activity of a young child has its own characteristics, knowledge of which will help to avoid many mistakes in raising a child. Conditioned reflexes arise relatively quickly in children, but are consolidated slowly.

Many conditioned reflexes, and, consequently, skills, habits, learned rules of behavior, even by the age of three are not sufficiently stable. And if they are not supported, they are easily destroyed.

It is known that conditioned reflexes arise only when the same conditions are repeated many times. Therefore, parents must remember that the formation of habits and rules of behavior in a child is possible only with constant exercise, reminders of them and with the same requirements for the child from all adults raising him.

The higher nervous activity of young children is characterized by an imbalance of two main nervous processes. Excitation processes prevail over inhibition processes. Positive conditioned reflexes are developed faster than inhibitory ones. It is much easier to teach a child to do something than to teach him to refrain from an unwanted action. Inhibitory conditioned reflexes require more repetitions than positive conditioned reflexes.

It is precisely because of these features small child It is very difficult to maintain an inhibited state for a long time (for example, stand calmly next to your mother and wait for her to discuss all the problems with a friend she meets). The baby is spinning, spinning, and his mother is giving orders that he cannot carry out: “Just stay calm! Don't spin! However, at an early age, a child must learn to understand the meaning of the words “should” and “shouldn’t” and behave accordingly.

You should begin to form inhibitory conditioned reflexes that delay the child’s activity in response to the word “no” already at the end of the first year of life. The word “no” must necessarily be accompanied by the cessation of the child’s activities. So he reaches for the knife that lies on the table, and mom says “no” and removes the knife, replacing it with a safe object. In this case, the mother uses the distraction method. But this method can only be used in the first year of life.

In the second or third year, it is necessary to explain to the child why this or that object cannot be taken, why the action must be stopped. “Alyoshenka, you can’t take the knife. It's sharp. You might cut yourself, it will hurt,” “Irochka, please play quietly, don’t shout so loudly: grandma is resting,” says mom.

In children of the second, and even more so the third year of life, a significant number of inhibitory conditioned reflexes can be developed. But this should be done very carefully. You cannot endlessly forbid a child, interrupt his activities: “Don’t run, don’t scream, put him in his place,” etc. Such prohibitions can lead to a breakdown of the nervous system: in this case, the child can be overly excitable or, conversely, passive and lethargic. This can negatively affect the development of his personality: his activity, independence, curiosity.

So, the formation of inhibitory reflexes should begin at an early age, but this must be done carefully and gradually. A. S. Makarenko noted that finding the proper measure between activity and prohibitions means solving the main issue of education, that is, raising a child as an active person who knows how to restrain harmful desires.

Features of the higher nervous activity of children include relatively weak mobility of nervous processes. Children cannot quickly start or slow down any action. Therefore, you cannot demand from them to quickly switch from one type of activity to another: “Immediately put away the toys and get dressed!” It is necessary to give instructions before starting a new activity so that the child can prepare and gradually, painlessly move on to it. For example: “Irochka, we’ll have lunch soon. Put away the toys. Put the doll to bed. Well done. Now put the cubes in a box.”

With proper upbringing, cheerful, active behavior predominates in young children. They are mobile, smile a lot, which corresponds to the optimal state of excitability of their nervous system. But we must keep in mind that at an early age the state of excitability of the nervous system is unstable.

The optimal state can, even for minor reasons, move into a phase of increased or decreased excitability. In this case, the child’s behavior is dramatically disrupted. The baby may either scream loudly, refuse to perform his usual actions, be capricious, or, conversely, become lethargic and indifferent to everything around him.

An increase or decrease in excitability is observed relatively often in children. However, this cannot be considered natural for this age period. Changes in excitability are most often the result of parenting errors (violation of the regime, excessive demands on the child, frequent prohibitions, etc.). Parents should know that the balanced behavior of children can also change due to illness, incomplete satisfaction of their organic needs, or exposure to unpleasant physical stimuli.

Views on early childhood pedagogy were initially formed in the context of ideas about raising children from birth to entry into school. Most scientists and educational practitioners, emphasizing the importance of the first years of life for subsequent human development, argued that best conditions for the upbringing and education of young children can only be in the family.

Among the founders of early childhood pedagogy, the following researchers can be distinguished. J. Komensky spoke about raising young children in the family, about the need to develop their perception, his speech and visual representations significantly influenced subsequent development preschool pedagogy. J.-J. Rousseau was the first to express the idea that childhood is a valuable period of a person’s life, and the task of education is to maximize the realization of the opportunities inherent in this period, to create the best conditions for this. The famous Swiss teacher I. Pestalozzi argued that “the hour of a child’s birth is the first hour of his education,” that the purpose of education is “to reveal true humanity,” and that everyone comes to realize their connection with the human race in the process family education. The German teacher F. Froebel attached paramount importance to raising a small child in the family. M. Montessori has developed standardized autodidactic materials that encourage children, freely choosing one activity or another, to perform actions as the teacher intended. Valuable ideas for early childhood pedagogy are contained in the works of R. Steiner, the founder of Waldorf pedagogy and his followers. Developing humanistic ideas, he put forward the disclosure of the abilities and inclinations that a child brings into the world from birth, as well as the elimination of obstacles to their development, as the main task of education.

D.B. Elkonin emphasized that at the end of the first year of life, the social situation of complete unity between the child and the adult explodes from the inside. Two people appear in it: a child and an adult. This is the essence of the crisis of the first year of life.

According to L.S. Vygotsky, all mental functions at this age develop “around perception, through perception and with the help of perception.” This also applies to the development of thinking.

S.L. Novoselova examined the development of visual-effective thinking in young children from the perspective of activity theory. Her comparative genetic analysis of the formation early forms thinking in the ontogenesis of humans and apes showed that thinking with its human qualities does not arise suddenly. It is prepared for a long time in phylogeny in the form of necessary prerequisites (the possibility of generalizing the experience of manipulating objects in monkeys) and acquires new qualities already in the course of anthropogenesis, which serves as a watershed between animal intelligence and human thinking.

The period of early childhood however. Early childhood period (1-3 years)

More on topic 27. The uniqueness of the period of early childhood, its significance. Features of higher nervous activity at an early age. Founders of early childhood pedagogy: