Research work “Experiment in kindergarten”
Experiment in kindergarten.
The material was prepared by the teacher of the preparatory school group Stolika S.E.
We live in a rapidly changing world, in the era of information, computers, satellite television, mobile communications, and the Internet. Information technologies give us new opportunities. An interesting future awaits our current students. In order for them to be successful and skillfully navigate the ever-growing flow of information, they need to be taught to easily and quickly perceive information, analyze it, master new things, and find innovative solutions in various situations.
The problem of developing the intellectual and creative potential of a child’s personality is one of the main educational tasks. Each child has individual cognitive abilities. Abilities are found not in knowledge, skills and abilities, as such, but in the dynamics of their acquisition.
The content and methods of teaching preschoolers are aimed at developing attention, memory, creative imagination, developing the ability to compare, highlight the characteristic properties of objects, generalize them according to a certain criterion, and receive satisfaction from the solution found. When a child acts with objects himself, he understands the world around him better, so priority in working with children should be given to practical teaching methods: experiments, projects, experiences.
One of the optimal technologies that supports a competency-oriented approach in education can be considered the project method. The project method is based on the idea that forms the essence of the concept of “project” - its pragmatic focus on the result that is obtained by solving a particular practically or theoretically significant problem.
Using the project method allows you to develop children’s cognitive abilities, teach them to independently construct their knowledge, navigate the information space, and develop critical thinking.
Experimentation is of great interest to children. Experimentation is a truly childish activity that is leading throughout preschool age.
Having set ourselves the goal of developing the cognitive abilities of children, we naturally turned our attention to the use of design and research methods in working with children.
At this stage, we used a variety of methods and techniques, applied TRIZ technology, organized experimentation, and widely used the project method.
The use of models and diagrams, in our opinion, allows us to comprehend and systematize the acquired knowledge.
In the process of using models and diagrams, children master symbolic activity: they learn to substitute, code, and model. Children have fun coding fairy tales, playing the game “Find the Treasure”, where they use a drawn map - a diagram, draw a plan of the group, kindergarten, our area and ask each other various questions. For example, how can we get from our kindergarten to the children's park faster? Tell in words how to get from the book corner to the experimentation center, etc. Boys often model, sketch imaginary models of cars, airplanes, etc.
Map of interests for preschoolers.
Dear parents!!!
Identifying a child’s interests and inclinations is a very difficult matter, like any other psychodiagnostic work. The teacher, using the presented methodology, can obtain primary information about the direction of interests of schoolchildren. This, in turn, will give him the opportunity to more objectively judge the child’s abilities and the nature of his giftedness.
When studying the direction of interests of preschoolers, it should be taken into account that the interests of most children of this age are not clearly differentiated and unstable. But this cannot be a reason to refuse to study them. Without information about the child's inclinations and interests, our pedagogical measures may be inadequate.
It is also important that despite the lack of absolute coincidence noted by researchers between interests and inclinations, on the one hand, and abilities and talents, on the other, there is a close connection between them, which is already quite clearly expressed in the early stages of personality development. A child is, as a rule, interested in the science or field of activity in which he is most successful, for achievements in which he is often encouraged by adults and peers. Thus, aptitudes act as an indicator of abilities and giftedness, on the one hand, and as a starting point, on the other.
To ensure that the information received is objective, it is advisable to conduct a survey using this method not only of children, but also of your parents. To do this, it is necessary to prepare answer sheets for the number of participants - this is the most labor-intensive operation. The survey can be carried out collectively. The instructions are extremely simple and do not require much effort to learn. The results can also be processed within a short time.
Instructions for parents.
In order to give you the right advice and specific recommendations for developing your child’s abilities, we need to know his inclinations. You are asked 35 questions. Think and answer each of them, trying not to overestimate or underestimate the child’s capabilities. For greater objectivity, compare him with other children of the same age.
Write down your first and last name on your answer sheet. Place your answers in the cells whose numbers correspond to the question numbers. If what is said in the question is not liked (from your point of view) by the child, put in the box (-); if you like it - (+); I like it very much - (++). If for any reason you find it difficult to answer, leave this cell blank.
Question sheet
Each question begins with the words “Do you like...”
1. Solve logical problems and intelligence problems.
2. Read independently (listen when they read to him) fairy tales, stories,
stories.
3. Sing, play music.
4. Do physical exercise.
5. Play various group games with other children.
6. Read (listen when they read) stories about nature.
7. Do something in the kitchen (wash dishes, help prepare food).
8. Play with a technical constructor.
9. Learn the language, be interested in and use new unfamiliar ones
words.
10. Draw on your own.
11. Play sports and outdoor games.
12. Supervise children's games.
13. Go to the forest, to the field, watch plants, animals, insects.
14. Go to the grocery store.
15. Read (or listen to) books about technology, cars, spaceships, etc.
16. Play games with guessing words (names of cities, animals).
17. Compose stories, fairy tales, stories on your own.
18. Follow a daily routine, do exercises in the morning.
19. Talk to new, unfamiliar people.
20. Take care of your home aquarium, keep birds and animals (cats, dogs, etc.).
21. Clean up books, notebooks, toys, etc.
22. Design and draw designs of airplanes, ships, etc.
23. Get acquainted with history (visit historical museums).
24. Independently, without encouragement from adults, engage in various types of artistic creativity.
25. Read (listen while they read) books about sports, watch sports TV shows.
26. Explain something to other children or adults (convince, argue, prove your opinion).
27. Care for domestic animals and plants, help them, treat them, etc.
28. Help adults clean the apartment (wiping dust, sweeping the floor, etc.).
29. Count independently, do math at school.
30. Get acquainted with social phenomena and international events.
31. Take part in dramatization games and staging performances.
32. Play sports in sections and clubs.
33. Help other people.
34. Work in the garden, vegetable garden, grow plants.
35. Help and independently sew, embroider, wash.
The questions are drawn up in accordance with the conditional division of the child’s inclinations into seven areas:
mathematics and technology; humanitarian sphere; artistic activity; physical education and sports; communication interests; nature and natural science; household chores, self-care work.
Processing the results.
Count the number of pluses and minuses vertically (plus and minus cancel each other). Dominance where there are the greatest number of advantages. When summing up the results and especially when formulating conclusions, allowance should be made for the objectivity of the subjects. It is also necessary to take into account that a gifted child’s interests in all areas can be equally well expressed; at the same time, a number of children sometimes exhibit a lack of pronounced inclinations; in this case, we should talk about some specific type of direction of the child’s interests.
This technique is not only diagnostic, it can also help in solving correctional and pedagogical problems; with its help, you can intensify your parents’ work with you in this direction, push them to study the interests and inclinations of their own children, and give them the opportunity to at least think about this complex problem. The results obtained can be very useful as a reference scheme for observations of children. It is also interesting to compare the responses of teachers and you parents. This will create a more objective picture of the direction of the child’s interests and identify areas for correctional work both with the children and with you as parents.
"Cognitive activity of an older preschooler."
Development of cognitive activity in the process of children's experimentation.
The most important type of search activity is experimentation.
Children's experimentation is a special form of research activity in which the processes of emergence and development of new personal motives that underlie self-development are most clearly expressed (N. Poddyakov).
One of the areas of children's experimental activities that we actively use is experiments. They are carried out both in classes and in free independent and joint activities with the teacher. Experience is observation of natural phenomena, which is carried out in specially organized conditions. The cognitive task of the experiment must be clearly and precisely formulated. Its solution requires analysis, correlation of known and unknown data. During the experiment, children express their assumptions about the causes of the observed phenomenon and choose a method for solving a cognitive problem. Thanks to experiments, children develop the ability to compare, contrast, draw conclusions, express their judgments and conclusions. Experiments are also of great importance for understanding cause-and-effect relationships.
It is very important that every child is involved in the process of conducting experiments.
It is especially interesting for children to experiment with objects of living and inanimate nature. So, having planted the seeds of zorka and calendula flowers in special cups, children observe their development: which seed sprouted faster, why; what influence does a person have on the development of plants, does the growth of flowers depend on weather conditions. We record the results of observations in a specially designed calendar. Children record its daily changes in the “weather” line using symbols (clouds, sun, rain, etc.). The line “flowers” marks the day the sprout first appeared and its changes in subsequent days. An experiment is carried out with two types of flowers to compare and identify the reasons for the discrepancy. The line “care” records how children care for the plant, also using symbols (a stick for loosening, a mug for watering, etc.). In the calendar, information is encoded, and then, based on analysis, patterns and connections are established between the growth and development of a plant, the role of humans and weather conditions, and changes in nature. In order to establish why the calendula seed sprouted faster than the zorka seeds, we examined them through a magnifying glass, felt them, sniffed them, etc. As a result, the children established: the shell of the zorka seed is hard, thick, rough, does not crumble under the influence of force, while that of calendula the shell is thin and very fragile, the seed is in the form of a hair, and is quickly destroyed by external influence. Consequently, under the influence of damp soil and heat, the calendula seed germinates faster.
In the process of conducting research activities, we develop children’s environmental literacy and foster an active environmental position. After observing the changes occurring on the tree over several days, one girl in my group asked the question: “Why did the leaves curl up?” This question served as the impetus for examining the object and establishing the cause: the appearance of a butterfly pupa. What needs to be done to prevent the tree from dying? One solution: spray the plant with a soap solution. We did this together with the children.
While working in the garden, the guys notice that where there are a lot of weeds, the radishes are small, and where there are none, they are large. Conclusion: Weeds interfere with plant growth. Carefully cutting off tree branches, we observe together with the children which tree and where (in a dark place or in the light) the leaves will bloom faster. Children draw conclusions: what conditions are necessary for plant growth.
Thus, several stages can be distinguished in organizing and conducting experiments:
1. Statement of the problem (task).
2. Finding ways to solve the problem.
3. Conducting experiments.
4. Recording observations.
5. Discussion of the results and formulation of conclusions.
Objects of inanimate nature are also studied: sand, clay, snow, stones, air, water, magnet, etc. For example, we suggest making a figurine from wet and dry sand. Children discuss what kind of sand is being molded and why. Examining sand through a magnifying glass, they discover that it consists of small grains of sand crystals, this explains the property of dry sand - flowability.
We introduce older preschoolers to the movement of bodies and its main components, the sphericity of the Earth, daily and seasonal changes, the mass of bodies using scales, aggregate changes in matter, the straightness of the propagation of light, etc.
The content of observations of natural objects includes the following points:
— determination of the structure of plants and animals, identification of the whole object and the parts of which it consists;
- various manifestations of living beings (methods of functioning, for animals - different forms of behavior);
— determination of the properties and characteristics of objects and their parts (color, size, shape, surface features);
— identification of components of the external environment and their qualitative characteristics.
So, looking at a dandelion, children note what it consists of, what its functions are (what it does: blooms, grows, smells, sways, drinks, bends, dies, reproduces), what it feels like (wet, soft, rough), why In the morning the bud is closed, and in the afternoon it opens? Thus, the more sense organs are involved in cognition, the more properties the child identifies in the object under study. Consequently, his ideas expand, allowing him to compare, differentiate, actively reflect and doubt.
In order to clearly trace changes in living and inanimate nature that occur from season to season, we use various models of observation calendars. For example, in the middle group - a pie chart.
Each sector is painted in a specific color: yellow - autumn, white - winter, green - spring, red - summer. On this “magic circle” we note the signs of the season that the children observed. The pie chart has pockets and cuts where symbols and icons are placed, indicating the signs of each season. A sign, a symbol helps the child generalize and retain information.
We use, for example, the following conventions:
Icons are entered only after observations.
In the older group, children record observations of the growth of planted plants and animals in the nature calendar with the help of symbols. Creative knowledge of nature contributes to the formation of ideas about the basic laws of nature. At a younger age, this is the variability of the seasons and the dependence of changes in living nature (i.e. in the life of plants and animals) on the changing conditions of inanimate nature. In order to teach children to identify the simplest connections in observed natural processes, we begin working with them at the age of 4. At this age, we develop in children an understanding of individual, frequently occurring phenomena of inanimate nature (precipitation - snow, rain, hail, the distinguished properties of sand, water, morning-evening, day-night, etc.), and also introduce them to objects living nature: indoor and wild plants, wild and domestic animals. As a result, children acquire a certain amount of knowledge about the natural world. They develop a cognitive interest in natural objects, a desire to learn new things about the properties of things, and to actively explore them. They ask questions: “Why do birds fly away in the fall? Where do bugs and butterflies live in winter? Why is the snow melting in the room? At this age, children's attention becomes more stable; they can observe animals and plants for quite a long time.
The essence of observations lies in the sensory knowledge of natural objects, through various forms of perception - visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, olfactory, etc. Children are introduced to a small number of plants in the room and on the site. By examining them, observing their growth and development in different environmental conditions, preschoolers learn to distinguish plants, name them correctly, focusing on characteristic features - shape, size, color of leaves, fruits, flowers, stems. They become familiar with the functions of the organs: the plant is held in the ground by its roots, sucks water and nutrients from it, which pass through the stem, trunk, and branches into leaves, flowers, and fruits. The main function of leaves is to absorb sunlight. A flower is a reproductive organ; in its place a fruit appears with seeds, from which new plants can later grow.
The content of animal observations includes the following components:
— methods of movement (how and with the help of which organs it occurs);
— appearance: parts of the body, structural features, characteristics (color, shape, size) of external organs;
- orientation in space (how they listen to sounds and noises, how they look around);
- how they react to the environment;
- habitat - terrain features, food, other animals - neighbors (enemies, neutral);
- relationships with people - reaction to their appearance;
- life manifestations in different seasons: changes in color during transitional seasons, nest building, food supply, their search in winter.
In addition to the content, it is extremely important to determine the organizational and methodological forms of conducting observations of natural objects. The pedagogical process should be structured in such a way that children’s interest in the inhabitants of the corner increases, their ideas about them constantly expand, and by the end of the school year any child could be a guide to the corner of nature. These requirements are met by cyclic observation, which is organized at various routine moments in everyday life. A separate cycle is a series of interconnected observations of a specific object in a corner of nature or a section of a kindergarten. Each of the observations in the cycle has its own content, its own purpose, does not repeat other observations, but is interconnected with them. The cycle of observations allows the child to sensory and independently acquire a system of specific knowledge about the animals or plants that live in his neighborhood. Repeated reference to the same object over a period of 1-3 months forms children’s stable cognitive interest in it. As a result, children develop a need for new independent observations.
Requirements for conducting observations.
1. The spatial organization of observations should be such that any natural object is as accessible as possible to every child. In each specific case, the teacher considers how many children can simultaneously participate in the observation, and how to arrange them so that they are all in the same row. The child should be able to independently receive sensory information about nature (feel the nature of the surface, determine the shape, temperature, weight of an object, hear the sounds emanating from it, smell it). You can place the whole group along the bed (if the bed is large), and no more than five people around the aquarium.
The teacher verbally designates everything that the children see, but the word must follow the perception - only in this case the child develops full-fledged knowledge.
2. The perception of any objects should be short-lived, since observation is a mental, intellectual activity that requires concentrated attention, volitional effort, and mental effort. During observations, you cannot talk, play, or manipulate objects. The optimal time for intensive mental activity in children is 3-10 minutes, and observation is limited to this time.
3. Observation develops according to a certain pattern: beginning, main part and end. First you need to gather the children and concentrate their attention. It is better to use the following techniques that evoke light positive emotions and a willingness to listen to the teacher:
- an invitation to watch something interesting together;
- affectionate, intriguing intonation;
- riddle-description, riddle-action about the object of observation.
The second part is the main one, it ensures independent receipt of sensory information. The teacher offers to look at the object and asks questions with pauses of 2-3 seconds. Seconds of silence and silence are the main point in observation: they allow children to concentrate in finding answers to questions. The main part must be solid, unified. It should not be interrupted by stories, explanations, poems, games, riddles. You can use logically selected actions and movements. For example, after two seconds of observation, ask the children to show how a fish opens and closes its mouth, how a bird closes its eyes, and ask what the children feel. Observations, when paired well with actions, make it easier to obtain information. At the end of the observations, the teacher reads poetry, sings songs, plays, and makes riddles about the observed object.
4. Special preparation for observations is required. For example, before observing a bird resting and sleeping in the evening, you need to turn on the light on one side, maintain silence, etc. In some cases, tasks are given for independent observation: listen to how the bird sings, what sounds it makes, what the bird’s singing means, etc.
“Conducting experimental search activities in kindergarten”
An experiment or experience is a special type of observation organized in specially created conditions.
Involving children in carrying out simple experiments in classes, walks or in a corner of nature and in the kindergarten area is very important for the development of observation and curiosity, cultivating an active and correct attitude towards objects and natural phenomena.
With the help of elementary experiments, you can show children such phenomena in inanimate nature as the freezing of water, the transformation of snow and ice into water, the formation of a rainbow, etc.
Through an experiment, children will learn about the role of water and fertilizers in plant life. However, it should be remembered that one should not get carried away with experiments that harm plants. So, for example, wanting to explain the importance of water for plants, they sometimes suggest leaving one of the flower beds without watering on a hot day. The next day the plants wither. Some educators make a similar mistake in experiments with fertilizers.
You can cultivate a sustainable interest in nature and a caring attitude towards plants through the example of positive results of work. Children should be taught care techniques that ensure good growth for plants.
The experiment is carried out in specially organized conditions. The cognitive task must be clearly and precisely formulated. Its solution requires analysis, correlation of known and unknown data. During the experiment, children express their assumptions about the causes of the observed phenomenon and choose a method for solving a cognitive problem.
Thanks to experiences, children develop the ability to compare, contrast, draw conclusions, express judgments and inferences. Experiments are also of great importance for understanding cause and effect relationships.
Experiments should be built on the basis of ideas that children already have, which they received in the process of observation and work. It is important that children be active participants in setting up and conducting experiments. When discussing the results of experiments, the teacher leads children to independent conclusions and judgments.
Experiments that can be carried out in kindergarten:
Experience No. 1. Record weight
To conduct the experiment you will need: 2 coffee or canned food cans, a sheet of paper, an empty glass jar.
1. Place two tin cans at a distance of 30 cm from each other.
2. Place a sheet of paper on top to create a “bridge.”
3. Place an empty glass jar on the sheet. The paper will not support the weight of the can and will bend down.
4. Now fold the sheet of paper like an accordion.
5. Let's put this “accordion” on two tin cans and place a glass jar on it. The accordion does not bend!
Experiment No. 2. Pipette straw
To conduct the experiment you will need: a cocktail straw, 2 glasses.
1. Place 2 glasses next to each other: one with water, the other empty.
2. Place the straw in the water.
3. Pinch the straw on top with your index finger and transfer it to the empty glass.
4. Remove your finger from the straw and the water will flow into the empty glass. By doing the same thing several times, we will be able to transfer all the water from one glass to another.
A pipette, which you probably have in your home medicine cabinet, works on the same principle.
Experiment No. 3. Teach an egg to swim
To conduct the experiment you will need: a raw egg, a glass of water, a few tablespoons of salt.
1. Place a raw egg in a glass of clean tap water - the egg will sink to the bottom of the glass.
2. Take the egg out of the glass and dissolve a few tablespoons of salt in the water.
3. Place the egg in a glass of salted water - the egg will remain floating on the surface of the water.
Salt increases the density of water. The more salt there is in the water, the more difficult it is to drown in it. In the famous Dead Sea, the water is so salty that a person can lie on its surface without any effort, without fear of drowning.
Experiment No. 4. “Bait” for ice
To carry out the experiment you will need: thread, ice cube, glass of water, pinch of salt. Bet a friend that you can use a thread to remove an ice cube from a glass of water without getting your hands wet. 1. Put the ice in the water
2. Place the thread on the edge of the glass so that one end of it lies on an ice cube floating on the surface of the water.
3. Sprinkle some salt on the ice and wait 5-10 minutes.
4. Take the free end of the thread and pull out the ice cube from the glass.
Salt, once on the ice, slightly melts a small area of it. Within 5-10 minutes, the salt dissolves in water, and clean water on the surface of the ice freezes along with the thread.
Experiment No. 5. Running toothpicks
To conduct the experiment you will need: a bowl of water, 8 wooden toothpicks, a pipette, a piece of refined sugar (not instant), dishwashing liquid.
1. Place toothpicks in rays in a bowl of water.
2. Carefully lower a piece of sugar into the center of the bowl; the toothpicks will begin to gather towards the center.
3. Remove the sugar with a teaspoon and drop a few drops of dishwashing liquid into the center of the bowl with a pipette - the toothpicks will “scatter”!
What's going on? The sugar absorbs the water, creating a movement that moves the toothpicks towards the center. The soap, spreading over the water, carries along the water particles, and they cause the toothpicks to scatter. Explain to the children that you showed them a trick, and all tricks
are based on certain natural physical phenomena that they will study in school.
Experiment No. 6. Invisible ink
To conduct the experiment you will need: half a lemon, cotton wool, a match, a cup of water, a sheet of paper.
1. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into a cup and add the same amount of water.
2. Dip a match or a toothpick with cotton wool in a solution of lemon juice and water and write something on paper with this match. 3. When the “ink” is dry, heat the paper over the turned on table lamp. Previously invisible words will appear on paper.
source https://kladraz.ru/blogs/olga-borisovna-guzhova/interesnye-opyty-dlja-detei.html
