Between the ages of one and two, children actively explore the world, constantly practice new skills and strive to be "where it is impossible." Parents of babies during this period need to be especially careful and not go too far with interfering in the life of the child in order to "restrain" him, because constant prohibitions and punishments can unwittingly have an inhibitory effect on the formation of his personality. Children need time to learn to understand the order that exists in the world of adults, and proper development a child at 2 years old is a guarantee of dexterity, healthy diligence and intellectual maturity in the future.
For example, a child at this stage uses words to refer to specific items such as milk, dog, dad or mom. Piaget's model introduces several other important concepts. Piaget referred to the infant's innate thought processes as schemas. During the sensorimotor period, these mental processes coordinate sensory, perceptual, and motor information so that infants eventually develop mental representations. In other words, reflexes serve as the basis for schemas, which, in turn, serve as the basis for the representation of thinking.
Physical development of a child at 2 years old
At the age of two, a child's physical progress can be assessed on the basis of motor skills. Great importance has coordination of movements and their consistency: the better the baby controls his body and can control it, the easier it is for him to learn the world around him and new activities.
For example, a child repeatedly touches and sees his own crackle and thus learns to identify a rattle by forming an internal image. According to Piaget, cognitive development comes from two processes: adaptation and equilibrium. Adaptation assumes that children change their behavior to meet situational requirements and consists of two sub-processes: assimilation and accommodation.
Assimilation is the application of previous concepts to new concepts, such as a child who treats a whale like a fish. Living is changing previous concepts in the face of new information, such as a child who discovers that some creatures that live in the ocean are not fish, and then correctly refers to the whale as a mammal. Equilibrium is Piaget's term for the basic process underlying the human capacity for adaptation, which is the search for balance between oneself and the world.
Two-year-old children already know how to walk without support, run, jump on one and two legs, kick the ball with their feet, walk backwards, go up and down stairs, while alternately touching each step with their foot.
The criteria corresponding to the physical development of a child at 2 years old are as follows:
- Ability to close the door
- Overcoming obstacles;
- Good running skills
- Independent ascent and descent of the stairs;
- predominance index finger and right hand as a result of improved coordination;
- Ability to fold a pyramid, matryoshka, take objects with two fingers;
- Using various things for their intended purpose (drawing with a pencil, digging with a spatula);
- Ability to rise and stand on tiptoe;
- Help an adult with dressing;
- Ability to flip through the pages of a book
- Proper holding of a pencil with three fingers (sometimes this skill appears at a later age).
As a rule, the height and weight of a child at 2 years old corresponds to the norms of pediatricians. Boys weigh about 12 kg and girls about 200 g more. But in growth, the stronger sex is slightly ahead - 88 cm versus 86 cm for young ladies.
Balance involves matching children's adaptive functioning to situational demands, such as when a child realizes that they are one of the family members and not the center of the world. A balance that helps eliminate discrepancies between reality and personal perspectives keeps children on the path of development, allowing them to make ever more effective adaptations and decisions.
Most researchers today accept Piaget's primary principle: new cognitive skills build on previous cognitive abilities. Researchers see in childhood children and toddlers as active learners who purposefully see, touch and do, and then develop additional cognitive abilities. both promotion and restriction.
For the formation of motor skills and strengthening of physical health, it is very important to do gymnastics with the baby. In addition to vigorous exercise attention needs to be paid fine motor skills, which contributes to the speech development of a child of 2 years After all, it is at this age that children begin to consciously talk.
A significant role in the full-fledged physical education is played by walks in the fresh air, as well as communication with peers and older children. If a child now learns to share toys, then in the future it will be easier for him to contact other children.
However, Piaget's research and theories are not undisputed. Some of the most famous critics Piaget's include Robbie Case, Pierre Dasin, Kurt Fischer and Elisabeth Spelke. These critics and others argue that the stages of development described by Piaget are clear and well-defined, as Piaget originally pointed out. These detractors also point out that all children do not necessarily go through Piaget's stages in exactly the same way or in order. Piaget was aware of this phenomenon, which he called decalation, but he never properly explained the decal in light of the rest of his model.
Mental development of a child at 2 years old
The development of the psyche and intellectual abilities a two-year-old baby also does not stand still. By this age, the child knows how to navigate well in space, tries to speak not in separate words, but in whole phrases. Some children can distinguish colors with confidence, can ride a car or a bicycle, pushing off with their feet from the ground. During a walk, the baby already quite consciously chooses an activity for himself: play in the sandbox, ride down a hill or on a swing.
Critics also suggest that toddlers and preschoolers are not as self-absorbed or easily deceived as Piaget believed. Preschoolers can empathize with others, or put themselves in the other person's shoes, and young children can draw conclusions and use logic. Preschoolers also develop cognitive abilities in relation to specific social and cultural contexts. These abilities may develop differently in culturally enriched or culturally deprived children. In other words, children who grow up in middle- and upper-class families may have more opportunities to develop cognitive skills than those who grow up in lower-class families.
Favorite activities of children at this age are playing with dolls or cars, folding cubes, pyramids, reading books with their parents. Kids are especially interested in playing with water, when they can spend hours pouring it from a bucket into a jar, and then back.
For a complete mental development a child at 2 years old, if possible, it is useful to visit children's centers, where they work with the baby according to specially designed programs. This is useful not only in terms of developing new skills and abilities, but also for children to communicate with each other, because the child needs to gradually get used to society. Some children begin to speak earlier, quickly learn to find a common language with peers and take an active part in games, others develop somewhat more slowly, but this is also the norm, since all babies are individual.
Children seem to use and more deeply understand the symbols in more early age than previously thought. As early as the first 3 months, babies demonstrate a basic understanding of how the world works. For example, babies pay closer attention to objects that seem to defy physical laws, such as marbles that seem to roll through walls or rattles that seem to be hanging in the air rather than stationary objects.
Central to early cognitive development is the development of memory. Memory is the ability to encode, store and recall information over time. Researchers generally refer to sensory, short-term, and long-term memory stores. Children cannot learn or learn if they cannot encode objects, people, and places and eventually recall them from long-term memory.
AT speech development a 2-year-old child also has great achievements. If a earlier kid uttered only individual sounds, exclamations and onomatopoeic complexes, now he is moving on to the formation of simple sentences. By the age of two, a child should be able to speak. short phrases, consisting of 2-3 words. Closer to the age of three, the baby has such words as "I" and "you". By the end of two years in vocabulary the child has about 300 words.
However, researchers are unclear as to the exact nature of infantile memory. Obscure facts about infantile memory include how long such memories last, as well as how easily memories from long-term stores are remembered. Evidence shows that babies begin to form long-term memories within the first 6 months. Babies can recognize and remember key caregivers as well as familiar neighborhoods. Early memories help infants and toddlers understand basic concepts and categories, all of which are central to a fuller understanding of the world around them.
The following situations should alert the parents of a two-year-old baby:
- The child does not distinguish an affectionate word from a hard "no", that is, his contact with the outside world is very weak;
- Doesn't try to grab objects when moving near them;
- Does not follow the person who is standing nearby;
- Does not experience such a feeling as expectation (playing "horned goat" or "cuckoo");
- Unable to sit and stand on his own;
- During feeding, does not follow the face of the mother.
Sensory development of children 2 years old
Since the knowledge of the world around young children occurs through sensations, the sensory development of children 2 years old plays a significant role. Thanks to the improvement of perception and the improvement of the activity of the sense organs, the sensory experience of the baby is accumulated, which helps to assimilate and use sensory standards in the future. All this contributes mental development children.
Language skills begin to emerge within the first 2 years. Psycholinguists, language learners, point out that language is a consequence of children's ability to use symbols. Physical development determines the time of language development. As the brain develops, preschoolers acquire the ability to represent thought, which lays the foundation for language. Thus, cognitive development also determines the timing of language development. Operant observation and learning play an important role in early language acquisition.
Children are strengthened to speak intelligently and intelligently by imitating the language of their guardians, in turn, the guardians are encouraged to respond intelligently and intelligently to children. Psycholinguists are particularly interested in the three elements of language: content, form, and use. Psycholinguists claim that all members of the human race use these three elements in some combination to communicate with each other. Noam Chomsky suggested that language learning is rooted in the innate ability to comprehend and structure language, which he defined as the perceptual device of language.
As already mentioned, two-year-old babies can distinguish colors, know some sizes and shapes. However, at this age, the child is able to perceive only the main feature of any object. For example, he notices that the ball is round, but he does not "see" its color. At the same time, the baby still cannot understand that the round shape is inherent in all balls.
Exercises with matryoshka
According to psycholinguists, language acquisition also occurs in a social and cultural context. Socializing agents—family members, peers, teachers, and the media—teach children to think and act in socially acceptable ways. Children learn about the world and society when they learn to use language.
Babies and toddlers understand language down to the actual speaking language; children have a receptive language or understanding of the spoken and written word before acquiring productive language or the ability to use the spoken or written word. Babies chat before they say their first words. That is, children make meaningless sounds, learning to control their vocalizations. By the end of the first year, most babies speak only words. Babies soon begin to use holographic speech or single words that convey complete ideas. "Mom" and "Milk!" - examples of holographic speech.
Indicators of sensory development of a child at 2 years old are as follows:
The development of a child at 2 years is directly dependent on the parents. If adults support the baby and help him develop, using all known means for this, a harmonious and full-fledged personality is formed. We must not forget that a two-year-old child should already be able to and know a lot. The task of parents is to understand this not only on an intuitive level, but also to have information about the skills of children of this age category. You can get the necessary knowledge from books or at a consultation with a qualified pediatrician or psychologist.
When your child is between one and three years old, she is likely to be interested in everything and everyone, especially if it is new or different. She will want to be a part of what you are doing. She will also insist on doing a lot as she becomes more independent, she will want to choose her own clothes and become more vocal about what she wants and doesn't like. Being as loving and supportive as possible during this exploration time will increase your child's sense of confidence and independence.
Between the ages of 2 and 3, your child will start pushing limits to see what she can get rid of. By breaking down rules or pushing limits, your child sees how you respond to them. She is testing you to see if you will still love her even when she misbehaves. And while it can be very frustrating at times, your child is learning that you are someone she can count on to keep her safe.
CRISIS 3 YEARS
During the first three years of life, the child changes as much as at any subsequent stage. By the age of 3, his character, his individual attitude to the world, is formed to a greater or lesser extent, he develops a certain attitude towards himself.
The age of 3 years is characterized as "difficult". His "difficulty" lies in the fact that, starting to separate himself from close adults, the child shows ever-increasing obstinacy. And adults, insisting on their own, show no less stubbornness.
How to support your child's learning process. Reinforce speech attempts by responding, imitating vocalizations, and maintaining eye contact.
- Read to your child Be calm when your child is upset.
- Play appropriate games with your baby.
“Crisis of 3 years” is a conditional definition, since the time frame of the crisis is much wider. In some children, it can begin at 2 years 10 months, while in others it can begin at three and a half years.
The first evidence of the beginning of the crisis may be the emergence of negativism, when the child ceases to unquestioningly fulfill the requests of adults. On the one hand, attempts to separate one's "I" and the formation of one's own desires are a progressive trend. But on the other hand, in the absence of an objective ability to express their opinion, the baby chooses the most accessible way: opposing himself to adults. The only goal of the child is to let others know that he has his own point of view and everyone should reckon with it.
Social and emotional development. May also start exhibiting complex behavior. Holds a pencil in a writing position. Responds to simple instructions Groups of objects by category Observes and imitates more complex actions Usually egocentric or egocentric in their thinking.
- Shows affection for others.
- Can play by himself.
- Continues to explore the world around.
- mimics behavior.
- Starting to be more helpful.
- Runs forward Helps to dress and undress.
- Jumping into place with one foot.
- Ball hit.
- Climbs things easily.
- Leans over.
Further, other crisis symptoms are added to independence and negativism. For the child, his success or failure in business and games becomes important, he begins to react sharply and violently to assessments, learns to independently evaluate the results of his activities. He becomes vindictive and touchy, begins to cunning. The child begins to claim equal rights with the adult. A great desire to get a positive assessment from adults, the desire to get ahead of their peers often push children to the fact that they greatly exaggerate their successes.
- Uses two or three words.
- Speech is understood by familiar listeners.
- Follows two steps.
- Understands differences in meaning.
Exercises with objects of different colors
Most likely it is a combination of both. At this age, children begin to associate certain behaviors, called gender roles, with men or women. Gender roles are a product of our culture. How do girls and women behave? When you decide that you want to teach your children about gender roles, keep in mind the messages they receive both at home and outside the home.
This is a consequence of the mistakes of adults. Firstly, if the baby began to frankly fantasize, it means that parents or teachers do not notice his real successes. Secondly, one should not “unwind” a little dreamer, try to convict him of a lie at all costs.
The post-crisis development of the child directly depends on how he interacted with adults. If an adult generally positively assessed the child's personality, tactfully and reasonably pointed out shortcomings and mistakes, was able to support and praise for diligence and initiative, then the child will learn to be proud of himself and his successes. If an adult seeks to achieve obedience at any cost, punishes for self-will, seeks to catch on deception, then most likely the child will develop a desire to resist the adult, defeat him and get his own way in return.
In the second case, anger, irritability and stubbornness take root and become character traits. Be careful!!!
MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN 2-3 YEARS
In accordance with the periodization adopted in Russian psychology, preschool childhood is considered the period from 3 to 7 years. It is preceded by the period of infancy (from 0 to 1 year) and early childhood (from 1 year to 3 years).
Due to the fact that the system preschool education often includes nursery groups, which are visited by children 2-2.5 years old, there is a need to touch on their developmental features.
The most important mental neoplasms of an early age are the emergence of speech and visual-effective thinking. Evidence of the transition from the period of infancy to the period early childhood is the development of a new relationship to the subject, which begins to be perceived as a thing that has a specific purpose and method of use. The assimilation of objective actions occurs in 3 stages.
I stage. As a result of direct learning or imitation of the actions of an adult, the connection between the object and its purpose is established.
II stage. Assimilation of the functional load of the subject, its use strictly for its intended purpose.
III stage. Based on the knowledge of the purpose of the object, it is used more freely, used for other purposes.
In order for objective activity to be of a developmental nature, it is necessary that the child masters a variety of actions with the same object. Therefore, the subject-developing environment surrounding the child should not be overloaded with a large number of toys.
Successful mastery of objective activity is the basis for the development of playful and productive (drawing, modeling, design) activities.
During this period of life, the child undergoes an intensive formation of active speech, which takes place in the process of joint activity with an adult. The other side is understanding the speech of an adult. Teachers and parents need to stimulate the child's statements, encourage them to talk about their desires. There is one well-known psychological tale about a boy who spoke at the age of 5. Parents just lost their feet, taking him to doctors and psychics, but all their efforts remained in vain. And then one day, when the whole family sat down to dinner, the child distinctly said: “I have nothing to eat!” There is a commotion in the house, mom is fainting, dad does not remember himself from happiness. When the euphoria had passed, the child was asked why he was silent all this time. The kid quite reasonably answered: “Why did I need to talk? You all spoke for me...
With the development of listening and understanding of messages that go beyond the immediate situation, speech is used as a means of knowing reality, as a way of regulating the behavior and activities of the child on the part of an adult.
The perception of a child of this age is of an involuntary nature; he can single out in the subject only its pronounced signs, which are often secondary. The development of perception occurs on the basis of an externally oriented action (in form, size, color) with a direct correlation and comparison of objects.
The task of an adult is to correctly name the signs and actions of the object. For children of this age, self-learning (autodidactic) toys are most useful: nesting dolls, liners, pyramids, etc.
The child must be introduced to the color spectrum, form standards (basic geometric shapes).
A baby aged 2-3 years is able to distinguish between:
5 shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval);
8 colors (red, yellow, blue, green, white, black, purple, orange).
The main way a child learns about the world around him is by trial and error, so children love to disassemble toys very much.
The most important ability, which is formed by the age of 3, is the ability to set any goal in games and behavior.
Due to the fact that the attention, perception and memory of the child are involuntary, he cannot immediately stop doing something or perform several actions at once. He can learn and remember only what he liked or remembered “by itself”.
At this age, children are very susceptible to the emotional state of others. They are very susceptible to the so-called “contagion effect”: if one starts happily jumping around the group, then at least three more “horses” will be next to him. The active manifestation of both negative and positive emotions depends on physical comfort or its absence (a scarf can “bite”, and tights can “get wet”).
One of the conditions for the child's confidence and calmness is the systematic, rhythmic and repeatable nature of his life, i.e., strict observance of the regimen.
The main features of a child of 2-3 years old are openness, honesty and sincerity. He simply does not know how to hide his likes or dislikes for anyone or anything. The child's feelings are unstable and contradictory, and the mood is subject to frequent changes.
MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN 3 - 4 YEARS
The development of self-awareness and the allocation of the image of "I" stimulate the development of personality and individuality. The kid begins to clearly realize who he is and what he is. Inner world the child begins to be filled with contradictions: he strives for independence and at the same time cannot cope with the task without the help of an adult, he loves his relatives, they are very significant for him, but he cannot help being angry at them because of the restrictions of freedom.
In relation to others, the child develops his own internal position, which is characterized by awareness of his behavior and interest in the world of adults.
The activity and tirelessness of babies at this age are manifested in constant readiness for activity. The child already knows how to be proud of the success of his actions, to critically evaluate the results of his work. The ability to set goals is formed: he can more clearly present the result, compare with the model, highlight the differences.
At this age, the child perceives the object without trying to examine it. His perception acquires the ability to more fully reflect the surrounding reality.
On the basis of the visual-effective, by the age of 4, visual-figurative thinking begins to form. In other words, there is a gradual detachment of the child's actions from specific subject, transferring the situation to "as if".
As at an early age, at 3-4 years old, the recreating imagination prevails, that is, the child is only able to recreate the images drawn from fairy tales and adult stories. Of great importance in the development of the imagination is the experience and knowledge of the child, his horizons. Children of this age are characterized by a mixture of elements from various sources, real and fabulous. fantastic images that arise in the baby are emotionally saturated and real for him.
The memory of a 3-4-year-old preschooler is involuntary, characterized by figurativeness. Recognition prevails, not memorization. Only that which was directly connected with his activity, was well remembered, was interesting and emotionally colored. Nevertheless, what is remembered, remains for a long time.
The child is not able to keep his attention on one subject for a long time, he quickly switches from one activity to another.
Emotionally, the same trends persist as in the previous stage. Characterized by severe mood swings. Emotional state continues to depend on physical comfort. Relationships with peers and adults begin to affect mood, so the characteristics that a child gives to other people are very subjective. Still, an emotionally healthy preschooler is inherently optimistic.
At 3-4 years old, children begin to learn the rules of relationships in a peer group, and then indirectly controlled by adults.
MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN 4-5 YEARS
The wider use of speech as a means of communication stimulates the expansion of the child's horizons, the discovery of new facets of the world around them. Now the child begins to be interested not just in any phenomenon in itself, but in the causes and consequences of its occurrence. Therefore, the main question for a 4-year-old child is the question “why?”.
The child develops, becomes more resilient physically. This stimulates the development of psychological endurance. Fatigue decreases, the background of the mood evens out, it becomes more stable, less prone to fluctuations.
At this age, a peer becomes more significant and interesting. The child strives for partnership in games; he is no longer interested in playing “nearby”. Gender preferences begin to take shape. Game associations become more or less stable.
The actively developing need for new knowledge, impressions and sensations, manifested in the curiosity and curiosity of the child, allows him to go beyond the limits of what is directly felt. In other words, a child with verbal description can imagine what has never been seen.
The dependence of attention on emotional saturation and interest in them remains. But stability and the possibility of arbitrary switching develop. Decreased sensitivity to physical discomfort.
Fantasizing continues to develop actively, during which the child includes himself and his loved ones in the chain of the most incredible events. Competent use by adults of these abilities of the child will contribute to his moral and cognitive development. It is necessary to discuss his fantasies with the child, to be included in them, to offer plot twists, to give moral assessments to the actions of the characters.
It should be noted that at the age of 4-5 years, the shortcomings of raising a child begin to gradually take root and turn into stable negative character traits.
MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN 5-6 YEARS OLD
The increasing interest of a 5-year-old child is directed to the sphere of relationships between people. Adult assessments are critically analyzed and compared with their own. Under the influence of these assessments, the child's ideas about the I-real and I-ideal are differentiated more clearly.
Development of arbitrariness and strong-willed qualities. allow the child to purposefully overcome certain difficulties specific to the preschooler. The subordination of motives also develops (for example, a child may refuse to play noisily during the rest of adults).
There is an interest in arithmetic and reading. Based on the ability to imagine something, the child can solve simple geometric problems.
The child can already remember something purposefully.
In addition to the communicative function, the planning function of speech develops, that is, the child learns to consistently and logically build his actions, to talk about it. Self-instruction develops, which helps the child organize his attention in advance on the upcoming activity.
An older preschooler is able to distinguish the whole range of human emotions, he develops stable feelings and relationships. “Higher feelings” are formed: intellectual, moral, aesthetic.
Intellectual feelings include:
Curiosity;
Curiosity;
Sense of humor;
Astonishment.
Aesthetic feelings include:
Sense of beauty;
Feeling heroic.
Moral sentiments include:
Feeling of pride;
Feeling of shame;
Feeling of friendship.
Against the background of emotional dependence on the assessments of an adult, the child develops a claim to recognition, expressed in the desire to receive approval and praise, to confirm his significance.
Quite often, at this age, children develop such a trait as deceit, that is, a deliberate distortion of the truth. The development of this trait is facilitated by a violation of parent-child relationships, when a close adult blocks the development of a positive sense of self and self-confidence in a child with excessive severity or a negative attitude. And in order not to lose the trust of an adult, and often to protect himself from attacks, the child begins to come up with excuses for his mistakes, to shift the blame onto others.
The moral development of an older preschooler largely depends on the degree of participation of an adult in it, since it is in communication with an adult that a child learns, comprehends and interprets moral norms and rules. The child needs to form the habit of moral behavior. This is facilitated by the creation of problem situations and the inclusion of children in them in the process of everyday life.
MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN 6-7 YEARS
In older children preschool age a sufficiently high competence has already been formed in various types activities and relationships. This competence is manifested primarily in the ability to make their own decisions based on existing knowledge, skills and abilities.
The child develops a stable positive attitude towards himself, self-confidence. He is able to show emotionality and independence in solving social and domestic problems.
When organizing joint games, he uses an agreement, knows how to take into account the interests of others, to some extent restrain his emotional impulses.
The development of arbitrariness and volitional beginning is manifested in the ability to follow the instructions of an adult, adhere to game rules. The child seeks to qualitatively perform any task, compare it with the model and redo it if something did not work out.
Attempts to independently come up with explanations for various phenomena indicate a new stage in the development of cognitive abilities. The child is actively interested in cognitive literature, symbolic images, graphic diagrams, and makes attempts to use them independently. Children of older preschool age are characterized by the predominance of socially significant motives over personal ones. There is a gradual resolution of the contradiction between egocentrism and the collectivist orientation of the personality in favor of decentration. In the process of assimilation of moral norms and rules, an active attitude to one's own life is formed, empathy and sympathy develop. The self-assessment of a child of older preschool age is quite adequate; its overestimation is more characteristic than its underestimation. The child evaluates the result of activity more objectively than behavior. At the age of 6-7, visual-figurative thinking develops with elements of the abstract. Nevertheless, the child still experiences difficulties in comparing several attributes of objects at once, in identifying the most significant in objects and phenomena, in transferring the acquired skills of mental activity to solving new problems. In an older preschooler, the imagination needs to be supported by an object to a lesser extent than at previous stages of development. It turns into internal activity, which manifests itself in verbal creativity (counting books, teasers, poems), in creating drawings, modeling, etc. There is a gradual transition from the game as a leading activity to learning.