Pedagogical sciences/5.Modern teaching
methods
Ruslana Romanyshyn, Ph.D.
State Higher Educational Institution “Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian
National University”, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Problems of
Logical-Mathematical Preparation of Children for School in the Highlands
Annotation. The paper highlights the challenges of establishment and characteristics
of educational institutions functioning
in the highlands. It
is analyzed the work of preparatory groups that are meant to replace kindergartens in the remote mountainous areas in terms of preparing
children for school. In the context of logical and mathematical development of senior preschool children we analyze the Program “Sure Start” and the issue of elementary mathematics education. It is
concluded that the acquisition
of this knowledge in preschool institutions and
preparatory groups affects
the quality of further mathematics
education. In this regard, effective
solution to the
implementation of the tasks of the Program “Sure Start” in mountainous regions is seen in cooperation on the part of kindergartens, schools, and parents.
With the
development of Ukrainian society a special
place is given to the
development of the younger generation. One of
the urgent tasks of the
entire European education space is
to improve the quality of education, particularly primary. In this
context, the problem of development and
improvement of school education that
focuses on personal development of the
child and its adaptation to school is
important. Of particular note is the
preparation of children for school in the
highlands.
The
problem of the formation and characteristics
of educational institutions functioning in the
highlands has been studied by K. Malycka, O. Savchenko, S. Skvortsova, V. Sukhomlynsky,
V. Khrushch, I. Chervinska. Psychologists A. Antonov, G. Antonov, I. Antonov, O. Bohovarov, E. Buhrymenko, L. Wenger, M. Ginsburg, J. Hilbuh, N. Hutkina, L. Kondratenko, C. Korobko, K. Polivanov, O. Proskura et al.
devoted their works to the problem of determining children’s readiness for
school.
Formation of the conceptual
foundations of preparing children for
school is represented in the
writings of educators and psychologists S. Amonashvili, L. Artemov, I. Beh, O. Bogush, T. Bondarenko, L. Vygotsky, E. Vilchkovsky, V. Davydov, O. Dusavitsky, D. Elkonin, O. Usova, H. Zuckerman et al.
The
purpose of the article is
to show the features of preparing
children for school in rural mountain areas and focus on logical-mathematical
education of future first-graders.
Analysis of the survey conducted by the O. Yaremenko
Ukrainian Institute for Social Research during 2006–2007 on request of the Children’s
Fund of United Nations in Ukraine (UNICEF) in the framework of the project “Provision
of early childhood development through training parents in the mountain
villages of Ivano-Frankivsk region” showed that the decrease in birth
rate by
35.2% during the years 1991–2003 caused the closure of a number of pre-schools.
This led to some other problems related to integrated and high-quality
preparation of children for elementary school.
Currently, about 51% of children in mountainous areas are covered by preschool education.
Thus the problem of contemporary social and cultural
life of children living in such territories and the problem of their education are
increasingly becoming the subject of discussion at various levels.
The results of
psychological and educational research clearly show that successful
primary school is dependent on the proper development
of a child at the preschool age
and the child's readiness for school [3]. According to L. Wenger, a child
psychologist, “to be ready for school is not to be
able to read, write, and count;
to be ready for school means to be prepared to learn all
this” [2].
To complete the preparation for school,
the Department of Secondary and Primary Education of
the Ministry of Education and Science of
Ukraine has developed a program for 5
year-old children “Sure
Start”. Its implementation is entrusted
to preschool educational
institutions. However, there are
no kindergartens in some mountain
villages, and
many of the latter are located at a considerable distance from
settlements where they are. Thus the
program is assigned to the school
and parents.
In most schools,
there function preparatory groups
(from September, three times a week),
but even this does not solve the
problem as a number of parents are
unable to take children to such
classes because of the “inconvenient time”
and their employment. However, the
survey shows that such parents feel the need
to prepare their
children for school in the following aspects:
mastering basic knowledge in
mathematics, reading, writing and acquiring
a new social role of the learner
[5].
Psychological and
pedagogical research has shown that for
children who did not attend kindergarten it is sometimes difficult to find
understanding in school. In these children the
ability to communicate is not yet formed. There may
be misunderstandings with classmates. According
to psychologists, it is one of
the negative factors that can hinder a child successfully
adapt to school,
socialize with peers, and act as a student [3].
As far
as logical-mathematical training is
concerned, it should be noted that learning
math in 1st grade is based
on the results of children’s pre-school
preparation, as defined by the state regulations: The Base Component
of Early Childhood Education and
The Program for Preschool Children Development
“Sure Start”. The Program, among logical
and mathematical parameters
of preschool children development, specifies the following aspects:
– Be able to distinguish
the location of objects in
space (top, bottom, left, right, front,
rear, centre) and
determine the direction of motion (forward,
backward, left, right);
– Learn to identify the
location of objects relative to ourselves
and any object,
the spatial location of the plane (on the desktop, in a
notebook);
– Be able to determine
the distance and differentiate concepts: far, near, nearby, far away;
– Create and expand knowledge
of the units of time:
minute, hour, day (part of the day –
morning, afternoon, evening, night),
week (week day names and their sequence), month (12
month names and their sequence),
year (seasons – spring,
summer, autumn, winter);
– Learn to
differentiate and correctly use the
concept of time:
now, later, earlier, later today,
tomorrow, yesterday, fast, slow,
etc.;
– Be able to
compare objects by height,
weight, width, length,
thickness, total value; to classify objects according to the
specified parameters;
– Learn the basic units of measuring
length (cm, m), weight
(kg), volume (l);
to form the skills to
measure quantities which occur in a child's
life by using conventional measurements;
– Clarify and
extend understanding of geometric
shapes and their properties
(plane: round, oval, triangle,
square, rectangle, polygon, volume: ball, cube,
cylinder, cone);
– Be able to call a number
from 1 to 10,
from any number up to 10,
from 10 to any number, to distinguish between direct
and reverse,
quantitative and ordinal counting;
– Get acquainted with
numbers (1 – 9 (0)) and
their written forms;
– Be able to
establish a correspondence between the number
and the corresponding number of sets;
– Familiarize with the natural properties of
numbers;
– Familiarize with the
composition of numbers of units and two smaller (within
10);
– Be able to compare
the two sets of number
and determine the ratio of “How
much more?”, “How
much less?”, “Tie”, “Same”
to set equality with inequality;
– Be able to use
the plus sign (+), minus
(–), equals (=);
– Be able to perform
the steps of
addition and subtraction, to solve simple arithmetic
and logical tasks;
– Learn to use the
initial logical techniques associated
with the formation of elementary mathematical
concepts;
– Be able
to build the simplest expressions
through linking words “and”, “or”, “if,
then”, “no”;
– Generate interest
in logical and mathematical operations, to use
knowledge in daily life [4].
As you can see from the
above, knowledge
which a child is to get in the
preschool institution is an
essential foundation for success in school.
The child cannot get this
knowledge on his/her own without help from kindergarten, preparatory group, or parents.
In some mountain
villages, within schools
are preschool groups
that work under pre-school programs: game
activity, expressive activity (modeling
clay, application of coloured paper,
drawing with chalk), development of
language and logical-mathematical
abilities. In such circumstances, children
socialize, learn team work, learn to relate their own
desires with the desires of
others, to take into account the
interests and needs of peers,
and acquire basic
skills of cooperation [5].
In order to organize efficient preparation of preschool children to learn and develop intellectual abilities, pedagogues have worked out the following tips for parents:
– Take into account individual psychological
characteristics of the child;
– Develop his/her
speech and enrich vocabulary;
– Develop
the intellect of the
child;
– Prevent the
emergence of fear in
child-related training activities [1].
Equally
important in this regard is the
direct training of parents themselves, and the O. Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute
of Social Studies offers to make the
provision of pre-school education in the
following ways:
‒ opening of
traditional (public, private, community) and
alternative pre-school
institutions (child development centers,
kindergartens of family type,
etc.) because of the needs, opportunities, and specificity of local communities;
‒ organization of both consultation and training to parents within
existing institutions of
primary and secondary education;
‒ organization of
training programs for parents and children initiated by public
and religious organizations and local communities
(in a form that meets the needs of the
community, uses its potential, and involves professionals on a
voluntary basis) [5].
Work with parents is carried out towards familiarization with
their duties and the preparation of children for
school. In these activities different forms are used: parent group meetings,
individual consultations, open days (parents with
children visit a primary
school to observe classes), organization
of events (The First/Last Bell), thematic holidays
(Mother’s Day) and amateur concerts. But it does not
compensate for the lack of pre-school education
and systemic training of parents [5].
As you
can see, some geographical and social aspects imprint on the establishment of pre-school and
primary education in the highlands. In order
to solve these problems
they should organize a
harmonious work of kindergartens,
preparatory groups, and child
development centers to
provide guidance and practical
assistance to prospective students
and their parents.
In perspective, it is expected to study the problem
of forming child’s mathematical readiness for
school in mountainous
areas.
References
1. Bondarenko T. Problems of preparation
of children for school in the
history of foreign and domestic educational
thought / Tatyana Bondarenko // Native
School. – 2003. – ¹ 9. – P. 70 – 73.
2. Wenger L. A. Is your
child ready for
school? / L. A. Wenger. – M.:
Enlightenment, 1994. – 189 p.
3. Preparing
for school. Articles for
parents, advice ... [Electronic
resource]. – Mode of access:
posnayko.com.ua/parents/.../podgotovka-k-shkole-2 /
4. The program of preschool
children development “Sure
Start”. – 99 p. [Electronic
resource]. – Mode of access: http: www. mon. gov. ua /
5. The
development of young children in the mountainous villages of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast: participation of family
and community. Analytical Report. – K.,
2007. – 144 p.