Constructive activity - an activity related to modeling. With the help of this, a person not only learns the surrounding system, but can also imitate it. It is this focus that distinguishes design from other types of occupations. Constructive activity leaves its mark on the development of the child during preschool age.
Basic concepts
Constructive activity is the activity of an individual aimed at a certain, predetermined result that will meet predetermined requirements. Design develops the mental, moral, aesthetic, labor abilities of a person.
Modeling, younger students learn not only to distinguish objects by external features, but also to perform various kinds of actions. In the process of constructive activity, the student, in addition to external perception, disassembles the object into parts, images and details.
Baby andadult
Designing can cause some difficulties for the child. Here you can find some connection with the artistic and technical activities of adults and constructive activities in the preparatory group and school. They are inherent in the direction of the results of their efforts to achieve a specific goal. To achieve the design goals, an adult comes up with a specific plan in advance, selects the appropriate material, performance techniques, design, and the correct sequence of actions. A similar algorithm also exists in the constructive activities of the preparatory group and schoolchildren. The tasks to be solved are similar. The results of construction in children are often applicable to play. Many pedagogical works say that various modeling actions performed by a child in childhood prepare him for adult activity, the creation of culture. Thus, constructive activity in the older group and among schoolchildren is close in terms of methods to more meaningful adult activity. And although the modeling methods of adults and children are similar, the results of the activity are radically different. Controlling constructive activities in the preparatory group has a very positive effect on the overall development of children.
Technical and artistic modeling
Constructive activities in the senior group and the school period are divided into two types: technical and artistic design. They are interconnected and focused on modeling real-life objects, as well as reproducing various fabulous,musical and stage images. Both the artistic and technical parts of the object are modeled: the roof of the building, windows and doors, the deck of a ship, etc.
Designing can be attributed to the technical type of constructive activity in the senior group and school:
- Models of objects from building materials.
- Objects from large modular blocks.
The purpose of constructive activity of the artistic type is not so much the exact transfer of the structure of the transmitted images, but the expression of one's attitude towards them, the transfer of character using such a technique as “violation” of proportions, as well as changes in color, texture and shape. Most often, art-type construction is made of paper or natural material.
If the goal of a constructive activity of a technical type in adults often has a practical motive, then in children's modeling the goal is completely different. A group of children can build a model zoo. But when the time of completion comes, interest in this activity is noticeably lost. Most often, with the achievement of the goal, children of primary and school age lose all interest in the completed activity. In this case, the activity fascinates the child much more than the end result itself. But it is precisely in artistic design that the basic meaning of constructive and technical activity is most fully reflected. Even if the craft is not interesting for children from a practical point of view, then during its creation he makes it as suitable as possible forfurther application. The basic principles for reproducing a design product are exactly the same as for the design itself.
Features of visual modeling
It is worth saying that most often in the visual constructive modeling activity in the older group, preschoolers achieve a striking similarity with the object of modeling. If the end goal is for practical use, then the child pays much less attention to the process and construction. In this case, the main thing for a preschooler and a schoolchild is the presence of the qualities necessary for the game in the final result. For example, in the course of the game it was necessary to fly on an airplane, so, according to the child, the wings, the steering wheel and the chair are important. The appearance of the model fades into the background: if the object satisfies the basic needs of games, then it is quite suitable. Things are completely different if, for example, a child sets himself the task of showing the differences between types of flying machines. In this case, constructive-model activity in the senior group is honed with special diligence. It can be concluded that the quality of the final result depends, rather, on the desire of the child, and not on his skills. The presence of technical and graphic types of design, which have their own characteristics, requires careful selection and study of cases in which they can be applied.
Materials for modeling. Paper
Constructive activities in the senior subgroup of the kindergarten are carried out mainly from paper,cardboard boxes, spools of thread and other materials. This type of activity requires more energy than regular games.
Children are given paper and cardboard squares, rectangles, circles, etc. The preliminary step before making a toy is to prepare a pattern, work out details and decorations. It is necessary to thoroughly check all the cuts and only then proceed to the manufacture of the toy. The child should be able to measure, use scissors and needles. This is a much more complex process than the usual constructive activity in the preparatory group, which consists of creating toys from ready-made forms. Various parts of boxes, coils and other materials used in this case is a so-called semi-finished product. If you teach children to see and make a single whole out of various parts, then in this way you will develop tactical and strategic thinking in a child, and besides, he will learn how to create interesting toys from improvised materials.
If a child uses paper in construction, then he gets acquainted with such concepts as angle, side, plane. Preschoolers learn to bend, cut, bend, deform paper and thereby get completely new images from it. Modeling various geometric shapes and figurines of animals, people, preschoolers learn to make compositions and various combinations of crafts. Preschoolers learn how to make various crafts from matchboxes using various combinations and connections. With theseprocesses, children acquire completely new skills and abilities.
Combining theory and practice in modeling
A feature of the development of constructive activity in both older and younger preschoolers can be called a combination of practical and theoretical parts of design. The pedagogical works of L. S. Vygotsky speak of the inevitability of the transition of the younger and older preschoolers from theory in modeling to action. Studies by Z. V. Lishtvan and V. G. Nechaeva, which examine the features of constructivism in children at various stages of development, showed that under the strict guidance of teachers, the idea and its implementation begin to fully correspond to each other. In the constructive activity of children, one can see not only the final result, but also ways to create a model. It is noteworthy that the idea itself is formed in the process of designing. The higher the level, the more clearly the child imagines the end result. The level of quality of the final idea is also evidenced by the verbal description and drawings of the upcoming object. The main goal of the constructive activity of children is the development of cognitive activity.
In numerous studies of such Russian teachers as D. V. Kutsakov, Z. V. Lishtvan, L. V. Panteleeva, which are devoted to designing in children's institutions, paper crafts play a huge role. As these wonderful teachers say, making paper crafts has a positive effect on the development of fine motor skills in the hands of preschoolers, andalso improving the eye and sensorimotor skills in general.
Nowadays, it is known for certain that constructive activities in groups of kindergartens or elementary grades, especially making crafts from paper and cardboard, improve brain activity and positively affect the work of both hemispheres in preschoolers and younger students, which increases their the general level of intelligence, develops such qualities as mindfulness, receptivity, imagination, logical thinking. Thinking becomes more creative, its speed, flexibility, originality grows.
Cognitive activity and modeling
Children's thinking about construction methods begins to form in the process of mental activity at various levels: at the level of perception - when trying to reproduce the actions of other people, at the stage of representation and thinking - if you have to choose from the proposed options. When solving constructive problems, younger students can show various creative elements while searching for design methods. In constructive activity according to an idea, as well as in designing according to given conditions, the idea is created by the children themselves. If they model by design, they are sure to get many opportunities to solve the problem in different ways. This is described in detail in the works of V. F. Izotova, Z. V. Lishtvan and V. G. Nechaeva. A lot of children of senior preschool age, based on knowledge of spatial relationships, as well as experience in design, in the process of analyzing various structures, may well create a coherent plan how tostructure and mode of action, and relate the practice to its original intent.
Preschoolers and younger students are often fascinated and inspired to constructive activities by the world around them: the diversity of flora and fauna, social phenomena, various fiction and educational literature, all kinds of activities, especially games. But, unfortunately, children perceive the world very superficially due to their age: they try to reproduce in their activities only the external, understandable side of the surrounding phenomena and objects.
The emotional coloring of the child's activity is also of great importance, thanks to which he will use various materials, create original models with even greater pleasure. The connection of constructive activity in the middle group of kindergarten and elementary school with everyday life, with various types of various activities included in it, makes construction incredibly interesting, filled with various emotions and allows it to be not so much an activity as a way of self-expression. This growing need in children should not be ignored.
Design side effects
During educational activities, children from the middle and preparatory groups of the kindergarten develop not only technical skills, but also the ability to analyze the reality around them, the formation of general ideas about the various objects they model begins, independent thinking develops, craving for creativity, artistic taste. Childformed as a person.
There are two most important stages in design: work on the idea and its implementation. Working on an idea is most often a creative process, since it consists in thinking about it and calculating possible ways to implement it. Also, creative activity consists in determining the final result, ways and sequence of its achievement.
Practice in the execution of an idea cannot be entirely and completely performing - design activity, even for older students, combines both thought and practice.
If we talk about construction in preschoolers, then the interaction of practice and thought can be called one of its strengths. At the same time, practical activity does not have to be close to certain canons - one can also experiment, which is stated in the pedagogical works of L. A. Paramonova and G. V. Uradovskikh. The original idea, in turn, is regularly refined and changed as a result of applying various practical methods, which positively affects the development of further creative design. Often this is when children think out loud, verbalizing their actions and getting closer to the end result.
Problems in modeling
Without proper training, proper educator work, and without dealing with common problems, construction classes will be incomplete. The most common design issues that need to be worked out include:
- Lack of clear visionwhich can be explained by the vague structure of the image.
- Lack of a clear goal (during the creation of one object, a completely different one is obtained, which, despite the inconsistency with the plan, completely suits the creator).
- The emphasis is not on the idea, but on the execution (too little attention is paid to the idea).
- Lack of a clear plan in the execution of actions.
- Incorrect task.
If you do not work out these tasks, then, most likely, the result of children's construction will not satisfy either the teacher or the child.
Where does a child get inspiration from?
Children are often inspired by the world around them: various objects around, social events, fiction, various activities, primarily games, as well as those that they perform themselves. But most often, younger schoolchildren and preschoolers perceive the world rather superficially: they manage to capture only the external signs of the phenomena that they are trying to reproduce in constructive activity. In order for a child to develop more fully and comprehensively, it is necessary to teach him to see the essence of phenomena and objects, and not just their shell.
