In the conditions of life of modern society, psychological and pedagogical diagnostics of the development of children is of great importance.
Concept and role
In order to find an individual approach to the child, to know his strengths and weaknesses, to most effectively teach and educate both at home and in educational institutions, to provide psychological assistance in time, it is necessary to diagnose the child. This involves a comprehensive study of psychological characteristics, personality assessment, forecast of further development.
Types of studies
There are many types of diagnostics. For ease of use, they are usually classified according to various criteria.
The most functional classification is the allocation of species depending on the subject of study:
- Diagnosis of personality - determination of temperament, a type of self-esteem.
- Diagnosis of the emotional sphere. The ability to control oneself, feelings, attitude to moral standards is being studied.
- Diagnosis of the cognitive sphere is the diagnosis of the development of children in the intellectual plane, the study of mental abilities, the study of lateral preferences (determining the dominant hand, the leading eye, etc.).e.).
- Behavior diagnostics.
But even this division is very arbitrary, since often there is a complex diagnosis of the child, when a comprehensive examination and assessment of the developmental features of all or several areas takes place.
For practice, the classification by types of nervous activity (diagnostics of attention, thinking, memory, speech, learning skills) is also interesting. It is carried out depending on age (diagnosis of preschool children, diagnosis of children of primary school age).
Methodology
Methods of diagnosing children are very diverse and each of them depends on the type of study. At present, group methods are already losing their significance, giving way to individual testing. But in order for the diagnosis of the child to be successful, it is important to choose the right tool that will be used in the future. In practice, psychologists most often use the following set of tools:
- Observation - the study of the mental properties of the child under normal conditions. This is the observation of behavior, play, interaction with others.
- Conversation - gives an idea of the child as a result of establishing contact and direct communication.
- The method of studying the results of children's activities is the analysis of drawings, crafts.
- Experimental method - involves the study of the actions of the subject in specially created, simulated conditions.
- Tests for children are the most common method widely used by psychologists today.
Test method
The testing method can becalled a complex, complex diagnostic method, since during testing a wide range of tools for studying and observing the behavior of the test person, analysis of the results of his activities and experimental conditions are used. Therefore, tests for children are of different types - questionnaire tests, task tests, action tests.
Questionnaire tests are often used in personality diagnostics, the questionnaire works well in determining the type of temperament. Task tests are usually aimed at studying the emotional and intellectual spheres and are especially relevant when it is necessary to diagnose a child's readiness for school. Action tests are used to study behavior.
Personality diagnostics
Diagnosing a child for constitutional personality traits: temperament, balance, mobility of nervous processes, etc. is important, as it provides answers to many questions in the child's behavior. The features of the four main types of temperament are most clearly manifested precisely in childhood, and with the correct application of the program for diagnosing children, they are easily amenable to pedagogical correction.
Of course, when determining the type of temperament of the child, the questionnaire is also offered to his parents. For older children, independent tests with questions are also acceptable. An analysis of the answers obtained as a result of testing allows us to call the child a choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic or melancholic.
Dice Transfer Test
In the process of research, small-sized blades are placed ona different number of cubes and give the child the task to carry the cubes approximately three meters away and return with them back. Then put this burden on the table so that not a single cube falls. The spatula must be held in one hand.
Based on the results of the test, balance is assessed (what behavior the child demonstrates in case of failure, whether he expresses dissatisfaction), ability to work (how long the child succeeds in completing the task), mobility of nervous processes (how quickly the child understands and accepts the task, adapts whether to work, distracted).
Self-Assessment Type Program: Ladder Test
To find out how a child evaluates himself, a very common test allows the child to be given a drawing depicting a ladder of seven steps, where the middle step is larger than the others. The child is explained that on the top three steps there are good children, and the best children are at the very top, on the seventh step. Bad children are located on the bottom three, on the lowest - the worst. On the middle step are children who cannot be classified as either bad or good. The test-taker must mark his place on this ladder and explain why he placed himself there. When the child chooses a step, he is asked to tell if he really is like that or wants to be like that? If he really considers himself to be such, let him mark the step on which he would like to stand. Let him choose where to place it.mom.
The test allows you to find out how the child evaluates his personal qualities, as well as his opinion about how he appears to others (mother).
At the end of the test, the psychologist draws the following conclusions:
- Self-esteem is inadequately high - the child instantly positions himself at the very top as an indisputable fact, without explanation, without hesitation.
- Self-esteem is too high - he thinks and chooses the very top, talking about some shortcomings, but explaining this by factors beyond his control.
- Self-esteem is adequate - after thinking, marks himself on the second or third step, explaining his choice.
- Self-esteem is low - places himself on one of the lower rungs without argumentation.
Diagnosis of the emotional sphere
Diagnosis of a child is impossible without an examination of the emotional-volitional sphere. In preschoolers, it is predominant over the intellectual sphere. The world is known more with the help of feelings than the mind.
Diagnosis of 6-year-old children is very important and informative for parents (caregivers). Since at this age such feelings as anxiety, fears, embarrassment appear, for six-year-olds, the environment in which the examination is carried out, the personality of the tester is of great importance.
Cactus Test
Have your child draw a cactus on a piece of paper. Don't help or suggest. It is advisable to answer any questions evasively: "Think a little, you will succeed." Do not give your vision and do not expressyour ideas.
The picture will tell about the emotional characteristics of the child. Examine the result in detail:
- The size and position of the drawn flower in space indicates how the child defines himself in the world around him. A large flower in the center of the leaf indicates self-centeredness and leadership qualities. The small cactus painted below speaks to the artist's insecure, dependent personality.
- Jerky lines, strong pressure on the pencil betray an impulsive child.
- Prickly cactus represents aggressiveness. The more needles, the longer they stick out of the flower, the higher the degree of aggressiveness of the child.
- A cactus planted in a flower pot will be drawn by "domestic" children seeking family protection.
- A cactus growing in the desert indicates a feeling of loneliness.
Diagnosis of intelligence
Tests-tasks are mainly used in the study of the intellectual sphere. In this aspect, the subjects of the survey are attention, memory, analytical thinking, fine motor skills, learning skills.
Test "Inclusion in a row"
Disassemble the six-seater nesting doll in the presence of the child and put six twins, differing in size, in a row in size. Then remove one of them and equalize the distance between the remaining ones. Invite the child to find her place in the row. If the task is completed successfully, complicate the test: remove two nesting dolls from the row.
The test is aimed at assessing the level of the cognitive-orientational sphere, orientation to value.
Test "Picture Classification"
You have two groups of pictures in your hands. Eight represent dishes, eight represent clothes. Show the child a card with a picture of a spoon and put it on the table. Now - a card with a picture of a jacket, put it on the table at some distance from the spoon. The spoon and the jacket are arranged in such a way that it is possible to continue the row from one and the other picture.
After that, in a different order, present the child with pictures of dishes or clothes with a request to put the next card in the right row. Do not correct if the clothes are in the wrong group. At the end of the test, ask the subject to explain why he arranged the cards in such a way.
The purpose of this test is to identify the ability to generalize on an essential basis, visual-figurative thinking is explored.
Test "Search for the season"
The child is presented with four pictures depicting the seasons, and they are offered to show where is spring, where is winter, etc. and explain by what signs he guessed.
The test reveals the formation of ideas about the seasons.
Spot the Difference Test
Two story pictures are placed in front of the test person, similar at first glance, but upon closer examination, they have a number of differences.
The child looks for and names the differences. The test examines attention and the ability to compare.
Test "What happened first and then what?"
The psychologist shows four plot pictures. On one, the boy is digging a hole, on the second, he is pouring seeds into the hole, on the third, he is watering the sprouts, on the fourth, he is admiring the flowers. The child is asked to place the pictures in order. The test reveals the ability to determine the sequence of events.
School Ready
The study of mental abilities becomes especially relevant when it is required to diagnose a child's readiness for school.
Readiness to study at school implies the presence of certain skills and the necessary level of development of thinking, memory and attention.
Test "Exclusion from the row or who is extra?"
Presenting a row of four objects (images of objects), the child is asked to find the extra one and explain why. When the test subject excludes an airplane from a series that includes a truck, a passenger car, an airplane and a cart, ask him to justify his answer, ask what one word can be used to name all the objects, what type of transport the extra one belongs to, and which the rest.
The test reveals the ability to group objects according to the main feature, the level of formation of ideas about the world around.
Test "Find exactly the same"
The picture shows seven almost identical umbrellas, and two of them are absolutely identical. The difference between the rest is insignificant - different specks on the fabric of the umbrella. The child must independently and quickly find two identical umbrellas. The test checks the level of development of attention.
Test"Memorize all items"
The child is offered 9 pictures to study. He must memorize them within 15-20 seconds. Then, turning away, he should name at least seven or eight objects. The test shows the level of memory development.
