In families where small children grow up, parents in one way or another ask questions of upbringing and education. Kids attend kindergarten and collect the necessary knowledge and skills in a team. The necessary skills are formed in them through the systematic and focused work of educators. The zone of actual development is an important and necessary element for any person. This article is devoted to the essence of the phenomenon introduced by Soviet scientists. Vygotsky L. S. was the first to consider the development of a child from two sides. His theory to this day remains relevant.
Term concept
The zone of actual development is a complex of skills that a child possesses at a given moment in time. What does it mean? Suppose a baby goes to the younger group, studies the colors and shapes of objects. Those tasks that he can perform on his own, without the help of an educator, can be called his "reserve." The concept of “zone of actual development” was formed from the ideas that a child should know at a certain stage, what skills he usually already possesses at this point in time.
The concept of L. S. Vygotsky
According to the Soviet scientist who conducted research at the beginning of the twentieth century, the formation of knowledge in a little man consists of two components: the zone of actual and immediate development. These terms are involved in becoming a successful person. The zone of proximal and actual development is not the same thing. They differ from each other radically. One concept is aimed at the future, the other is responsible for the present moment, it affects what is happening now.
The zone of actual development according to Vygotsky is a combination of knowledge, abilities and skills of the child, which he owns at a high level at a given time. According to the scientist, the learning process should be based on being somewhat ahead of development. There is no need to give tasks for which the baby is not yet ready, as it should not and "stagnate", to do the same thing. The supply of material should be carried out in accordance with how much the child is mentally ripe for him, but always be a discovery for him.
How are skills formed?
The zone of actual development of the child is a storehouse of new opportunities. The more knowledge a person has, the greater the achievements await him ahead. New skills are formed by building additional connections and ideas about objects and phenomena on the basis of existing knowledge about the world.
A person is always comfortable in the old conditions. And if you don’t specifically deal with the child, he will be at the same level for a long time. The transition to another stage is connected with the need to clarify significant details for oneself or to solve a task that was previously beyond his strength. To make knowledge yours, you need to transfer it from the category of “just information” to a group of individual skills. Here, emotions and feelings play an important role . It is noticed that memorization is much more effective on interest.
How to build classes?
In order for them to bring maximum benefit, the development of the child must move systematically. Classes must be connected with one another, otherwise the effectiveness will not be high. For example, if in the first lesson the children study the letter “A”, then in the next lesson it is advisable to repeat the course and move on, rather than devote it all the time, otherwise there will be no incentive to learn new things. The zone of proximal and actual development are different concepts. But they must always be in a harmonious relationship with each other. Since new knowledge is often a complement and extension of the former, the repetition of what has already been studied deepens ideas about the subject, forms a more holistic view of certain concepts.
Classes should be structured in such a way as to help the child to form and accumulate knowledge about himself and the world around him with maximum benefit for himself. According to Vygotsky, the zone of actual development means focusing on existing achievements in order to help the formation of new skills.
Modeling
This perfectly develops fine motor skills of the fingers and contributes to the activation of mental activity. You can sculpt anything you like, but it is better to give the task to form from the plasticine an animal familiar to the child or one that was "passed" in the classroom in kindergarten. For example, if pets were the last topic to be studied, you can ask the kids to sculpt the representatives that they liked most.
If you give a specific task to blind a horse or a dog, then in this case the child will be limited in choice and his own imagination. The zone of actual development is always a purposeful movement forward based on existing knowledge.
Physical exercise
Probably, there is no need to talk about the benefits of physical education. They can be carried out both in the gym and in the fresh air. Exercise develops muscles, strengthens the immune system and overall health. Swimming is an excellent tempering agent and contributes to the formation of a positive outlook on life.
If the child does not know how to swim, then the first lesson should be started in order to help him get used to the water, a little wander around the pool or pond. You never need to rush and make sudden movements. In the process of forming the skills necessary for swimming, it is necessary to strengthen and expand these ideas.
The benefits of reading
Nothing contributes to the development of a child like a book. Reading enhances the trust between the parent and the child, contributes to the development of all cognitive processes and especially speech. When the baby begins to form letters into syllables, and then into words, a powerful activation of brain activity occurs, which causes the formation of further successes.
It is known that far from all children can easily learn reading. This is a laborious exercise that requires considerable volitional effort. You need to learn the alphabet in such a way that the transition from one letter to another is not carried out sequentially (for example, from "A" to "B", "C"), but smoothly. This means that at first you can study all the vowels, give the child the opportunity to feel their vocals, and then proceed to the consonants. Folding syllables is best started at the moment when the baby is already well versed in letters, practically does not confuse them, and knowledge of vowels is crucial.
Thus, the zone of actual development is a large-scale segment of personality formation, which must be approached more than responsibly. The child’s knowledge of the world can be used constructively for him, if you know how to expand these boundaries.