Children, coming to this world, begin to gradually master in it. This process occurs through acquaintance with the experience gained by previous generations. The development of a child is impossible without its active inclusion in various activities. Kids 1-3 years old again and again lead with pencils on paper, connect the details of the designer, trying to convey the porridge to the mouth. It is actions with objects that psychologists consider to be the leading activity at an early age.
Definition and age periodization
The term "leading activity" was introduced into psychology by Vygotsky. Under this concept they began to understand such activity, the development of which leads to the formation of the main psychological neoplasms at this stage of personality development. For example, for a preschooler, the most important is the role-playing game. With the transition to the next stage of psychological development, the leading activity changes, as the child has new needs.
On this basis, age-related periodization was compiled. The following stages are highlighted in it:
- Infancy. Up to a year, babies need emotional communication with adults.
- Kids 1-3 years old. Leading activities at an early age are actions with objects.
- Preschool childhood. The role-playing game comes to the fore for children 3-7 years old.
- Younger students (from 7 to 11 years old) are involved in educational activities.
- For teenagers from 11 to 15 years old, personal communication with friends becomes extremely important.
- Boys and girls aged 15-18 are engaged in professional self-determination.
Leading business profile
A deep study of developmental psychology was carried out by Leontyev, Elkonin. They emphasize that at all stages of development, the child is involved in various types of activities (communication, work, study, etc.). Personal preferences, of course, also play a role. However, the activity leading for a given age has the most significant developmental effect on children. In the process of practicing it in a child:
- mental processes are rebuilt;
- new psychological features develop;
- other activities are being formed.
Consider the listed characteristics in more detail. So, the leading activity at an early age (1-3 years) is substantive activity. Toddlers learn to manipulate toys and the real things surrounding them. As a result of this, sensory standards, intelligence are formed in the form of visual-effective thinking. The kid learns to put a small cube on a large one, put a prism in the corresponding hole of the sorter.
Studying the purpose of objects, the child interacts with an adult. Gestures and emotional exclamations are not enough to convey information. This leads to the appearance of an important neoplasm - active speech.
Leading activities at an early age is the basis for the emergence of self-awareness. The child begins to separate the result of his actions with objects from the result of the actions of other family members. Thus, the image of oneself as a separate person is formed. All this leads to a crisis of 3 years.
During manipulations with toys and objects, game and productive (drawing, designing, modeling) activities are gradually formed. Prerequisites are created for the transition to the next age stage.
Baby needs 1-3 years
A young child is entirely dependent on the adult. He cannot satisfy his needs on his own. In addition, the crumbs need the love and attention of parents, communication with them. But at the same time, the baby knows how to do a lot. He walks confidently, is able to take things that he could not reach before. He has a desire for independence.
The resulting conflict is resolved through a leading activity at an early age. Briefly, it can be described as a practical joint interaction between a baby and an adult with objects.
Babies begin to explore toys and things at about 6 months old. They shake the rattle, knock it, press the buttons, feel their hands and lick it. These actions are aimed at studying the physical properties of the subject. At an early age, the child is more interested in his appointment. However, the baby cannot learn the correct actions with objects without the help of an adult. He does not have enough experience to independently understand the purpose of a pencil, spoon or comb. A leading activity at an early age is the opportunity to become a partner of mom or dad.
An adult acts as a mentor who shows socially developed ways of acting, but does not fulfill them for the crumbs. A business communication situation is created. The kid, on the one hand, receives the necessary attention, and on the other, learns to act independently.
The development of substantive activities
A small child does not immediately comprehend the purpose of toys and things around him. It all starts with the first phase of development of the leading type of activity. At an early age, these are any actions with objects arising from their properties. Pencils can be rolled, thrown, licked, pounded by them, like drum sticks. Children act as experimenters.
Then comes the second phase, when the child learns the true purpose of the subject and uses it in a generally accepted manner. The kid takes a pencil when he wants to draw. And finally, the turn of the third phase comes. The child masters the free use of the subject, while constantly remembering its main function. So, playing doctor, the baby can use a pencil instead of a thermometer.
Types of actions with objects
A leading activity in early childhood is the basis for the intellectual, speech and psychological development of the baby. Of the greatest importance are two types of actions with objects: correlative and gun.
The goal of the former is to bring objects or their parts into predefined spatial relationships. The child collects a nesting doll, picks up lids for jars, puts parts into the holes. Moreover, he must take into account the size, shape or color of the objects. It is impossible to master correlative actions without contact with an adult. On his own, the baby strung the rings of the pyramid in an arbitrary order, he has not formed a reference sample and the need to follow it. In a joint game with mom, there is a desire to assemble the toy correctly.
Instrumental actions suggest that the baby learns to handle the subject as is customary in society. He must adapt his movements to the characteristic features of the thing (dig with a spatula, draw with a brush, wipe with a towel). Thus, the leading activity of a young child leads to the formation of elementary logic. Initially, the baby carries a spoon to his mouth along the shortest path, like cookies or crackers. But over time, he realizes that this is how the soup spills. The spoon should be kept horizontal at all times. First, it is lifted up above the plate, and then brought to the lips.
Adult as a sample
The subject activity of the children was studied in detail by Elkonin. He paid special attention to gun actions, since through their development the child is socialized. According to Elkonin, two directions can be distinguished in the development of a leading type of activity at an early age.
The first is the gradual mastery of an action with the help of an adult. First, the mother takes the baby's hands and helps him make the required movements. Then he is allowed to do part of the action on his own. Subsequently, the baby is quite enough showing or verbal instructions of the parents.
Without an action pattern demonstrated by an adult, learning is impossible. Elkonin noted the following patterns:
- A child learns to manipulate objects when an adult encourages him to do this, influencing emotions. The main thing for the crumbs is to do something together with mom or dad, imitate them. When an adult leaves the game, it can continue for a long time.
- The kid initially captures the general meaning of the action, and then its technical side is improved. So, a one-year-old child holds a comb over his hair, without even touching it.
- For the baby, it is not the end result that is important, but the correct reproduction of the actions shown by adults. The sample can be repeated after numerous attempts.
- Performing actions, the baby mentally identifies himself with an adult.
- Parents play several roles at once. They are both role models, mentors, supervisors and a source of moral support.
Second direction along Elkonin
Another direction in the scientist's studies is the study of the peculiarities of the orientation of babies in the field of mastered action. Elkonin examined in detail the three stages in the formation of a leading activity at an early age. The child’s psychology is clearly visible at each stage, the changes occurring with it are studied.
So, at the beginning of the first stage, the child manipulates the object, not suspecting its purpose. Gradually, he learns to perform the right actions with him, but practical skills are not yet sufficiently formed. The kid understands that the spoon must be brought to his mouth, but cannot hold it horizontally. At the end of this stage, the child masters a specific way of acting with objects. A hard connection is established in his head. Children cannot use the studied subject for other operations (drink from a cube, wipe the table with a handkerchief).
At the second stage of development, the child begins to reproduce the learned actions in non-standard situations. Transfer can be carried out to other objects (you can drink not only from a cup, but also from a glass) and situations (attempts to dress a cat).
The third stage is marked by the appearance of game action. The child independently decides which operations are suitable for the items. He masters substitution. Now the cube can be an iron, a piece of bread, soap. The candy will be replaced by a ball of plasticine or pebbles. In fact, the kids get acquainted with the first elementary symbols. This creates the prerequisites for the development of imagination.
The emergence of other activities
Through manipulation with objects, the baby joins in a new relationship. The leading activity of a young child creates the prerequisites for the occurrence of:
- Labor activity. The kid is interested in wielding a broom, wiping the dust with a rag, watering flowers from a watering can, sculpting cookies from the dough. Not all parents are willing to patiently teach the baby these skills. If the child is removed from household chores, his self-esteem decreases and motivation for work disappears.
- Game activities. First, the child manipulates the toys, repeating the movements for the mother: feeds the bear, shakes the doll. He still does not depict anything, but simply copies. Gradually, the imagination develops. By the age of 3, babies are able to reproduce the real actions of adults with the help of toys and substitute items. At the same time, during the game, the child comes to the realization of the role played (cook, mother, hairdresser, driver).
- Productive activities (drawing, modeling). Initially, the crumb simply explores the material, learns to draw scribbles with a pencil, not trying to portray something meaningful. A turning point occurs when he begins to guess real objects behind random shapes and lines. The kid first puts the finishing touches, and then joyfully searches for what happened. With the participation of an adult, he forms a desire to intentionally depict some kind of light images.
Is everything so simple?
Most psychologists and educators acknowledge the existence of a single leading activity at an early age. However, there are opponents of this theory. They protest against generalization at any age stages. Leites pointed out that the concept does not take into account the personality of a particular child, his individual characteristics. Rubinstein, without denying the importance of games, called another important activity that determines the development of any preschooler: everyday. Unnoticed, through everyday affairs, the baby learns the rules of behavior, learns to communicate with peers.
Petrovsky doubted that it was possible to determine the leading activity of children. At an early age, they are particularly susceptible to environmental influences. Therefore, different kinds of activities may lead different children, depending on the level of development and social situation.
Raising a harmonious personality
Petrovsky insisted that the full development of the child cannot be carried out through one leading type of activity. At an early age, it is important to familiarize the baby with various spheres of human activity. Here is a list of them:
- Subject activity with toys. They can be composite (constructor, matryoshka, puzzle) or movable (yule, tumbler, toy).
- Experimenting with sand, dough, water and other substances.
- Communication with adults.
- Games in a peer group under the supervision and guidance of adults.
- Self-service, the formation of tools (eat with a spoon, sweep with a broom, dig with a scoop).
- Visual activity (applications, simple crafts, modeling, drawing).
- Acquaintance with music through listening, singing, dancing. Kids are very fond of musical toys, many people like classical pieces.
- The perception of poems, fairy tales, the examination of illustrations in books.
- Movement activity (gymnastics, outdoor games, cycling, runbike, etc.)
A leading activity at an early age is a controversial concept. However, it is impossible to deny the fact that the attention of the kids is focused on objects. It is no coincidence that pots, brooms, daddy's tools become favorite toys. The task of parents is to encourage the independence of the kids and patiently teach them the correct actions with objects. The intellectual and psychological development of the beloved child depends on this.