The federal educational standard directs teachers to search for innovative technologies, tools, methods and techniques that would solve the problems of developing a child’s personality, his cognitive and creative abilities. A project in a kindergarten in the middle group is a good opportunity to implement all this by integrating different educational areas.
Interesting and useful thing.
In the modern sense, a project is a problem that needs to be solved. If such a problem exists, then it remains to formulate it and create a project. Such projects, growing from an urgent issue, are more effective and efficient. In reality, there are other cases - the competition of projects announced in the DOW forces teachers to “come up with” a problem: on the one hand, this can prompt activity, and on the other, create a project for the project, “for show”. If the topic is relevant, the project activity is fascinating and interesting to all participants.
When to start?
With children of what age can a project be implemented in kindergarten? In the middle group, children can already be participants with the support of adults, getting older, they become active partners of the project, but even the smallest children may well be included in the project activity.
Arriving in the garden, the kids are just adapting to new conditions, so all efforts are aimed at making this process as favorable as possible. And by the age of 4 - 5, having mastered in a preschool, children are ready for a variety of activities, including design.
In design technology, the “child-adult” relationship is built on complicity. At first, the children carefully observe the activities of the elders and take an active part in it, gradually become equal partners and come to cooperation. In our article, we will examine in more detail how to organize projects for children of the middle group.
Age-specific activities
Children of four years have some features that you need to know when you include them in the work on the project.
- In middle-aged children, physical abilities increase, they become more active. Finished projects will help direct this emerging energy in the right direction. In the middle group, they may be different in theme, but should be accessible for understanding by four-year-olds.
- Four-year-olds often show increased excitability. Having noticed this state in the group, the teacher must quickly take action. It’s best to distract the kids with something interesting. Properly organized activities within the framework of the project will help to regain strength and relax, relieve tension, it is good if it is diverse - and mobile, and calm, but always emotionally colored. In this case, the physical and mental development of children occurs.
- New opportunities appear in communication with peers. A project in a kindergarten in the middle group should include various games that integrate, learn to interact.
- It becomes especially important for children to get adult approval, to do something together, these needs can also be met in project activities, if you involve not only teachers, but also parents. In a joint business, mutual understanding is formed, the joy of communication arises.
Who can implement the project?
Participants can be children, educators, specialist educators and parents. At the beginning of work on the project, it may seem that children are fulfilling the plans of adults, but in the process it turns out that due to their age characteristics, they are actively involved and can even propose and plan, they can compare, analyze, and research. In a well-organized activity, children not only comply with the rules and requirements, but also create masterpieces, create, execute, evaluate.
How to choose a project theme?
The focus of projects sometimes appears unexpectedly: anything can become the theme of a project. Children of this age are interested in everything around them, they want to understand what is happening. The child’s question about why the snowman has melted can serve as an impetus for activity. The project "Spring" in the middle group will help children learn the signs of spring, to understand why the snow is getting dark and melting. The games expand the knowledge and ideas of children about the world. While working on the project, you can introduce children to the literature on spring, observe changes in nature during walks in the garden and with parents, learn poems and songs, consider illustrations, paintings and photographs, conduct experiments with snow, draw, and make applications. The project "Spring" in the middle group will help organize the creative interaction of children and parents in a variety of activities to study spring signs.
How are educational areas integrated in the project?
The project in the kindergarten in the middle group provides the opportunity to integrate educational areas, and therefore, the full development of the personality of the child. Let's look at an example of how this can be done in the framework of one project. In preparation for May 9, the Victory Day project will be relevant. The middle group can use different forms of work, while the diverse development of children will occur:
- A cognitive development will be the study of historical facts and events that are understandable to children.
- Enrichment of the active vocabulary of children, acquaintance with fiction, memorization of poems, compilation of stories contribute to speech development.
- The musical and literary material used in the work on the project implements the artistic and aesthetic development of children, they listen to songs of the war years, read poetry, and try to prove themselves in artistic and creative activities (for example, through drawing).
- If the project participants will be adults - parents, teachers - and children, this will allow for the social and communicative development of children - they will interact with adults with interest during joint events, exhibitions, and a trip to the monument to fallen soldiers, this should cause them vivid emotional manifestations.
What is the sequence of work on the project?
The initial stage is preparatory, when the problem and goals are determined, the result is predicted, software and methodological support for the project is selected, the experience of other teachers on the project topic is studied. Consider, for example, "Defender of the Fatherland Day." Realizing such a project, the middle group on February 23 can hold a holiday for boys and dads. The problem is how to mark the upcoming date. The goal is to congratulate the future and present defenders of the Fatherland, the expected result is the positive emotions of children and adults from the event.
The next stage is the diagnostic one: questionnaires, observations, studies are conducted to study the state of the problem at the time the project was started. In our preparation for February 23, a survey of parents and children about the form of the upcoming holiday can be used, a video questioning of children with a request to tell about dad will be interesting. His moments can be demonstrated during the event.
The most interesting is the work on the project itself - the creative stage, at which, in fact, there is a joint movement towards the result. The developed scenario of the event and its implementation will be the essence of this stage. Additional use of other forms of work is also possible: the organization of the photo exhibition Our Grandfathers and Dads, an exhibition of drawings Our Army.
Work on the project is being completed, as a rule, with a presentation, analysis of goals and results, studying the results of activities, evaluating the project and looking for further development prospects. You can ask participants to leave feedback immediately after the event or to do an analysis later, taking into account everything that happened and what failed.
How to work on a project?
Today's living conditions make environmental projects especially relevant. Types of activities, forms and methods of work can be different: thematic classes on the project, children's games, joint activities with adults, visual information for parents, accompanying the project, creative work of families. Diagnostic methods complement the project well: questioning and observation, as well as research methods - children become experimenters, studying the world around them.
Environmental projects can have a specific focus, for example, children and adults can plant a “Family Alley”, make bird feeders or clean the spring from garbage. Such a result will delight children; they will be proud of their useful deeds done together with their parents.
What are the main advantages of project activities?
Work on the project is an interesting, creative process, its integrated nature allows you to teach children to act independently and actively, think creatively, find knowledge in different ways and use it. In addition, the project is a great opportunity to attract parents to actively participate in the life of the garden.