Children's experimenting in kindergarten: what is it?
Movable and active child 4-5 years of age per dayasks about 400 questions. And not all of the questions can be answered so that the kid understands. For this, there is child experimentation in kindergarten. Why does the wind blow? Why do things fall down, not up? Why is the ice hard, and water - no? These and other questions can be answered, and it is possible to conduct an experiment with the child, during which he himself will see the patterns with his own eyes.
Why introduce child experimentation in the DOW?
What is useful for children's experimentation in children'sthe garden? First, children have contact with objects, which allows them to understand their qualities and properties. Secondly, experimental activity arouses even greater curiosity, opens a new world for the child, full of wonders and mysteries. Thirdly, children have a deeper knowledge of nature - alive and lifeless, they expand their horizons, learn to meditate, observe phenomena, analyze and draw conclusions. And, of course, children's experimentation in the kindergarten allows the children to feel that they have independently discovered a phenomenon, which naturally affects their self-esteem.
Types of experiments in the pre-school
Experimentation can be demonstration and frontal.
- Demonstration observation is a kind ofactivity, in which the object of observation is one, he is with the teacher, who conducts and demonstrates the experience to children. This species has its pros and cons, but personal initiative and involvement of children is minimized. Only if the kid is already interested in experimental work, he will carefully observe the progress of the experiment. Otherwise, the passive reaction of the group is possible.
- Frontal observation - the type of activity, whenwhich has several objects, and they are in the hands of children. Of course, this kind of experimentation is more suitable for activating the work of all the kids, causing their interest and curiosity. However, it is difficult to monitor a whole group for one tutor: the speed of work for children is different, there is a risk of non-compliance with safety rules, etc. Therefore it is better if several teachers are present at the frontal observation.
How to design a corner of experimentation in kindergarten?
The question is not idle, because the corner should be designed in accordance with safety rules and, at the same time, cause interest in children. So, in your corner, allocate space for:
- Permanent exhibition. Here you can store rare items (stones, shells, crystals). You can add the best crafts of kids.
- Devices. Based on the plan of your work, there must be necessary things (pipettes, jars, ropes, funnels, plastic bottles, etc.) in order to provide an interesting and productive experimentation in the kindergarten.
- Scheme. Prepare memos for children so that they know what they are dealing with (for example, "Water" about the properties of water, "Air", etc.). Memos should be colorful and understandable to the kids.
- Materials (natural, non-natural, unstructured).
- Place for conducting experiments.
How to select experiments according to the age of the children?
It is not necessary for the younger group to give complex experiments withthe presence of glass objects, a microscope, etc. Introduce them to the air (experiments "We caught air" using balls, "I see air" with a tube and a glass of water), wind ("What is the wind?"), Magnets, water (the experience of "Sinks - does not sink," " Does water change color? "Using paints). Remember that children's experimentation in kindergarten is a way to evoke interest in science, so the way a child will grow will depend on how bright and interesting your experiments are!