Pre-school age is a stage of mental development of a child in the age range from 3 to 7 years. There are three periods within it:
1. the youngest preschool age is from 3 to 4 years;
2. the average preschool age is from 4 to 5 years;
3. the senior preschool age – from 5 to 7 years.
Preschool SVG Social situation of development
At the preschool age stage, the social development situation is characterized by the disintegration of the child’s joint activity with an adult. A child discovers the world of human relations through a story and role-playing game. In the game, the child repeats the actions of adults and tends to be and act like an adult. The circle of significant persons is gradually expanding, which now includes peers as partners in the game.
Preschool SVG Operating activities
The main activity at this stage is a story and role-playing game, which determines the child’s position and perception of the world and relations. Through the plot and role-playing game there is a development of various spheres of mental activity. Play is a form of socialization of the child, which contributes to the orientation of the child in social and interpersonal relations.
The Soviet psychologist D.B.Elkonin allocated 4 lines of influence of game on mental development of the child:
Development of motivational and demand sphere – mastering of functions, meanings, tasks of human activity. The child aspires to socially significant and approved activity, there is a first submission of motives that is the first step on a way to their hierarchy providing psychological readiness for school.
Overcoming cognitive “egocentrism”, the child begins to correlate his or her own position with a different point of view, learning to coordinate his or her actions with those of others.
Development of an ideal plan characterized by a transition from external to internal actions.
Development of arbitrariness of actions by means of submission to the rules.