It is known that motivation determines the orientation of the individual and the motivation for activity. Maslow A. claims that the basis of any human activity is the motive that encourages him to this activity. However, the relationship between activity and motive is not clear. One or another motive that has arisen in an individual is not always exhausted in this activity. In the process of activity, the motive can change, and, on the contrary, if the motive is preserved, the activity performed can change. Sometimes the formation of a motive is ahead of the formation of an activity, and sometimes it lags behind, both of which affect its result.
Comparing the positions of S.I. Ozhegov and A.V. Petrovsky, we came to the conclusion that scientists unanimously believe that motive is a motivating reason; a reason that motivates human activity.
Moreover, Rubinshtein S.L. believes that motive acts not only as an object of the external world, but also as a driver of behavior that generates in a person certain urges to action.
Bozhovich L.I. emphasizes that motivation(“motive” from Latin – to push, to set in motion) is an essential component of any activity, develops throughout a person’s life, enriched by life experience.
According to A. Maslow, motivation is a dynamic psychophysiological process that controls human behavior and determines its organization, direction, stability and activity.
The formation of a child’s motivational sphere is a fundamental problem in developmental psychology. The problem of learning motivation arose when a person realized the need for targeted training of the younger generation and began such training as a specially organized activity. Having arisen, this problem is still, if not the main, then one of the most important in the psychology and pedagogy of education; a huge number of works are devoted to it. The modern theory of teaching and upbringing, when analyzing pedagogical phenomena, increasingly turns to the child’s personality, to those internal processes that are formed in him under the influence of activity and communication.
The motives of a child’s behavior change significantly throughout preschool childhood. The younger preschooler mostly acts, like a child in early childhood, under the influence of situational feelings and desires that arise at the moment, caused by a variety of reasons, and at the same time does not give himself a clear account of what makes him perform this or that action. The actions of an older preschooler become much more conscious. In many cases, he can quite reasonably explain why he acted this way and not otherwise in this case. The same act, committed by children of different ages, often has completely different motives.
Buchak E.A. proposes the following classification of motives , typical for preschool age in general. Let's reveal each of the motives:
Motives for children's interest in the world of adults - it is the desire to act like adults. The desire to be like an adult guides the child in role-playing play. Often, such a desire can be used as a means to get the child to fulfill one or another requirement in everyday behavior. “You’re big, and big people dress themselves,” they say to the child, encouraging him to be independent. “Big people don’t cry” is a strong argument that forces a child to hold back his tears.
Game motives – These motives appear in the course of mastering play activities and are intertwined with the desire to act like an adult. Going beyond play activities, they color the child’s entire behavior and create the unique specifics of preschool childhood. A child can turn any activity into a game.
Motives for establishing and maintaining positive relationships with adults and children– These motives are of great importance in the behavior of a preschooler. A child needs a good attitude from others. The desire to earn affection, approval, and praise from adults is one of the main levers of his behavior.. Many children's actions are explained precisely by this desire. The desire for positive relationships with adults forces the child to take into account their opinions and assessments and follow the established rules of behavior.
In preschool childhood they develop motives of pride and self-affirmation. Their starting point is what arises at the turn of early childhood and preschool age. separating oneself from other people, treating an adult as a model of behavior. Adults not only go to work, engage in types of work that are honorable in the eyes of a child, and enter into various relationships with each other.
One of the manifestations of the desire for self-affirmation is children’s claims to play the main roles in games It is significant that children, as a rule, really do not like to take on the roles of children. The role of an adult with respect and authority is always much more attractive. In younger and middle preschoolers, self-affirmation is also found in the fact that they They attribute to themselves all the positive qualities known to them, without caring about their correspondence to reality, they exaggerate their courage, strength, etc.
A child of three to four years old does not compare his achievements with the achievements of his peers. The desire for self-affirmation and the desire to receive the approval of adults are expressed in him in attempts to do something better than others, but in simply attributing positive qualities to himself or in performing actions that receive a positive assessment from an adult.
The development of joint activities with peers, especially games with rules, contributes to the fact that based on the desire for self-affirmation, a new form of motives arises - the desire to win, to be first. Almost all board games offered to children of middle and especially older preschool age, and most sports games are related to competition. Children constantly compare their successes, love to brag, and are acutely aware of mistakes and failures..
Of particular importance in the development of behavioral motives are moral motives that express the child’s attitude towards other people. These motives change and develop throughout preschool childhood in connection with the assimilation and awareness of moral norms and rules of behavior, understanding the meaning of one’s actions for other people..
Younger preschoolers act in accordance with moral standards only in relation to those adults or children for whom they feel sympathy. So, a child shares toys and sweets with a peer he likes. In older preschool age, the moral behavior of children begins to spread to a wide range of people who do not have a direct connection with the child. This is due to children’s awareness of moral norms and rules, understanding of their universally binding nature, their actual meaning. If a four-year-old boy, when asked why he shouldn’t fight with his friends, answers: “You can’t fight, otherwise you’ll hit him right in the eye” (that is, the child takes into account the unpleasant consequences of the action, and not the action itself), then by the end of the preschool period the appearance of the answers are of a different order: “You can’t fight with your comrades, because it’s a shame to offend them.”
By the end of preschool childhood, the child understands the importance of fulfilling moral standards, both in his own behavior and in his assessment of the actions of literary characters.
Among the moral motives of behavior, the social motives are the desire to do something for other people, to benefit them. Already, many younger preschoolers can complete a task in order to please other people: under the guidance of a teacher, make a flag for kids or a napkin as a gift for mom. But for this it is necessary that children clearly imagine the people for whom they are doing the thing, feel sympathy and empathy for them.
On their own initiative, children begin to do work for others much later - from the age of four or five. During this period, children already understand that their actions can benefit others. When younger preschoolers are asked why they carry out instructions for adults, they usually answer: “I like it,” “Mom told me to.” For older preschoolers, the answers to the same question are of a different nature: “I help, because it’s difficult for my grandmother and mother alone,” “I love my mother, that’s why I help,” “To help my mother and be able to do everything.”
In older preschoolers, one can observe a completely conscious fulfillment of moral norms associated with the help of other people. Changes in motives of behavior throughout preschool childhood consist not only in the fact that their content changes, but new types of motives appear.
The behavior of a younger preschooler is uncertain and has no main line or core. The child has just shared a gift with a peer, and now he is already taking the toy away from him. Another jealousy helps his mother clean the room, and five minutes later he is already capricious and does not want to put on trousers. This happens because different motives replace each other, and depending on the change in the situation, behavior is guided by one or another motive.
So, most scientists emphasize that the process of motivation is a complex psychological phenomenon, but it is precisely it that is the stimulus for human activity.
We did not find an interpretation of the concept of “cognitive motivation” in literary sources, but knowing the essence of the concepts of “motivation” and “cognition” we determined that cognitive motivation is a stimulating component of cognitive activity that controls the process of cognition and determines its organization, direction, stability and activity.
Research by A.N. Leontiev proved that the period of the most intensive formation of the motivational sphere is preschool age. In this regard, the formation of the child’s motivational sphere is a fundamental problem in developmental psychology.
Thus, motivation stimulates the child in further development, the child learns about the world around him, shows interest, and learns about any type of activity. On the other hand, the child sets a goal and achieves purposeful cognitive activity, and the formation of cognitive motivation and readiness to learn at school are noted.
The work activity of preschoolers does not imply specific achievements, but it is of utmost importance for mental and personal development. In labor, the child learns to plan and control his actions, develops independence and strong-willed qualities. Labor activity also contributes to the formation of arbitrariness of processes and behavior.
Peculiarities of work activity of preschool children
It is important for adults not to miss the moment when children want to work and participate in household chores. This desire awakens in preschool age. With competent support, adults will be able to strengthen interest in work, while removing the child from work will gradually discourage him from wanting to work physically.
Why do mothers, fathers, and grandmothers often prefer to prohibit a child’s participation in any activity rather than support it? The reason is either increased anxiety for the child - lest he hurt himself, lest he harm himself while trying to manipulate the mop, reach the tap, etc. Or adults are dissatisfied with the child’s inept actions, after which there will be even more washing and cleaning.
But you will have to come to terms with these moments if adults understand their own responsibility for instilling hard work in their little helper.
A characteristic feature of the work activity of a preschooler is that the child is focused not on a quality result, but on the immediate process. At preschool age, the need to take part in real life and be involved in the world of adults becomes actualized. This need can be realized by getting involved in specific activities.
This need is only partially realized in. Children often model adult life in. But they understand that this is “make-believe.” And young people want real participation in real things that they observe every day at home or in kindergarten.
In labor, the child gets the opportunity to independently perform those actions that he previously only observed. By making efforts, the child believes that he, like an adult, is useful. That is why work activity is so attractive in preschool age.
Motives that encourage children to work
The motivation to put in work effort changes as the preschooler grows up. Motive is a structural component of any activity. Along with operations, it shapes the labor process from an early age. Other components of the work activity of preschoolers appear later.
Three- and four-year-old children are driven motive of interest to the process itself. It’s so interesting to stir a ladle in a pan or move it with a vacuum cleaner brush.
In middle preschool age, children are encouraged to do feasible work motives for reward and blame. For example, a child is happy to wipe cutlery because his mother praises what a wonderful helper he is. In the same way, a preschooler quickly puts his toys in order, because after cleaning, dad promised to read a book together. Or the child independently begins to put together the scattered parts of the construction set so that his mother does not scold him.
The highest level in preschool age is social motives for labor. Guided by these motives, children move from performing exciting actions or things for which they expect praise to actions that are important to other people.
Making a craft as a gift for mom, helping grandma water the garden bed, putting on shoes and tying shoelaces for a younger sister are examples of things that older preschoolers do in an effort to show concern for loved ones. In such cases, the question of whether the immediate process is interesting is not considered. The child realizes the value of his labor participation for the benefit of others.
Organization of work activities of preschool children
Work activities throughout preschool childhood become more complex, covering the path from mastering self-service skills to performing household duties and caring for plants and pets.
At 3-4 years old, even brushing your teeth or getting dressed for a walk on your own is difficult. With the development of a child’s manual skill, self-service skills are automated and move from the category of “work” into everyday actions. The work activity of a preschooler is filled with other processes involving the development of tools and the achievement of results.
The uniqueness of the work activities of younger preschoolers
It is clear that a 3-year-old child will persistently demand to be allowed to test in the kitchen in order to “help” make pies. But his interest will dry up in response to an offer to tidy up the gaming corner of his room.
The main reason is the lack of novelty, and therefore the lack of excitement in the process. Other, no less important reasons are added to it. The kid may simply not understand how to restore this very order...
In order to introduce a child to work that is feasible for him, it is important to give specific and understandable instructions. “Put the cubes in a box, put the box on the shelf”, “Put your socks in a drawer” - after hearing such instructions, the baby will understand what they want from him at the moment, and will also gradually form a sequence for putting things in order.
Clear instructions are an essential element in developing a preschooler’s work skills.
Only by mastering the rules that allow him to organize his work will a preschooler be able to independently initiate and complete everyday work activities in the future.
Labor in older preschool age
Older preschoolers are introduced to work not for the sake of participation. Although there are also cases when 6-7 year old children are driven solely by curiosity: “How do you spin that? Let me try.” “I also want to dig” - the child takes up a shovel, but after a few attempts he loses the desire to do something that is quite physically difficult.
However, in most cases, all components of work activity can be traced in the activities of preschoolers: motive, goal, actual actions, control And grade. That is, the child sees the goal for applying his efforts, chooses the means, how he can get the result, performs the actions and is interested in the result of his work.
For example, 5-year-old Masha reports that she wants to sweep the room “to make it clean.” Having at least practiced with a broom, she collects the garbage in a dustpan and immediately asks if she swept well. Although the girl relies solely on praise for her efforts, she is interested in achieving her goal.
Mastering the components of work activity favors the development of a preschooler. There is a direct influence on the formation of the following qualities:
- hard work
- responsibility
- independence
- perseverance
- criticality
Older preschoolers evaluate their work more objectively. They notice, unlike younger children, gross shortcomings and try to correct them. But it is important to them how an adult evaluates the quality of their work actions, so they ask appropriate questions.
Thanks to the development of speech, children are good at accepting verbal instructions on how to perform a certain task. Adults will help the child if together they discuss the sequence of steps that will lead to the desired result.
Socialization of a preschool child in work activity
Work is an effective condition for the socialization of a child. A preschooler watches how other children perform certain labor activities, and he also wants to join such an activity. When doing something, it invariably gets stuck. Children love to share advice in the style: “You’re doing it wrong! Look at me!
You can observe how preschoolers exchange tools, testing the better (or worse) the tool of their lesson partner. Carrying out a common task, they learn to negotiate, distribute responsibilities, come up with rules, and control their implementation.
Even in collective work, excellent opportunities are found for developing the skills to control and evaluate one’s own work and the activities of others. The child observes how an adult evaluates the work of other children and perceives evaluative statements as a guide for his actions.
The labor involvement of a preschooler is far from the main one among the activities that children engage in before school. But labor plays a crucial role in the child, in the emergence of the need to work. Without the timely development of work skills and awareness of the social motives of work, a growing child is unlikely to become a hardworking and responsible person in the future.
Psychological analysis of any activity begins with the study of its motives. Motives stimulate activity, set its direction, and give personal meaning. They largely determine whether a person will be satisfied with his activities. In psychology, two types of motives are often distinguished, depending on the place they occupy in relation to activity - external and internal motives.
External motives are satisfied with real objects, material values, external assessments, status in society, power. External motives in the work of a teacher are motives for the prestige of working as a teacher in a particular educational institution, motives for the adequacy of remuneration. A teacher cannot be completely satisfied with his work if these motives and related needs are not satisfied. It is dangerous if the activity of a teacher is motivated only by these motives, especially in conditions when teachers’ salaries are low, and society’s attitude towards their work has changed quite dramatically over the past two decades and the prestige of the profession in the eyes of many people is low.
Particularly dangerous, according to psychologists, is power motive as a motivator for professional activity. It manifests itself in the desire to control one’s environment, influence the behavior of other people and direct it with advice, persuasion or orders, achieve their cooperation, and convince others that one is right. Obviously, if a teacher’s work is motivated by a power motive, then he may develop authoritarianism as a personality trait, i.e. a persistent desire to maximally subordinate to one’s influence other people with whom a person interacts and communicates. Psychologists associate authoritarianism with such personality traits as aggressiveness, high self-esteem, a tendency to follow stereotypes, and poor reflection.
Internal motives are the teacher’s satisfaction from his work, its results and the process itself. Internal motives also include motives for personal and professional growth and self-actualization. Psychologists have shown in their studies that true job satisfaction is possible for a teacher when, among his motives for work, internal motives play an important, and even better, the main role. Then, in relationships with students, the teacher will be confident in the correctness of the path along which he leads students to knowledge, will be able to convey this confidence to students, encourage them to independently search for the best ways to solve a learning problem, recognize
to appreciate their intelligence, ingenuity, and creativity. So, his psychological well-being largely depends on what motives motivate the teacher’s activities.
Teacher activity styles. Style of activity in psychology it is customary to call an individual system of techniques and methods of action, which is characteristic of a given person and ensures the achievement of successful results of activity. This definition of style is given by the largest specialist in the field of labor psychology E. A. Klimov. The teacher's style of activity is often understood as the style in which the teacher builds his relationships with children. In research on pedagogy and educational psychology, one can find many different typologies of a teacher’s style of activity. And yet the most famous remains the typology that was once proposed by K. Levin. He identified authoritarian, democratic and liberal or permissive leadership styles. Then the scheme he proposed began to be used to analyze the activities of teachers.
Authoritarian style differs in that the teacher alone decides all issues relating to life and the class, and each student. Based on his own attitudes, he himself evaluates the results of his activities. At the same time, students do not participate in the discussion of problems that are directly related to them, and their initiative is assessed negatively and rejected. The authoritarian style is implemented using the tactics of dictatorship and guardianship. Schoolchildren’s resistance to teacher pressure most often leads to the emergence of persistent conflicts.
With this style of work as a teacher, schoolchildren may develop low self-esteem, self-doubt, and dependence on the teacher’s opinion. But the biggest problem with the authoritarian style is that it interferes with the formation of the subjectivity of schoolchildren - with this style of work as a teacher, it is unlikely that a student will become fully responsible for his educational activities, capable of reflecting on it and seeing the boundaries of what is possible for him and what is not. not available. For a teacher, this style of work is dangerous because it develops authoritarianism as a personality trait.
Permissive style It is distinguished by the desire of the teacher to be minimally involved in the work and relieve himself of responsibility for its results. Such teachers formally perform their functional duties, limiting themselves only to teaching. The permissive style of communication is characterized by non-interference, which is based on indifference and disinterest in the problems of the school and students. The result of this style of work is a lack of control over the activities of schoolchildren and the dynamics of their personality development. Academic performance and discipline in the classes of such teachers are usually unsatisfactory. With this style of work as a teacher, it is also difficult for schoolchildren to develop learning activities, the ability to analyze an educational task, reflect on their actions and plan their activities. The teacher's disinterest leads to the fact that teacher evaluation does not play the proper role in shaping educational activities, and schoolchildren feel that their activities are undervalued.
At democratic style communication, the teacher is focused on increasing the subjective role of the student in interaction, on involving everyone in solving common affairs. The main feature of this style is mutual acceptance and mutual orientation. As a result of an open and free discussion of emerging problems, students together with the teacher come to one solution or another. The democratic style of communication between the teacher and students is the only real way to organize their cooperation. Teachers who adhere to this style are characterized by an active positive attitude towards students and an adequate assessment of their capabilities, successes and failures. They are characterized by a deep understanding of the student, the goals and motives of his behavior, and the ability to predict the development of his personality. In terms of external indicators of their activities, teachers with a democratic communication style are inferior to their authoritarian colleagues, but the socio-psychological climate in their classes is always more favorable. Interpersonal relationships in them are characterized by trust and high demands on themselves and others. With a democratic style of communication, the teacher stimulates students to creativity, initiative, and organizes conditions for self-realization.
Personal development of a teacher. The teaching profession contains many opportunities for self-realization, for professional and personal development. At the same time, in the work of a teacher there are many dangers for the individual and his psychological well-being. One of the most significant is the discrepancy (sometimes quite striking) between the values, principles and norms acquired during the course of receiving pedagogical education and the reality of teaching work that awaits a young teacher at school. In the reality that contradicts what has been learned, external and internal aspects can be distinguished.
TO external aspects relate:
authoritarian leadership of the teaching staff, which is often practiced in educational institutions. An authoritarian leadership style often pushes young teachers towards authoritarianism in their relationships with children;
- - providing young teachers with work in more difficult classes with problem children. Working with such children requires a lot of experience, higher professional qualifications and self-confidence as a competent, successful teacher. Young teachers usually do not yet possess these qualities. This creates the preconditions for the development of emotional phenomena that negatively affect the teacher’s personality;
- - low salary reduces the interest of a young teacher in his professional work.
TO internal conditions relate:
the young teacher’s lack of confidence in himself as a professional. This uncertainty is truly effectively overcome through years of successful professional work;
- - the contradiction between the learned value of the democratic style of pedagogical communication and the underdevelopment of one’s own communication skills;
- - the so-called pedagogical myths, which are rigid, erroneous principles that are unconsciously acquired by the teacher and interfere with his work.
The listed contradictions become one of the reasons for the emergence of negative emotional phenomena. Factors that cause negative emotions in teachers cause a growing feeling of dissatisfaction and accumulation of fatigue, which leads to crises in work, exhaustion and burnout. Accompanying this are physical symptoms: asthenia (i.e. feeling tired and increased fatigue), frequent headaches and insomnia. In addition, psychological and behavioral symptoms arise: feelings of boredom and resentment, decreased enthusiasm, uncertainty, irritability, and inability to make decisions. As a result of all this, the effectiveness of the teacher’s professional activity decreases. A growing feeling of dissatisfaction with the profession leads to a decrease in the level of qualifications and causes the development of a number of severe emotional problems.
- Slastenin V. A. Pedagogy: textbook, manual for students. higher pedagogical educational institutions, institutions / V. A. Slastenin, I. F. Isaev, E. II. Shiyanov; edited by V. A. Slastsnina. M.: Publishing center "Academy", 2002.
Training remains a pressing issue to this day. Over the course of several years, children get used to the same rules, but there comes a time when they have to seriously change their views and lifestyle. Explaining to a child the importance and necessity of such changes is not easy, and here the experience of specialists in the field of child psychology comes to the aid of parents.
The value of quality motivation
Raising a child is an art. It is not enough to instill the basics of morality and behavior in society. The task of parents is to raise a decent child, adapted to independent life. Many years of experience show that the carrot and stick method in education does not give the desired and sustainable results. It is useless to force a child against his will to do something that, in his opinion, is not necessary. But she is capable of creating real miracles.
You can study, play sports, do art, and much more. And to start the process, parents need to become more familiar with what motivation is, what its types are, and how to properly motivate a child, guided by his personal characteristics, without the involvement of specialists.
Types of motivation
It is interpreted differently by specialists, but in a general understanding it is the ability of an individual to satisfy his needs and desires through activities. But the process of third-party motivation can be compared to manipulation, which can be positive and negative. According to V.K. Vilyunas, motivation is a whole system of processes that encourage a person to act.
Experts in the field of psychology identify 6 types of motivation, these are:
- . It is not related to a specific process, but is determined by the result. For example, a child studies not for the sake of gaining knowledge, but for the sake of high grades, praise and receiving other awards.
- Internal. The direct opposite of the previous look. A person is little interested in the result; he is completely immersed in the process of completing the task itself. Intrinsic motivation may include:
- Cognitive motives. They are based on an interest in acquiring knowledge and skills. Motivation is formed at an early age and depends on many conditions: the level of development of the nervous system, the nature of upbringing, family situation, etc. If the innate cognitive motive is not supported, it will need to be restored in the future. Therefore, it is useful to attend exhibitions, excursions and other educational events even with young children.
- Social motives. They imply the child’s desire to be useful, first in the family circle, and then in society. This also includes the desire to become literate, successful, and learn to interact with the team and others.
- The motive for avoiding failure. In this case, children do everything to avoid bad grades and disapproving remarks addressed to them. With such motivation, it is the grades that will determine how strongly the child will strive to study and whether he will do it at all.
- Achievement motivation. During school years, as a rule, it is this motivation that becomes dominant. It can be seen especially clearly in children with a high level of academic achievement. It is important for them to complete tasks efficiently and on time and to receive appropriate encouragement. The purpose of such motivation is to become a professional. The child can deliberately take on difficult tasks and make every effort to solve them.
- Positive. Motivation, which is based on positive stimulation. An example of a child’s positive motivation: “if I learn my lessons, I’ll get sweets and go on the rides.”
- Negative. Motivation that comes from negative incentives, for example: “if I don’t learn my lessons, I will be punished.”
- Sustainable.
- Unstable.
Nuances of motivating preschoolers
At the age of 6-7 years, each of the above motivations takes place, but the predominance of any one has an impact on the formation of the individual’s character and his studies in the future. It is difficult to determine the predominant type of motivation, since children often answer stereotyped questions. For example, if you ask a child whether he wants to go to school, he will most likely answer in the affirmative without hesitation, which is due to several reasons. Firstly, children know what answer adults want from them, and they give it. Secondly, the child does not have sufficient knowledge of what learning at school entails. Therefore, he cannot give an accurate answer without understanding the essence of the question.
The basic needs of preschoolers are formed in early childhood, therefore, in the process of developing a child’s motives, the family is of great importance. The motivational basis of schooling is based on:
- the individual’s desire to receive information from books, magazines, reference books, etc.;
- awareness of the importance of learning;
- the ability to find a balance between “I want” and “I need”;
- the ability to complete things started;
- the ability to give a competent assessment of one’s actions and results obtained, to identify one’s own mistakes;
The most powerful motivator for any child is the opportunity to receive a reward. In order to get what they want, children can do things that are unpleasant and boring for them. An example of this can be observed in the process when a child washes the dishes, knowing that upon completion of the task there will be a pleasant reward in the form of watching cartoons or a computer game. In this case, we can also talk about the voluntary replacement of one’s “want” with an adult “need.”
Developing a positive attitude towards learning
In general terms, there are two ways to create a child’s positive motivation to learn.
The first is to form positive emotions in the preschooler in relation to the very process in which the child is involved. This can happen in several ways at once:
- approval from the teacher;
- parents' faith in their child;
- encouragement even for the smallest achievements;
- adult support and interest in what the child is doing.
In this case, you should avoid criticizing the preschooler, focusing on what he does well, and not on where the child failed.
The second path involves the process of creating a positive one through awareness of the importance of learning. The benefits of learning are explained to the preschooler in detail and over a relatively long period of time, and what exactly the child will gain from studying. He must understand that he needs education (for example, to achieve a desired result in the future), and not his parents or teacher. However, such motivation of preschoolers cannot be called sustainable. As soon as a child loses the desire for what he was initially set up for, his motivation will fade away.
Important conditions for developing motivation in preschoolers
The main conditions that are necessary for the successful motivation of preschool children include:
To provide adequate conditions for effective motivation, it is necessary to create a favorable psychological climate. It is very difficult for a child to concentrate if there are constant conflicts in the house. This causes fear and other negative emotions in him.
Illustrative examples of motivating preschoolers
When developing motivation in preschool age, parents' actions do not necessarily have to be aimed at learning itself. For example, you can develop perseverance in a preschooler with the help of games, and he will apply the acquired skill in his studies.
Here are some examples of how parents can influence a child and stimulate activities that he or she initially dislikes.
Labor activity
Probably every parent will agree how difficult it is to introduce a child to cleanliness and order, and especially to the cleaning process itself. But everything can change if you switch to the game. For example, toys can be helped to get to their houses (placed on shelves or put them in a box). You can involve your child in real cleaning through personal example and by setting simple tasks for him, in which he will act as an assistant.
Few children will be able to refuse the “adult” act of dusting or washing a small area of the floor. The parent’s task is to thank, praise the child and make it clear that without him it would be more difficult to cope with the task. It is important to refrain from criticizing a child if he has done something wrong - this will forever discourage him from wanting to clean up.
Least favorite dishes
Children do not yet understand the benefits of foods, so they only want to eat tasty things. Feeding a child, for example, porridge, often becomes an impossible task for parents. But motivation will come to the rescue here too. And there are many options here - from the interesting design of the dish itself to the use of fascinating stories and fairy tales during the eating process. You need to show your imagination and serve your child a dish that will be decorated in an unusual and attractive way. This will make the child want to eat everything offered.
Another way to feed your child something he doesn't like is to use his imagination. You can imagine the dish not as food, but as an army of useful soldiers who want to protect his health, strength (for boys) and beauty (for girls). But they can get inside and start working only if the baby himself helps them, i.e. will eat The more colorful and interesting the process is presented, the more effective this method is.
Two common mistakes parents make
The first mistake that most parents make is that they do not support their child’s desire to learn new things. After a day of work, adults are tired, and they do not have the strength to answer the child’s questions. Not every parent wants to make an effort to explain something incomprehensible to their child, because it is much easier to say the stereotyped “when you grow up, you will find out” or “stop asking all sorts of nonsense.” If a preschooler regularly receives such an answer, his curiosity simply fades away, as does his motivation. Under no circumstances should you push your child away in such situations. You need to try to explain everything simply and understandably to him. If suitable words do not come to mind, you can always turn to children's encyclopedias, educational programs and cartoons. Even if the parent does not know the answer to the question posed by the child, you can honestly say this and offer to look for the answer together in relevant sources of information.
The second common parental mistake is to assign the task of shaping the motivation of a preschooler to third-party institutions: first to the kindergarten, and then to the school. The same category of errors includes the delayed reaction of adults who believe that at 2-3 years old a child is still too young to be motivated, and at 5 years old he also still does not understand anything. This is a very big misconception! Just at the time when the child just begins to lead an active social life, takes his first steps (and this happens at about 1-1.5 years), it is already necessary to pay more attention to motivating the child. If you don’t miss the moment, studying will be much easier in the future. The child will strive to learn on his own without additional stimulation from adults.
As mentioned earlier, basic motivation originates in the child's family, so parents should take an active part in preparing the preschooler for learning.
Experts in the field of child psychology suggest using the following practical recommendations:
- In the process of motivating a preschooler, it is important to take into account the child’s interests, his individual needs and priorities. At the very beginning, the main goal is not to educate the child, but to instill a desire to learn with pleasure. For example, if a child likes poetry, then the developmental process should be built on this, and even the multiplication table can be taught using rhymes.
- It is very important to create a positive image of school in your child. It sounds very simple, but in society a child may hear the opposite. The situation becomes more complicated in families with older children who complain about school and how difficult it is to study there. Such statements form a strong opinion in the child about the educational institution as something bad and boring. It is necessary to protect the child from such feedback.
- Create a rough idea of the school. Since the child cannot yet understand what exactly is taught at school and what he will have to do there, information can be presented in a playful form. The peculiarities of the motivation of preschoolers lie in the fact that everything is learned through games. For example, drawing cheerful and bright pictures - ART; jumping, games - physical education; reading exciting stories and fairy tales - literature. Such a pastime will give the child positive emotions, and he will understand that school can be very interesting.
- Development of horizons. Although a preschooler is small, he already has his own opinion, accumulated experience and knowledge. It is very useful to talk with your child on intellectual topics and ask his opinion on various issues. You need to perceive a preschooler as a small adult, then he will feel that his opinion is important and interesting, which means he needs to learn more in order to communicate later.
Useful information for parents
In order for a child to be drawn to knowledge, it is useful to surround him with intellectual games from early childhood. These can be cubes, puzzles, puzzles, etc. Thus, under the guise of playing, he will develop his thinking. It is useful to choose games that involve working with small details, for example, stringing beads on a fishing line - this increases the child’s concentration and perseverance.
Children need to be given the opportunity to make decisions and act as they see fit. Of course, everything should be within reason, but it is in such situations that preschoolers learn to develop a logical chain, draw conclusions, evaluate their actions, and bear responsibility for the decision made. This gives the child confidence and a feeling of “adulting”. Successful completion of assigned tasks builds self-confidence well. The baby needs to be given tasks that he can definitely handle. The feeling of accomplishment will do the trick.
In order not to cause fear of failure in a child, you should help him complete tasks and guide him. Then, over time, confidence will come to him, he will not be afraid of difficulties and will learn to cope with everything without outside help.
It is important to teach a preschooler not to be afraid to express his opinion and defend it. In family conversations, it is useful to ask your child what he thinks about the situation and what exactly his opinion is based on. This will teach the child to justify what is said and make decisions based on logical reasoning.
You shouldn’t indulge your children’s “wants” and buy toys and sweets on demand. It’s also not worth setting hard boundaries. If the purchase is not cheap, you need to explain to your child that you need to earn money for it. For example, clean up or wash your things. The child will understand that not everything in life is given for nothing, and in order to get something, you need to work hard.
Preschoolers benefit from reading children's books. While reading, you can fantasize and imagine what is happening in the book, even better if you can reproduce the action of the book in the form of a home theater production. Toys can act as actors. The benefits of such activities are priceless - the development of imagination, creative abilities, and memory occurs.
In motivating preschoolers, a special role is given to the development of curiosity. The ideal activity for this purpose is experimentation. There are many different options for laboratory work for little chemists that surprise not only children, but also adults. This will develop in the child the spirit of a discoverer and a thirst for knowledge.
It is very important to allow a preschooler to make mistakes. Personal experience is the best and most memorable lesson. There is no need to scold your child. On the contrary, you should support him and explain that it is normal to make mistakes, and only those who do nothing do not make mistakes. For many parents, this will not be an easy task, but it will make the parenting process easier in the future. When a child understands that only he will have to answer for what he has done, he will think several times before doing something.
Preschool education is a labor-intensive process, but quite realistic. It is impossible to give recommendations that are suitable for everyone, because each child is individual. If you take into account the child’s characteristics, his needs and priorities, the effectiveness of motivation will be much higher.
D.V. Grigoriev
Among the main motives for a child’s participation in labor (productive) activities, the following can be identified:
- The motive for achieving primacy - the child participates in labor (productive) activities because he wants to get ahead of others, to achieve more than them;
- Motive for achieving recognition - the child participates in work activities because he wants to gain recognition from others;
- The motive of caring for others - the child participates in labor (productive) activities because he wants to bring benefit and joy to others with his product;
- Benefit motive - the child participates in productive activities because he wants to benefit from his product and earn money;
- The motive for avoiding failure - the child participates in work (productive) activities because he does not want to be unproductive or inept;
- Motive for overcoming difficulties - the child participates in productive activities because it is not easy, difficult, it is necessary to overcome the resistance of the “material” (real or ideal: literary, musical, etc. text) with which he works;
- The motive for gaining self-confidence is that the child participates in work (productive) activities because it gives him a feeling of confidence and rootedness in life;
- The motive of knowledge and understanding of the world - the child participates in labor (productive) activities, because this way one can penetrate into the essence of things, gain a deeper understanding of the structure of the world;
- The motive of cooperation with others - the child participates in labor (productive) activities because he strives to cooperate with other, equally practical, productive people;
- The motive of self-embodiment (self-realization) - the child participates in labor (productive) activities, because through the product one can embody oneself and leave a mark in life.
Among these motives there are those that need unconditional support and development from the teacher: the motive of caring for others, the motive of overcoming difficulties, the motive of knowledge and understanding of the world, the motive of cooperation with others. Other motives are supported by the teacher under certain conditions:
motive for achieving primacy - provided that primacy is not achieved by weakening others;
motive for achieving recognition - provided that recognition is not acquired by dishonest means;
profit motive - provided that the monetary reward for the product does not become an end in itself;
the motive of avoiding failure - provided that this does not take on the nature of an escape from reality;
the motive for gaining self-confidence - provided it does not develop into excessive self-confidence;
motive of self-embodiment (self-realization) - provided it does not develop into an obsessive desire to embody oneself at any cost and in any way.
In order for a child to develop a particular motive or motives, the teacher has three types of educational meetings at his disposal:
- a meeting of a child with a person - a specialist, a professional who has achieved success and realized himself in work (productive) activities. This meeting can take place both, relatively speaking, “at the workplace” of such a person, and in an educational environment;
- a child’s meeting with a text (work) that presents the experience of productive activity and labor self-realization of people. This text can be documentary (factual) or fiction; literary, film-dramatic, theatrical, text of painting, architecture, etc.;
- meeting a child with a conditional position (in a game, test, training), in which one can “lose”, try out states and experiences that are significant for real work (productive) activity.
When correlating the child’s indicated motives for work (productive) activities and types of educational meetings, 10 models of motivation appear (more precisely, pedagogical motivation ) children to work (productive) activities. These models are variable, since the teacher has the opportunity to choose where to build a motivational situation for the child: 1) in direct interaction with the person - the carrier, the author of productive work activity; 2) in interaction mediated by text (work); 3) in game, training interaction, test.
These models are presented in Table 1. The correct semantic reading of them is as follows (using the example of model No. 1): in order to awaken in a child the desire to participate in labor (productive) activities based on the motivation to achieve championship, the teacher can organize:
- or his communication with a person who has achieved primacy in a specific productive matter or activity;
- either acquaintance and discussion of a text dedicated to achieving primacy, victory in a specific productive matter or activity;
- or replaying a situation (in a game, test, training) where the child experiences a feeling of achieving superiority.
All other models are read in the same way.
Table 1. Variable models of children's motivation for work (productive) activities.
| Type of educational meeting
Type of motivation |
Meeting a child with a personality | Meeting a child with a text (work) | Meeting the child with the position |
| 1. Motivation to achieve championship(the child participates in productive activities because he wants to get ahead of others, to achieve more than them) | Communication with a person who is the winner in a specific business, competition, etc., where the product produced is evaluated | Acquaintance and discussion of a text (documentary or fiction; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of primacy in creating a product | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child experiences a feeling of superiority, victory over others |
| 2. Motivation for achieving recognition(the child engages in productive activities because he wants to be recognized by others) | Communicating with a person(s) who has achieved recognition from others for their productivity | Acquaintance and discussion of a text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the issue of recognition or non-recognition by others | Replaying a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child experiences recognition (non-recognition) from others |
| 3. Motivation to care for others(the child participates in productive activities because he wants to bring benefit and joy to others with his product) | Communication with the person(s) who created their product for the benefit and joy of other people | Acquaintance and discussion of a text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the topic of effective care for others | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test) where a child can show concern for others |
| 4. Motivation for benefits(the child participates in productive activities because he wants to benefit from his product, earn money) | Communication with a person (people) who have successfully implemented and honestly made money from their product | Acquaintance and discussion of a text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of obtaining benefits and selling (selling) a product | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child is involved in a buying and selling relationship |
| 5. Motivation to avoid failure(the child participates in productive activities because he does not want to appear unproductive or inept) | Communication with a person (people) who went through a series of failures to achieve a result | Acquaintance and discussion of a text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of unsuccessful actions and decisions | Replaying a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child experiences a feeling of failure, of not achieving a result |
| 6. Motivation to overcome difficulties(the child participates in productive activities because it is not easy, it is difficult, it is necessary to overcome resistance) | Communication with a person (people) who achieved his goal, overcoming difficulties and barriers, rose after falling | Acquaintance and discussion of the text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of overcoming difficulties and barriers | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child faces the need to overcome difficulties and barriers |
| 7. Motivation to gain self-confidence(the child participates in productive activities because it gives him a feeling of confidence and rootedness in life) | Communication with a person (people) who, through the creation of a product, believed in themselves and their strengths | Acquaintance and discussion of a text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of believing in oneself and one’s strengths | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test), where the child is required to believe in himself, his capabilities and strengths |
| 8. Motivation for knowledge and worldview(the child participates in productive activities because this way one can penetrate into the essence of things and gain a deeper understanding of the structure of the world) | Communication with a person (people) who, through the creation of a product, strives to penetrate into the depths, cognize and understand the essence of things | Acquaintance and discussion of the text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of the world order, deep processes in the world and life | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child is required to move towards a deeper understanding of reality |
| 9. Motivation for cooperation with others(the child participates in productive activities because he strives to cooperate with other, equally practical people) | Communication with a person (people) who assembled a team (team) of people to create a product | Acquaintance and discussion of the text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of cooperation, creating community | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child is included in team, collective interaction |
| 10. Motivation for self-realization(the child participates in productive activities, because through the product you can embody yourself and leave your mark on life) | Communication with a person (people) who perceives their productive work activity as the meaning of life | Acquaintance and discussion of the text (doc. or art; literature, painting, cinema, etc.), which touches on the problem of the value meanings of life | Playing out a situation (in a game, training, test) where the child is required to have strategic goals and meaning |