The goal is to identify the level of development of children’s social interaction (using the example of independent play activities).
General recommendations for organization. Observation is carried out over the free object-play activity of children in accordance with developed criteria (the criteria correspond to the five levels of social interaction presented in the studies of G. Craig). Observed manifestations are noted in the protocol sheet and assessed using a point system.
As a result, the following levels of social interaction of children in play activities are determined based on the sum of points.
The first level is “Playing alone.” At this level, interaction between peers is completely absent, children do not enter into verbal contact, and do not show mutual interest in each other. There are no emotional reactions to the actions of “partners” in the game. The choice of toys and objects for play does not depend on what a nearby peer is playing (from 1 to 7 points).
The second level is “Observation game”. The child watches his friend play from a distance and experiences interest, but that’s where the process ends. Children do not interact, while interest in peers is characterized by stability (from 8 to 12 points).
The third level is “Parallel game”. The child plays in close proximity to another child, takes the same toys, and tries to imitate him. He often comments on his actions and his play partner, but interaction has not yet arisen (normally, “side by side” play is typical for two-year-old children). Children do not perform joint actions, although, repeating play actions one after another, they quickly become “infected” with the emotional state of their “partner” (from 13 to 18 points).
The fourth level is “Associative game”. Children interact to some extent: they share toys, exchange, communicate, give each other instructions, but at the same time, each of them has their own plot, their own goal, their own game algorithm. There is no coordination of joint actions and of each individual (from 19 to 24 points).
The fifth level is “Cooperative play”. During such a game, children are busy with a common cause; there is an elementary agreement (“Let’s pour some coffee,” “You put it here, and I’ll put it here”). Many actions are performed together: they roll cars together, build one structure out of cubes, play with dolls together - feed them, put them to bed (from 25 to 30 points).
Recommendations for interpreting diagnostic results to determine the type of interaction and level of interaction in gaming activities.
The type of interaction between a child and a peer, conventionally called “subjective interaction,” is characterized primarily by actions in relation to the partner as a subject. The subjective attitude is manifested in active actions addressed to a friend as a potential interaction partner and aimed at obtaining a response. Children’s actions towards each other are relaxed, accompanied by vivid emotional manifestations, and complementary (children seem to be “infected” by each other’s effective manifestations). Interested communication is typical (comment on a partner’s action, offer to do something).
“Let’s drink tea,” Dasha (2 years 8 months) suggests to Polina, holding out a toy cup. “You take this one, and I’ll take this one - we’ll drink tea, and then we’ll go to the house.”
Children show initiative and a high level of social activity, the desire to demonstrate their success and independence.
The teacher puts plasticine on a tray, Shura (2 years 7 months) says: “I’ll give it to the children myself, I know how to sculpt. I’ll sculpt it myself.” "Look at me."
In play interaction, this type of children is at the level of “associative play”, during which interaction is already taking shape (children communicate, offer toys to each other, provide basic assistance), but at the same time each of them has their own game, their own goal, there is no coordination of their actions. It can be assumed that children of this type also have access to “joint play” (level 5), but the degree of personal and social development does not allow them to move to this level of play.
Egor P. (2 years 6 months) - in most cases, the child’s actions are aimed at a peer with the goal of entering into communication or carrying out a joint play action. The child is not selective, open, and has a positive attitude towards all children. The boy is able to support his peer, but more often he initiates interaction. So, he takes the book, opens it in front of Kolya, asking: “Shall we read? This is a duckling. Who is this?" (Egor copies the adult.) Next, with the same questions, Egor P. goes around all the “available” peers, changing characters in accordance with the illustrations.
In the “Mosaic” situation, Egor first lays out a mosaic in the form of a path on his playing field (his partner was an inactive girl Sasha P. - 2 years 6 months), characterizing the path: “It will be long, long, big, big.” Then, seeing that Sasha is not playing, but looking at him, he offers her chips from his fist: “Here, on you, make the way.” Sasha takes the chips, but does not lay them out, silently holds them in his hands. Then Egor begins to lay out a path on her playing field.
In the “Ride on Cars” situation, Egor first simply rides a car diagonally across the group room, reciting a poem, then Danya 3 (2 years 3 months) acts as a partner - a child who does not show social activity, demonstrating only motor skills when positive emotional reactions. Danya happily bounces on the car, not paying attention to Yegor. Egor, “infected” by his bright joyful emotions, first, laughing, “crashes” his car into Dani’s car (for several minutes), then, having loaded the car with balls from the “dry” pool, he begins to offer the balls to Dana: “Take it to the pan” (there are I mean balls).
The second type may include children whose interaction is of the nature of “object communication.” The child’s actions in relation to a peer more often resemble an exploratory nature: the qualities of the partner are studied, more like an attractive object or toy (touch the face, pull the hair, push, bite). Children's actions are characterized by unceremoniousness and indifference to what their peers feel (physical discomfort, pain). Any kind of resistance or negative emotional reaction from the partner greatly upsets the initiator of the interaction: the child can aggravate aggressive actions, getting his way, or get scared, leave, cry. Such acts of interaction are short-term, but quite frequent - the same children become the objects of this type of communication. Children who make up this type of group are characterized by a high level of interest in their peers, a desire to communicate, and initiative in interaction, but at the same time they are not susceptible to the emotional state of their partner and, as a rule, do not react to it. These children are characterized by a level of “parallel play” - play in close proximity to a partner, based on imitation. The child takes the same toys, comments on his and his partner’s actions; often requires that a peer perform the same actions as he himself - interaction as a process does not yet arise in the conditions of gaming activity.
Yusef (2 years 6 months) is characterized by the fact that he cannot do without communication with his peers: he tells who and what children should do; if he throws objects, then more often towards children, he can push, hug the child tightly, etc. There is no interaction with peers as such, the child either interrupts any play action of a peer, or demands that everyone repeat after him, and gets very upset when it's not. As a result, he acts on his own according to an algorithm that is understandable only to himself, showing active initiative and verbal activity in relation to his peer.
The type of “object relation” to a peer in interaction is characterized by the following actions, reflecting the children’s attitude towards each other: the peer is an interesting object, the actions are indicative and exploratory in nature. These actions are more often expressed in consideration of another child, his appearance, there is visual or emotional interest in motor manifestations, play actions of a peer. The child maintains the position of an outside observer for a long time, while, as a rule, he is susceptible to the emotional state of the partner-“object”, reacts to it, but does not strive for communication or joint actions. There is no manifestation of any activity or initiative to interact. Children of this type are at the level of “alone play” or “observation game”, when the child watches a friend play, but the process ends with this observation - the children never enter into real interaction, while interest in a peer is characterized by stability.
Mark B. (2 years 4 months) watches with interest children who show increased motor activity and are prone to emotional excitability, reacts vividly: squeals when children laugh, jumps in place when they run, but plays the car he has chosen, without trying to get closer to his peer and make contact.
In the “Mosaic” situation, Mark does not show interest in the game, does not act independently - he only watches how Yusef, sitting next to him, puts together a mosaic. In the “Ride on Car” situation, the child rejoices at the car, expressing his joy with emotional vocalizations, while he rolls the car away from other children. Slowly rocking back and forth, sitting on the car, the child carefully, enthusiastically watches how Kolya and Egor ride together, smiling with satisfaction.
The child is not involved in interaction, does not seek to establish it, but at the same time has an interest in peers, their actions and manifestations, he perceives the situational emotionality shown by other children.
As a result of the diagnostics of the characteristics of personal and social development, it is possible to establish a relationship between the types that characterize the child’s interaction with peers, and the level of social interaction of children in play activities, as well as the level of personal and social manifestations in interaction with adults and peers. These data will allow us to draw conclusions about the possible interdependence of the three presented indicators and the conditionality of their development carried out by pedagogical interaction.
Observation and analysis of the active play of preschool children.
- Observation and analysis of the active play of preschool children.
Analysis of outdoor games.
Number of children: 25 children.
Game name: "Sly Fox"
Educator (I.F.O): Ignatieva Natalya Sergeevna.
Date: 08/07/2014
Progress of the game:
D stand in a circle at a distance of one step from each other. To the side, outside the circle, the teacher marks the fox's house. At the teacher’s signal, the children close their eyes, and the teacher walks around the circle behind the children and quietly touches one of the players. Anyone who is touched by the teacher becomes a sly fox.
Educator: Children, and now I suggest you open your eyes and look carefully at each other, find out which of you is the sly fox, will she give herself away in some way?
Children: (asks in chorus three times at short intervals) “Sly fox, where are you?”, “Sly fox, where are you?”, “Sly fox, where are you?”
At the same time, everyone looks at each other carefully. As soon as the question: “Sly fox, where are you?” - will be said a third time, the player chosen by the sly fox quickly runs out into the middle of the circle, raises his hand up and says...
Player (Vanya): “I’m here!”
All the players scatter around the site, and the fox catches them (touches them with his hand). The caught fox takes him to his house. After the fox catches 2-3 children...
Teacher: “In a circle!”
The players form a circle, the game resumes. The game is repeated 4-5 times. If the fox betrays itself in some way, the teacher assigns another fox. Any of the players can choose the fox. If the fox cannot catch anyone for a long time, you can choose another driver. If the site is very large, you can mark its boundaries.
| Questions for analysis | Gaming activity analysis |
| Game start time | 11.00 |
| Goals of the game, their correspondence to the age and preparation of children | To develop endurance and observation skills in children. Practice running fast, lining up in a circle, and catching. |
| Number of children playing | Whole group (25 people) |
| Who is the initiator of the game | Children |
| Creating interest in the game in children | The teacher carries out preliminary work with the children: reads works of fiction, organizes observations of nature, the habits of animals, the activities of people of various professions (firefighters, drivers, athletes, etc.), watches videos, films and filmstrips, and conducts conversations. |
| Explanation of a new game by the teacher (repetition of the rules of a familiar game) | The teacher reveals the sequence of game actions, game rules and signal. It indicates player locations and game attributes using spatial terminology. When explaining the game, the teacher should not be distracted by comments to the children. Using questions, he checks how the children understand the game. If the rules of the game are clear to them, then it is fun and exciting. |
| Children’s understanding and acceptance of the rules of the game, their implementation, reasons for breaking the rules | The teacher pays significant attention to preparing the attributes of the game. The teacher makes them together with the children or in their presence (depending on age). |
| Distribution of roles in the game | The teacher can appoint a driver, choose using a counting rhyme, or invite the children to choose a driver themselves and then ask them to explain why they assign the role to this particular child; he can take the leading role or choose someone who wants to be the driver |
| Level of children's movements in the game | Under the benevolent, attentive guidance of a teacher, a creatively thinking child is formed who knows how to navigate the environment, actively overcome the difficulties encountered, show a friendly attitude towards comrades, endurance, and self-control. |
| Level of physical qualities (agility, speed, endurance) | An indicator of children's creativity in a game is not only the speed of reaction, the ability to enter into a role, conveying their understanding of the image, independence in solving motor problems in connection with a change in the game situation, but also the ability to create combinations of movements, game options, and complicate the rules. The highest manifestation of creativity in children is their inventing of outdoor games and the ability to organize them independently. |
| Compliance with ethical standards of behavior during the game | Children are friendly, responsive, show mutual assistance towards each other, empathize if they can’t do something, know how to negotiate, but also judge fairly. |
| Presence of negative qualities | Some people want to be first and argue among themselves. |
| The role of the educator | The teacher observes the children’s play and behavior, helps with advice, often takes an observant position, and the selection of the leader is carried out using a counting rhyme. |
| End of the game, summing up | After completing the game, the teacher announces the end of the game in a calm voice. The teacher notes both the positive and negative aspects of the game development of the content of the game, and highlights the most successful children in their actions. |
| Number of repetitions, game duration | Repeat 3 times, duration 15 minutes. |
