From work experience: Environmental education of preschool children

Observations and experiments

, experiments allow you to enrich
the experience of a child - a preschooler
, stimulate mental activity, children's curiosity, independence, and satisfy the natural need for activity.
When organizing experiments and observations, it is important
that the child acquires a humane
experience
of knowing reality, so that these types of activities are safe not only for the child himself (which is, of course, very important, but also for living objects, i.e.
experiments
, observations and experiments must carry not only a cognitive load, but also
to cultivate
a friendly attitude towards living nature.

The group has a mini-library

.
It contains a variety of thematic literature, an encyclopedia of flora and fauna for preschool children
. I use the literature of famous children's writers, naturalists Prishvin, Bianchi in classes and thematic readings. In our free time, with the children, we learn poems about nature by our famous poets A. S. Pushkin, N. A. Nekrasov, I. A. Bunin and others.

Theatrical activities

In my work

I widely use folklore.
The wisdom contained in fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and riddles educates children
to expressive words, teaches goodness, love for their homeland and native nature.
Children love to participate in the production of environmental performances (for example, participation in a theater project for a kindergarten, a production about the friendship of animals based on the fairy tale “Teremok”)
. This helps to teach basic knowledge in a playful way.

Ecological holidays

To consolidate knowledge and impressions gained on walks, excursions, and classes in kindergarten, environmental holidays

, leisure activities, quizzes:
“The Earth is our native home”
,
“Flower Ball”, “Around the World”, “Spring has come”, etc.
One of the forms of environmental education

are holidays and entertainment.
The role of holidays and entertainment is to have a strong impact on the emotional sphere of the child’s personality. What is important in such holidays is not so much the reproduction of
familiar pieces of music, poems, games, or guessing riddles on natural themes, but rather the involvement
of children
in experiencing events, in awareness of
environmental problems
accessible to
children’s
.
In the course of the plot of a fairy tale played out by children, a separate episode. I try to evoke in children
the experience of humane feelings, sympathy, a strong desire to help the characters or solve a problematic situation.

Forms of work with parents

Environmental education

should not be limited to kindergarten.
I try to maintain continuity with my family. Since working
with parents is one of the components
of the work of a preschool institution
.
When working with parents on environmental education of children,
we use both traditional forms (parent meetings, consultations, conversations), and non-traditional ones
(business games, direct telephone, round table, discussions)
.

Where does the formation of environmental awareness among preschoolers begin in preschool educational institutions?

First of all, we need to tell children about planet Earth itself, how it was formed, what forms of life exist on Earth. It is necessary to give children a clear idea of the diversity of the world of plants and animals and note their features.

Environmental education

Children love it when they are told. But even more they love to look at illustrated books. Therefore, the formation of ecological foundations will be more effective if you show children encyclopedias with illustrations of different types of animals and plants. This will make it easier for children to learn the material. It will be easier for preschoolers to visualize the diversity of the animal and plant environment.

You can briefly analyze the “Childhood” program, according to which many kindergartens provide education.

Environmental education of children of senior preschool age contributes to the gradual training of children to work in nature, familiarization with the conditions necessary for the life of various plants.

The presented program helps children acquire skills in nature on a practical level. Children are taught to dig up nodules or rhizomes of plants. Preschoolers learn to get root crops and weed beds, which they themselves help to sow.

This program clearly states the amount allocated for environmental education of older preschoolers.

Another program that clearly outlines recommendations for eco-education, the “We” program is supplemented by children’s ideas about forest and meadow plants. There are also descriptions of plants in ponds.

Whatever program the educational work is conducted in kindergarten, each has a separate section on ecology. Most of the attention in the programs is paid to plants. Children learn about the characteristics of familiar plants and get acquainted with plants unfamiliar to them.

It is very good when children are introduced to work during the education process.

Environmental education and its goals

In the endless whirlpool of everyday affairs and worries, in the pursuit of material wealth, we often forget about what gave us the opportunity to live on earth. Nature, the gifts of which people sometimes use so irrationally, gives us not only the opportunity to exist, but also allows us to enjoy its truly unique beauty and instills the best moral qualities.

Environmental education, the purpose of which is to introduce children to the life of nature, instill responsiveness, and the desire to preserve its wealth, is a fairly new section in pedagogy. However, the problems that this educational direction solves are very relevant, because the difficult environmental situation in the world forces us to take immediate measures to prevent a possible natural disaster.

It must be emphasized that environmental education should begin from early childhood, at the moment when the child is just beginning to learn about the world. The child’s attitude towards the surrounding nature depends on how adults guide his actions.

Is it possible to hit a kitten or uproot flowers? Why make bird feeders in winter? A growing person is interested in many questions. And he will look for the answer not in moralizing conversations, but in clear examples demonstrated by adults.

You can talk for a long time and interestingly about how you can’t cut down trees because people won’t be able to breathe, but at the same time you can drive away a hungry dog by shouting or even hitting him. Is it worth saying that such environmental education will be meaningless?

Ecology and life are concepts closely related to each other, so it is important to teach children who are just beginning to explore this unknown vast world, to hear and see with their souls, to realize that they are part of it.

Necessary Definitions

In order to properly use the possibilities of environmental education, it is necessary to understand its essence.

Until recently, nature was studied purely from a biological point of view. However, it has always been called the source of knowledge, since it represents a storehouse of opportunities for personal development. Teachers should take advantage of this, because the essence of environmental education is the ability to find harmony in everything that surrounds a person. Moreover, the education of morality is an integral part of getting to know the natural world, because in order to learn to feel and love miraculous creations, you need to have spiritual potential.

Consequently, the concept of environmental education includes a set of measures aimed at developing the child’s consciousness, developing habits that will be responsible for the individual’s behavior in everyday life and will become the basis of his harmonious worldview.

Consciousness is formed on the basis of knowledge and beliefs, and the idea of nature as the highest harmonious substance is formed in the process of observing the development of the surrounding world.

Correct environmental behavior is based on individual actions, as well as on the assessment of these actions by others and the individual himself.

Speaking about the essence of the teacher’s influence on the environmental development of the child, it is necessary to highlight 2 factors that are the main ones in this process.

1.Stepwise structure of cognition, which is based on the following points:

representation;
formation and development of consciousness and emotions;
beginning to use the acquired knowledge in practice;
instilling the skills of a proper relationship with nature;
eradication of consumer attitudes towards natural resources;
the duration of the process of developing a behavioral line;
spasmodic development of skills;
activity of pupils.

2. The significance of the psychological component of the education process, based on the following parts:

Consciousness;
Needs;
Motives;
Goals;
Will.

Goal setting and problem solving

The definition of environmental education implies setting a clear goal in the process of developing the necessary skills and abilities. It determines the formation of a caring attitude towards the world around us, based on the moral consciousness of the child. It is important to take into account that the concept of “nature” in the educational process includes the person himself, who is part of it. Consequently, environmental culture is part of a person’s general education.

Ecological culture is a complex, multifactorial concept that includes the following components:

Knowledge of the laws of natural life;
Compliance with rules that imply careful treatment of natural gifts;
Activities for the study of natural resources and their conservation;
Propaganda work.

The set goal is realized subject to a comprehensive solution to the problems of environmental education:

Educational, with the help of which students are provided with a system of knowledge about environmental problems and the possibilities of their resolution;
Educational, aimed at developing motivational habits of correct environmental behavior, the desire to lead a healthy lifestyle;
Developing, promoting the development of theoretical and practical skills and abilities, the ability to assess the state of the environmental situation in their region and the world.

In any case, ecology and life are the subject of study of upbringing and education, since the goals and objectives determine the knowledge and perception of objects in the surrounding reality.

The system of educational process of environmental development includes the following areas:

Political;
Scientific;
Legal;
Moral and aesthetic;
Worldview.

Each of these components determines the directions and forms of the teacher’s work.

Means of educational influence

To effectively develop the correct worldview in children, aimed at protecting natural resources, teachers use different forms and means of environmental education.

Each component in this system is designed to develop the comprehensive cognitive activity of children. These include independent research of popular science literature, game complexes, observation of natural phenomena, and others.

Methods of environmental education are selected taking into account the level of development and preparation for the perception of information of children. Let's consider several stages of work and criteria for choosing methodological tools.

The initial stage involves the selection of such forms and means of work that will help analyze and correct the information and motivation that children already have about the environmental problem. Using conversation methods, the teacher evokes an emotional response in students and forms a personal perception of the problem situation.

The next stage of cognition is based on methods that stimulate children’s independent activity. Discussions are very effective, they will summarize the experience gained and allow you to gain independent judgment skills.

The theoretical justification of the presented environmental problems requires the use of a lecture by a teacher who will provide scientifically proven facts of environmental problems at different levels: local, local, global.

Any cognitive activity requires the expression of a moral choice, with the help of which previously made decisions are generalized and the aesthetic needs of children are developed. In this case, methods need to be selected based on creative media: fine arts, fiction, cinema, etc.

Games, including role-playing, will provide psychological preparation for the correct guidelines in the field of environmental problems.

There are a large number of universal methods that can be used at all stages of working with children. Let's list some of them:

Observation, analysis, reflection of objects of living and inanimate nature;
Experiments and experiments;
Labor activity based on the skills of caring for flowers, living areas, etc.;
Educational and propaganda activities, including lectures, debates, events, weeks of environmental promotion;
Excursions, expeditions, experiments.

The leading methods of the education process included encouragement, control and punishment. In this case, the punishment is humane and does not humiliate the personal dignity of the student.

The importance of choosing the right methods is difficult to overestimate. After all, the formation of an environmentally literate and educated personality depends on their effectiveness.

Family values

A child should understand how ecology and life are connected from a very early age. And since his life path originates in the family, parents bear great responsibility for the formation and development of all the personal qualities of their offspring.

What a good attitude towards nature is, what actions are not permissible to perform in relation to all living things, the baby learns in the process of observing the actions of the people closest to him.

Each piece of paper thrown past the ballot box by the mother, or the contemptuous attitude towards the stray animals of the father will firmly enter the child’s consciousness as an algorithm of actions that he will certainly repeat in the future.

The authority of parents is so unquestionable in the eyes of children that they do not need additional lectures or stories about correct behavior. Therefore, adults should not be surprised why, in adolescence, their children show aggression towards animals, do not clean up garbage after themselves in the forest, and do not understand at all why they need to save water.

The example of parents is the main, determining method of family environmental education.

For parents of preschool children

Any educational impact is based on contact between the teacher and the student. Young children need clear guidance from adults as they are just beginning to come into contact with the amazing world of nature. Parents can use the following means of instilling a humane attitude towards the riches of nature:

Walking is a great way to observe natural life. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to go on long hikes, because there are many interesting things near the house that will tell you about the life of nature.
Communicate with your baby, paying attention to everything that surrounds him: how the flowers smell and the leaves sway, how wet the grass and the kitten’s fur feel to the touch. From these small but very important details begins the knowledge of natural wonders.
Name every object and phenomenon that you encounter during your daily walks. You can use literary poems, folk songs and sayings. With their help, the child will not only learn the necessary names, but also expand his vocabulary.
Take care of flowers. The ideal solution would be to plant a plant together with your baby, regularly caring for it and watching its growth. The first independent discovery will be an important step in the moral development of the baby, because it will prove that all living things need care, love and care.
Make crafts using natural materials. In parallel with the development of fine motor skills, you will teach your child to use “recycled” raw materials in the form of dry leaves, sticks and cones to create “masterpieces” of art.
Read works of fiction devoted to the topic of ecology and the protection of natural resources. Discuss the actions of the characters, transfer their actions into your everyday life and analyze similar situations.

Ecological development of schoolchildren

During school years, when the main activity of children is intellectual knowledge, environmental education is built on the basis of educational activities. It is important to develop the following skills:

Formation of skills in design and creative activities;
Developing the right position towards the use of natural resources;
Acquiring the necessary knowledge about a healthy lifestyle;
Discussion skills training.

During the period of study at school, the source of environmental education is training sessions, electives and interest groups. The priority areas of activity are research and labor activity. On their basis, the professional orientation of students is formed.

Like any educational influence, environmental development at different age stages has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account. Individual and psychological differences in children also influence the choice of means to achieve their goals and objectives.

Using these recommendations, you can help your child enter the wonderful world of nature, acquire harmony, and learn to appreciate all its resources. Children who have received the right environmental education are able to create a society that can prevent future global changes in the world ecology. They will be able to enjoy the beauty of nature’s creations and contribute to its development.

The upbringing of a new generation of people capable of preserving and increasing natural resources depends only on the correct integrated influence of educational institutions and the family.

WORK ON FORMING AN ECOLOGICAL CULTURE IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

So, from about 4–5 years old, children are ready for a conscious perception of environmental principles. How can we, as parents, contribute to this?

Children's thinking at this stage still remains objective and visual. Therefore, when building your own methodology of environmental education, it is necessary to include the following important forms of work.

Trips to nature (to the forest, to a meadow, to a river beach), during which the child will not only observe the life of plants and animals, but will learn to appreciate the beauty of nature, from the example of his parents he will learn to take care of it, and will be able to learn a lot of new things from adults .
Work on the site (in the vegetable garden, orchard, at the dacha), when a preschooler learns creative activity, can evaluate the result of this work, and forms an understanding of how important it is to take care of the surrounding nature.
Caring for living pets (cat, dog, parrot, fish), which instills in the child love for our smaller brothers, teaches responsibility towards them and compassion.
Caring for indoor plants, giving you the opportunity to observe their growth and development, learn the patterns of vegetation and understand your own role in this.
Family environmental events (clean-up work, planting trees, creating flower beds, hanging feeders), instilling hard work and a caring attitude towards the environment.
Nature calendars or observation diaries, where the baby, together with his parents, will enter data about changes in nature that occur throughout the year.

At the same time, the role of parents in the formation of a child’s environmental culture comes down not only to the role of mentors who set an example. During such work, adults teach children important things:

humane interaction with the outside world, environmental activities;
the ability to analyze observed processes;
deduce patterns of natural development, draw conclusions;
make basic predictions about the consequences of certain human actions.

Advice
Arrange environmental exhibitions at home, where the child’s independent work or joint work with parents will be presented (crafts made from natural materials, thematic drawings made by the child personally or together with parents). They can be organized, for example, for such environmental holidays as:
Spring Day (March 1);
Earth Day (March 20);
Vernal Equinox Day (March 20);
Bird Day (April 1);
World Sun Day (May 3).

Or for national holidays:

Ivan Kupala;
Elijah's day;
Fedorin's day, etc.

Such exhibitions will increase the child’s interest in environmental issues and help appreciate the beauty of nature. And if you also introduce your child to these holidays and folk beliefs, you will significantly enrich his horizons. This is a very useful educational element both for younger preschoolers (then the emphasis will be on creativity together with you) and for older ones (more independence).

Raising an ecological culture for children of senior preschool age

Ecological culture is defined as the degree of children's perception of the environment. Eco-culture also includes the child’s belonging to this world, the child’s assessment of himself in wildlife, in the world.

Now that there is a global environmental crisis, familiarization with nature and the surrounding world must begin in childhood. And it turns out that environmental culture among preschoolers is simply necessary in the current situation in the world.

Environmental literacy of children is as follows. Children should perceive themselves as part of the universe. They must understand that man and nature are interconnected. Man cannot live and exist without nature. Human communication with nature is very valuable, and children should know this. Nature also depends on how people take care of it. Everyone should learn to preserve nature. Children should not only know, but also want to take care of nature. If necessary, children should be able to care for living objects. Every preschooler needs to develop basic environmental protection skills. Preschoolers can learn to anticipate the consequences and results of their actions in nature.

It is useful for students to explain what the environmental problem is. Talk about how people often thoughtlessly pollute the environment. Wrong and thoughtless actions can cause irreparable harm to the entire planet Earth. Children should know about this. Children's ideas about the factors of pollution will help them understand the harm of such incorrect behavior. The preschool educational institution is designed to educate a thrifty person of the future.

Features of the environmental development of older preschoolers and the formation of a correct attitude towards nature will have a beneficial effect on the comprehensive development of the child’s personality. After all, the formation of an ecological culture will give moral and aesthetic satisfaction along with other qualities.

A few words about the criteria for environmental education of older preschoolers

The criteria for environmental education include the following components:

Value-motivational . Here we are talking about children understanding the full value of nature. An important motive for showing interest and gaining knowledge about environmental problems in the world.
The cognitive component includes the presence of ideas and knowledge that are conscious and reliable on the problem under consideration.
The emotional-sensory component reveals feelings of responsibility. Children want to take care of nature. It is also important to show positive emotions towards others.
The practical activity component is characterized by the presence of practical skills in caring for nature.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE CONCEPT OF “ECOLOGY”?

We proceed from the fact that ecology is the science of the interaction of all links in nature and the influence of human activity on it. Then environmental education is, first of all, the formation in a child of a positive perception of the environment as a whole, his conviction that it is necessary to treat nature with care, using its resources wisely.

The concept of environmental education in preschool age includes:

moral education (instilling a compassionate attitude towards the natural world around us);
spiritual development (explanation of such concepts as the uniqueness of the ecosystem of our planet, the interconnection of all life on it, the creative role of man);
nurturing a sense of beauty - understanding the value of the beauty of native nature;
more intellectual development – the formation in the child’s mind of an integral system of environmental knowledge;
formation in the child of an ecological worldview and a desire to protect nature and help it.

It is clear that to solve all these problems, the knowledge acquired by a child in a preschool institution will not be enough: the conceptual chain should begin with the family, because it is here that the child draws his first concepts about the structure of the world, the role of man in society, nature, behavioral stereotypes, etc. .

Of course, a child can think, build the first hypotheses, draw conclusions, compare facts, conduct some experiments and gain practical personal experience from about the age of 4 or 5. At the same time, children begin to actively develop an interest in nature, an emotional perception of reality, and an appreciation of reality. attitude towards the actions of others. Therefore, environmental education of preschoolers at this time will be most effective. But this does not mean at all that until this age the baby should remain in an “ecological vacuum.” Children from birth until middle school age learn from the examples of adults. Therefore, it is important that they constantly see correct environmental behavior in front of them and learn to understand and accept the following facts.

All living beings in nature (and humans too) are interconnected: they all need each other for something and depend on each other.
Plants and animals are alive, they can also be hurt, and the destruction of at least one species of plants or animals will lead to a disruption in the biological chain.
You must not litter the environment; garbage should only be thrown into trash bins.
A person should help nature, not destroy plants, not kill animals, etc.
Nature is our common home, and what harms it harms humans.

It is important for us, adults, to constantly show children that people must protect natural resources and put a lot of work into preserving the beauty of forests, rivers, animals and plants.