Last week in the kindergarten where my daughter (she is now 3,5 years old) goes, I had a meeting with the teacher and director, dedicated to summing up the results of the year. Some questions from educators (as well as questions from other parents of my daughter’s classmates that I regularly hear) made me take a closer look at my daughter’s development process and share my findings with everyone interested.
Throughout the school year, according to teachers, my daughter demonstrates the ability to deductively think, and in most cases she pleasantly surprises both educators and parents of other children. A few days ago, I was asked what I did and still do to develop my daughter’s logic.
The main recommendations on how to develop logic and deductive thinking in most articles on this topic are as follows:
- Solve problems (the more the better).
- Expand horizons.
- Show meticulousness.
- Develop flexibility of mind.
- Be observant.
MY PRACTICAL ADVICE on the development of the logic of a child up to 3 years.
1. Invite the child to perform exercises to search for an extra object in the group and tasks for matching.
How do I: in the work “Project Dynasty” I recommended a series of books “Development”, a new methodology for the development of preschoolers by E. Zemtsova. I started using this series when my daughter was about one and a half years old, despite the fact that, according to the publisher, the books are aimed at children from 3 years old.
I didn’t pay special attention to any specific tasks from the Razvitayka books, but at the same time, I think that my daughter was always very interested in exercises to find an extra object in a group and tasks for matching. At the initial stage, I explained in detail to my daughter every connection between objects or the absence of such a connection.
I did the task of finding an extra object and comparing with my daughter not only according to the exercises in the books (the daughter very quickly remembered all the correct answers in the books), but I asked my daughter similar tasks, playing with her dolls and Lego. At the initial stage, these were the simplest and most obvious combinations (for example, 3 flowers and 1 car, you need to name an extra item), gradually the tasks became more complicated (an extra item in size, color, shape, purpose, method of use, and so on).
2. Draw the child’s attention to small details (objects / events / people) and explain that an event (the result of an event, for example, broken tiles on the kitchen floor) can have several reasons. And several ways to eliminate or develop it (if elimination or further development is necessary).
How do I: on the street, in any queues, in public transport in order to distract my daughter from something (switch from tears) and to occupy her with something interesting, I specially attracted and attract her
attention to various little things (road signs, broken windows, flat car tires, cracks in the pavement).
I am convinced that any subject can become a topic for conversation.
When my daughter was 1,5 years old, to attract her attention, I used the exclamations “Wow!”, “Just look!”, “Wow!”, “Suddenly!” and others. Now it is enough for me to say “Look soon!”.
After I direct my daughter’s attention to the right subject, I ask her a few questions,
What do you think / What do you say?
- why is that? (cause of the event / result of the event),
- why so / why so (for what purpose was it done / accidentally / intentionally?)
- and what actions will follow (what needs to be done)?
- what would be better and why?
- What should not be done and why?
Similarly, my daughter and I play with dolls and cars: I talk about any event in the puppet “world” with my daughter.
Now the daughter is able to list up to 7 different reasons for the event and offer several options for responding.
3. Explain to the child the importance of the correct sequence of actions and the consequences of what happens if the sequence is broken. Talk about why there is a specific sequence of actions for a particular case.
How do I: I draw my daughter’s attention to the fact that in any business (or in most cases) the exact sequence of actions is important. For example, when making soup, due to the fact that the cooking time of different ingredients is different, they are put into boiling water in a certain order.
GAME EXAMPLE:
An unconscious man and accompanying persons were taken to the hospital by ambulance. He is diagnosed with certain symptoms (broken head, blood, broken leg).
How should a doctor act? What questions will he ask the paramedics? What tests will he offer to do to find the cause of the condition? Do I need to do something emergency (resuscitation)?
What to pay attention to the child: the same symptoms are characteristic of many diseases. To prescribe the right treatment, you need to find the exact cause of the disease. To do this, you need to find that exceptional symptom that is characteristic only of this disease (I took this idea from the TV series House M.D.).
The doctor’s task: to make a complete picture of the event, to find out as much as possible about the patient’s condition. And choose the right sequence of actions.