Gavrilova, M.N.

Background. Despite the depth of theoretical analysis of play activity there is a lack of empirical data on the choice of toys by modern children. A toy is a means of constructing play and, therefore, can largely influence its key characteristics.

Objectives. The study is a continuation of an earlier series of works aimed at experimentally clarifying children’s toy preferences and the relationship of these preferences to individual developmental performance.

Study Participants. 202 children aged 4-5 years were participants in the study. Previously published data obtained on a sample of 3–4-year-old children were used to analyze the age dynamics in toy preference.

Methods. The study used an experimental design with a multiple-choice forcedchoice method. Diagnostics of children’s mental development included assessment of the main components of regulatory functions and the ability to understand emotions and was performed using instruments standardised on a Russian sample.

Results. It was shown that children prefer highly realistic and detailed toys. In particular, such factors as the toy being detailed, the possibility of its use in playing through familiar plots, the adequacy of role-playing actions with it and the possibility to endow it with human features proved to be fundamentally important for children.

Conclusions. From the distribution of choices in experimental trials and children’s verbal explanations, it can be confidently concluded that play activity is based on the laws described in the works of Vygotsky, Elkonin, and Smirnova. It is also shown that children who choose the most realistic toys have better verbal working memory, but have a weaker ability in cognitive flexibility. According to the obtained data, as children grow older, they tend to choose less anthropomorphic toys.

Background. Modern psychology of parenting offers various phenomena for study, including parental relations, parental attitudes, and parenting practices. The study of parental attitudes enables us to describe the cognitive aspect of the family environment in which the child develops. Previous studies have found a significant association between parental attitudes and the cognitive and socio-emotional development of children. However, their results are ambiguous and require further clarification.

Objectives. The aim of this study is to analyze the connection between parental attitudes regarding the necessity of structuring the environment or supporting the child’s spontaneous activity, and the indicators of the child’s cognitive and socio-emotional development. In addition, the study examines the presence of confrontation between parents regarding the characteristics of upbringing and fostering.

Methods. We developed three groups of statements to identify parental attitudes: 1) statements about the organization of the child’s life; 2) statements about the role of play activities; 3) statements about confrontational attitudes within the family. Indicators of children’s cognitive development were identified using J. Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices and subtests of the NEPSY-II method. Social-emotional features were identified with the “Test for Understanding Emotions”.

Results. Most parents consider a structured environment to be more important for the well-being of their child. In addition, research has shown that attitudes towards the positive impact of a structured environment are a strong predictor of a child’s nonverbal intelligence. Similarly, attitudes towards the importance of spontaneous activity are predictors of auditory-verbal memory and the ability to switch tasks efficiently. Parental attitudes did not show any associations with the socio-emotional development of children.

Conclusions. Parental attitudes play a significant role in child development. The belief in the need to structure the child’s environment may have positive effects on the child’s cognitive development. However, it does not affect social-emotional development. On the other hand, the belief in the need for spontaneous activity is more likely to be associated with lower levels of executive functioning in the child.

Background. Executive functions are one of the factors that contribute to the balanced development of children and their success in the future. In this regard, the study of factors that may influence the development of executive functions is an urgent task. The study examines the role of the kindergarten attendance duration in the development of working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibition as components of executive functions in preschool children.

Methods. The NEPSY–II battery subtests were used to test the level of development of regulatory functions. Data on the period of children’s kindergarten attendance were collected according to preschool attendance journal.

Sample. The study involved 947 children aged 53 to 86 months (Mage = 70.3; SDage = 4.3), 515 boys and 495 girls from Moscow, Kazan, and Sochi.

Results. As a result of comparison of averages using Welch’s criterion, significant differences were found in the development of regulatory functions in children with different periods of kindergarten attendance. The level of visual and verbal working memory development was significantly higher in children who attended kindergarten for more than two years as compared to children with shorter time of attendance. Physical inhibitory control is significantly lower in children who attend kindergarten for less than a year compared to those who attend kindergarten for longer periods of time. Significant differences were shown in the level of visual working memory development depending on the region and on the duration of attendance.

Conclusion. The study demonstrated significant differences in the level of visual working memory, verbal working memory, and physical inhibitory control in children depending on the duration of kindergarten attendance. The highest scores were found in preschoolers attending kindergarten for more than two years. Thus, the results of the study emphasize the importance of kindergarten educational environment for successful cognitive development of preschoolers.

Relevance. There is growing interest in the market for educational applications in Russia. A significant number of these are aimed at preschoolers. Although much is known about the key features of preschoolers learning ( due to the cultural-historical approach as well ), there is still little research analyzing whether these features are taken into account in the design and methodology of mobile applications available on the market.

Objective. To analyze math apps for preschoolers from the standpoint of cultural-historical theory. 

Design. We went to Google Play and AppStore with the query “mathematics for preschoolers” and selected four apps that are most popular among users and recommended by experts. We analyzed them according to the following criteria: (1) adult engagement, (2) quality of the child’s interactions with the application content, (3) types of content, (4) forms of material presentation and the correspondence of the method of number concept formation to the preschool age specifics, (5) the quality of mathematical content, that ensures the principle of continuity with the primary school curriculum. 

Results. None of the apps was based on developmental learning methodology, and none used opportunities for involving an adult in a dialogue and joint activities with a child. Not all the apps considered the characteristics of the age group in their design of content and the child's interactions with the app. Only one of the apps provides continuity with the primary school curriculum. 

Conclusions. Scientific knowledge and practical achievements in the field of mathematical education for preschoolers are not always reflected even in the most popular programs. Our analysis allows to draw the attention of parents, teachers, and developers to important design elements that could make an app really educational for preschool children. 

Background. The developmental potential of play in the context of mental development of preschool children is recognized by almost all specialists in the field. However, the lack of common understanding of play and the variety of proposed classifications of play types make them currently poorly comparable, complicating significantly further clarification of scientific data on the influence of specific aspects of play activity on the indicators of children's development.

Objective. The study was aimed at examining the preferences of preschool children in different age groups when choosing between role play toys and play figures, as well as the potential impact of the preferred type of play on the development of executive functions.

Study Participants. The study involved 180 children aged 4 to 7 years (M = 5.96 years; SD = 0.69).

Methods. Toy preferences for role-playing or directing play were revealed in an experimental paradigm using the forced-choice experimental paradigm. Executive functions were assessed with a set of neuropsychological tests.

Results. It was shown that 4-5-year-old children were significantly more likely to choose role play toys, and 6-7-year-old children chose to play figures. When controlling for gender and age, preference for play figures was significantly associated with higher visual-spatial working memory scores.

Conclusions. The developmental potential of directing play with figures can be seen as higher for the development of visual-spatial working memory as compared to the potential of the role-play.