3.22. METHODS AND MEANS OF MORAL EDUCATION OF CHILDREN OF PRESCHOOL AGE

The moral education of children of preschool age is carried out using certain methods and means. Methods of moral education are methods of pedagogical influence, by means of which the personality of the child is formed in accordance with the goals and objectives of moral education. V.G. Nechaeva identifies two groups of methods of moral education for preschoolers: 1) methods of organizing practical experience of social behavior; 2) methods for the formation of preschool children of moral ideas, judgments, evaluations. Both the first and the second group, the author considers the method of persuasion, a positive example, encouragement and punishment.

The classification proposed by V.I. Login, built on the same basis as that of VG Nechaeva, - to activate the mechanism of moral education, but it is somewhat better. The author proposes to combine all methods into three groups:

1) the methods of formation of moral behavior (schooling, exercise, showing actions that bring up situations, the example of adults, the management of activities);

2) methods of formation of moral consciousness (conviction in the form of clarification, suggestion, ethical conversation);

3) incentive methods (example, encouragement and punishment).

The behavior of the child, his moral manifestations must necessarily be subject to a positive assessment of the educator, since it not only stimulates the child’s moral activity, but also corrects his behavior, forms moral orientations, creates a joyful mood in the child, increases his status position in the peer group. Encouragement is applied in various forms: praise, approval, positive assessment, gratitude, rewarding, etc. The ways of expressing it are different: word, glance, gesture, mimicry, touch, smile, and others.

Negative assessment and punishment can not be used as a mandatory method of exposure. It is strictly forbidden for a teacher to use as punishment the deprivation of a child’s walking, eating, sleeping; apply physical punishment; as well as sharp negative assessments degrading the child.

The principles for the selection of methods of moral education are as follows: the conformity of the method to the goal and objectives of education; humane nature of the method; the reality of the method; selectivity of method selection; tact of applying the method; tolerance (patience and tolerance) of the teacher when using the method; the prevailing practical orientation of the method in the moral education of preschoolers. An effective result in the moral upbringing of a child can only be with the skillful, competent use by the teacher of all the methods of moral education not in isolation, but in combination, in conjunction.

Moral education is carried out with the help of certain means, among which it is necessary to specify: artistic means; nature; children's own activities; communication; care for animals and plants, the environment.

The group of artistic means includes: fiction, ethical conversations with children, visual arts, music, cinema, etc. This group of means is very important in solving the problems of moral education, since is most effective in the formation of children's moral ideas and education of feelings.

A means of moral education for preschoolers is nature. It is capable of generating humane feelings in children, a desire to care for those who are weaker, need help, protect them, and contribute to the formation of a child’s self-confidence.

An effective tool is to communicate the child with pets. Interaction with pets as well as possible helps to remove aggression and to form such moral qualities as humanity, kindness, generosity, responsiveness, responsibility. Constant practice of caring for animals and daily interaction with them make children kinder, more attentive, accustomed to a sense of responsibility for the fate of a living being.

The means of moral education of preschoolers is the children's own activity, play, work, teaching, and artistic activity. Each activity has its own specifics, performing the function of a means of education. A special place in this group of funds is given to communication. It as a means of moral education best performs the task of adjusting ideas about morality and the education of feelings and attitudes.

The atmosphere in which the child lives can be a means of moral education: the atmosphere can be imbued with goodwill, love, humanity.

Thus, the preschool age is extremely important in the moral development of the child's personality. The integrated use of methods and means of moral education will help the teacher to successfully solve the problems of moral education and development of each child.