Development of sustained attention in preschool children. The concept and methods of developing attention in preschool children. Is diagnostics required?

Attention is the direction and concentration of mental activity on something specific. Direction is the selection from the environment of specific objects and phenomena that are significant for the subject. Concentration - deepening into activity.

Properties of attention:

Concentration of attention determines how strongly and intensely a child can focus on an object, as well as how much he is able to resist distracting circumstances and random interference. Most often, the power of concentration in preschoolers is small; it is important to develop it.

The volume of attention - this property depends on the number of objects that the child can simultaneously perceive and “grasp” with equal clarity.

Switching attention is determined by the speed of the child’s deliberate transition from one object or activity to another. At the same time, the transfer of attention is always accompanied by some nervous tension, which is realized by volitional effort.

Distribution of attention involves its dispersal at the same time over several objects. It is this property that makes it possible to perform several actions at once, keeping them in the field of attention. At preschool age, switching and distribution of attention are poorly developed and require training

The expansion of attention span means that a child of senior preschool age can perceive more than one object, more than one picture. He can carefully examine two, even three objects in succession and perceive each of them quite clearly. The result improves if the teacher uses the technique of comparison to highlight similar and different things in objects.

The stability of attention increases with age. This is manifested, for example, in the increasing duration of children's games. The duration of play for one-year-old children is 14.5 minutes, for three-year-olds this time increases to 27 minutes; Five- and six-year-old children can maintain sustained attention for 96-100 minutes.

In preschool age, the rudiments of voluntary attention appear, but involuntary attention still remains predominant. Involuntary attention is characterized by the fact that the child is guided by transient interests, his attention, depending on the feeling of displeasure or pleasure, is focused on one thing or another. It is difficult for children to concentrate on monotonous and unattractive activities, but emotionally charged situations help maintain attention.

By the end of preschool age, the preschooler has the ability to control his attention. First, the surrounding people, using a number of stimuli and means, direct the child’s attention, control his attention, and thus give the child the means with which he subsequently masters his own attention. The most accessible means of controlling attention that is used is a gesture (pointing with a finger). The next means is the word, which accompanies the gesture in the first stages. More complex means that a child masters after three years are conventional signs (color, shape, geometric shapes), which indicate an object that requires attention. At the end of preschool age, children can learn signs-symbols, which encode information about the desired object, which are generally accepted standards that control attention (traffic lights, entrance and exit signs, road signs, etc.). The transition or ingrowth of these signs into the internal mental plane raises the child to the next stage of development - the appearance of elements of voluntary attention, which still uses auxiliary signs and means.

Voluntary attention develops in the process of mastering different types of activities. Any activity is subject to general laws. The child learns these laws or rules and begins to obey them. They control the child’s behavior and attention. Performing actions in a certain sequence, in the required way, taking into account the provided rules, the child consciously controls his attention, keeps it on the necessary objects and actions, and transfers it to others in accordance with the requirements. These are the elements of voluntary attention. A child who is able to manage his attention in simple activities can master the more difficult demands of educational activities. Such laws include elements common to all types of activities: goal, plan, actions, control, evaluation of results. Therefore, when teaching any activity, it is necessary to teach the child these elements. It is they who control the child’s attention in the process of any activity, but in each activity these elements have their own special content.

They allocate external attention to objects and phenomena of the surrounding world, to the actions of other people. The manifestation of this type of orientation and concentration of the psyche can be noticed already in an infant. Searching eye movements, turning the head towards a light source, smell or sound, freezing - such behavioral reactions allow you to highlight objects that interest the baby, as well as record the manifestation of his attention.

In a preschooler, one can also observe the manifestation of internal attention, which is aimed at his own thoughts and experiences. The most striking example of this is the situation when a child, having abandoned all his affairs, freezes with a distant look. Such detachment should not be mistaken for absent-mindedness. On the contrary, it is the culmination of internal attention. What became its object, only the child himself knows about it, having gone into the world of his thoughts, fantasies, and experiences.

An important principle for the development of attention is the requirement for organizing the child’s activities. Attention is maintained when the preschooler is active in relation to the subject, examines it, discovering more and more new content in it. At the same time, the adult demands that the work started be completed, and creates in the children an attitude towards obtaining a high-quality result. Remembering the difficulties of switching attention, the teacher prepares the child for a change in activity, warning him about this in advance: “Play a little more. Soon we will wash our hands and have dinner."

Deviations of attention from the norm are manifested in the following features: dispersion, absent-mindedness, instability, narrowness of attention - these are indicators of insufficient development of such properties of attention as concentration, switching, stability, distribution and volume. The most important features of attention deviation are indicators of the level of attention development, which manifests itself in the characteristics of involuntary and voluntary attention.

Involuntary attention shows the presence of indicative reactions of the child to stimuli of an external and internal nature, that is, the presence of the child’s cognitive activity. And voluntary attention shows the child’s presence of mechanisms for self-regulation of behavior in various types of activities and is an indicator of the child’s readiness to study at school.

The following reasons for attention impairment are identified: 1) congenital features of the nervous system, 2) impaired speech functions, 3) defects in the intellectual sphere, 4) pedagogical errors in education, 5) organization of the conditions of perception.

Boys and girls have the same degree of stability of attention; the differences between junior schoolchildren of different sexes are in the level of different properties of attention. Boys and girls of primary school age differ in their level of productivity and attention span. At the same time, the level of productivity of attention is higher in girls, and the level of switching attention is higher in boys. Boys have a longer attention span than girls. The level of active concentration of attention among younger schoolchildren of different genders has significant differences. Thus, it turned out that in girls this feature of attention is developed to a greater extent than in boys. Boys and girls have the same degree of stability of attention; the differences between junior schoolchildren of different sexes are in the level of different properties of attention. Boys and girls of primary school age differ in their level of productivity and attention span. At the same time, the level of productivity of attention is higher in girls, and the level of switching attention is higher in boys. Boys have a longer attention span than girls. The level of active concentration of attention among younger schoolchildren of different genders has significant differences. Thus, it turned out that in girls this feature of attention is developed to a greater extent than in boys.

One of the key skills that a child must master before starting school is the development of attention. A child will be taught to read, write and count at school, but every child should be able to concentrate by the time he or she starts school. Because a first-grader’s lack of attention can create many difficulties and problems for the student and his parents. Therefore, adults should ask themselves in advance the question “How to develop attention in preschoolers?”

Stages of attention development in children

The development of attention in children begins with the emergence of so-called “involuntary attention,” that is, attention that arises in the baby by itself and does not require any effort from either the child or the parent.

In young children, this type of attention predominates; thanks to it, children remember what is most bright, colorful and emotional. But this type of attention is very selective, the child focuses only on what seems interesting to him and as long as he is interested in it, it becomes completely unclear to parents how to keep the attention of the future schoolchild.

Later, in the process of play, communication and learning, the child begins to form voluntary attention, that is, attention, the emergence of which requires effort on the part of the child, because he is required to do not only what he likes, but what is necessary. In this regard, in the formation of voluntary attention in a child it is impossible to do without the participation of adult mentors. Special activities, games and tasks will help develop voluntary attention in a child.

Attention exercises for preschoolers

To develop attention in children of senior preschool age, there are a huge number of methods and tasks, most of them are very simple and any parent can use them, training their child in a playful way.

Don’t forget that the main thing in such developmental activities is to interest the child. To do this, follow simple rules: children love when information is presented in a visual form, when mom or dad are interested in the game themselves - they are sincerely surprised, happy, and interested. We must not forget that the instructions for the task for the child must be accurate, step-by-step and comprehensive.

You can start with the following simple tasks:

“Look at the objects and try to remember them, now turn away and name the objects you just saw. What color are they? What size? What shape do they have?
“Close your eyes, listen. Now name all the sounds you hear in turn.”
“Count how many steps there are on the stairs”
“Count how many doors there are in the neighboring house”
“Try to remember what your friends wore in kindergarten, and tell me in the evening.”
Every day when you pass by your house, remember what has changed in the yard and note new details that you had not paid attention to before.

The parent can come up with such tasks on their own, thereby turning any walk or trip to the store into an exciting game.

Educational games to develop the attention of preschoolers

Game "I remember everything"

This game will require three or more people. Its essence is to remember as many words as possible in a certain sequence. First, you need to choose a topic that will combine words, for example, the topic is fruit. Next, we appoint a judge who will write down the words in order on a piece of paper and monitor the correctness of the answers. We start the game, the dialogue should take place something like this:

“Apple,” says the first participant.

“Apple, pear,” says the second, and the judge writes it down.

Apple, pear, peach,” says the first player again.

At first it is very easy to correctly name all the names, but when their number goes beyond ten, the game takes on its true meaning. The one who makes a mistake is eliminated from the game, the rest continue until there is only one winner left.

Game "animals"

It is best to play this game with a small group of children. If there are older children in the house, it will be much more fun for the younger child to complete tasks with them. You will need music and one presenter, preferably an adult.

We turn on the music, Prokofiev’s “March” works well, the children walk in a circle to the music. The presenter announces “horses!”, the children begin to gallop, pretending to be horses, the presenter changes the task and says “birds”, the children wave their hands and show birds, the presenter says “stork”, the children stand on one leg like storks, etc.

The game perfectly stimulates attention and teaches you to quickly and accurately respond to sounds.

Game "four elements"

Players sit in a circle and choose a leader. The rules are as follows: when the leader says the word “water” - the players must stretch their arms forward, on the word “earth” - lower their hands down, “air” - everyone raises their hands up, “fire” - the players make circular rotations with their hands. The one who makes the first mistake loses.

This game develops attention, which coordinates the auditory and motor analyzers.

Game "Find the house"

You will need a drawing depicting seven different animals. We explain to the child that each little animal is in a hurry to go home, special lines connect the animals with their houses. The child needs, without the help of a pencil, to trace along the lines where whose house is.

Attentiveness test “Find the differences”

At school, the child will need to not only listen carefully to what the teacher says, but also carefully analyze the information received. The good old “spot the differences” pictures, known to all parents since childhood, will help develop these skills. Invite your child to carefully look at two seemingly identical pictures and find as many differences as possible in them.

As we see, the development of attention in preschoolers takes place in a fun playful way; every parent can easily complete these tasks with their children and achieve good results.

Irina Lozitskaya, family psychologist

It has its own stages of development.

Development of attention in infancy and early childhood

The prerequisites for the manifestation of attention and the first reactions to stimuli in a child are observed immediately after birth. He flinches at the sharp sound, turns away from the too bright light. Already in the first month of life, the baby exhibits an indicative reflex “what is this?”, which makes it possible to identify objects and their signs based on a cognitive attitude towards them.

An elementary manifestation of attention is the concentration reaction, when the baby seems to set his analyzer so as to better perceive the signal. At 2-3 weeks of life, auditory concentration appears when there is a loud sound, when the newborn becomes silent and stops moving. At 3-4 weeks of life, the child’s gaze is visually focused on the adult’s face and auditory when he speaks. He does not understand what is being said to him, but he listens. Thus, the prerequisites are created for the transition to active wakefulness. At the end of 1 month of life, the child focuses on new, fairly strong stimuli, for example, fixes his gaze on an unusual object.

The adult becomes the most significant irritant for the baby. At 2-3 months, the child focuses for a long time on the mother’s face, and then on objects included in the context of communication and joint activities with an adult. The development of attention is associated with the development of grasping, holding and manipulating objects. After 6 months the reflex “what is it?” transforms into the reflex “what can be done about this?” The child records not only the object, but its signs of action with it. Orientative research activity and the ability to understand the world around us are born.

At the end of the year, based on manipulation with objects, a distribution of attention arises when the child acts simultaneously with two objects; switching is improved, for example, the baby puts balls in a box, shifting the focus of attention from one ball to another.

IN early childhood the development of attention occurs during the development of walking, objective activity and speech. Moving in space, expanding the baby's circle of attention, opens up new opportunities for him: now he himself chooses the object to which he directs his attention. Mastering the purpose and functions of objects and improving actions with them allows, on the one hand, to direct attention to a larger number of sides and features in objects, and on the other, to improve the properties of attention itself (distribution, switching).

By mastering speech, the baby learns to maintain attention not only on objects. But also in words, phrases; begins to respond to an adult’s instruction if it is formulated briefly and points to actions or objects familiar to the child: “Bring the ball,” “Take a spoon.” The baby can listen to a short request to the end and perform an action in accordance with it.

When comprehending speech, the child’s attention to the word and its meaning increases. Now the child, without visual support, listens carefully to short poems, fairy tales, songs, if they are accompanied by expressive speech and facial expressions of the narrator. The development of speech entails the appearance of elements of voluntary attention. The word acts as a means of organizing attention.

The child is able to perform interesting activities for 8-10 minutes, but he experiences serious difficulties in switching and distributing attention.

The child is often so immersed in work that he does not hear the words of the adult. For example, while drawing, he does not notice that he has knocked over a jar of paint and does not respond to an adult’s instructions to pick it up. In addition, the child’s attention is very weakly fixed on an object or activity, it is unstable, as if to say “flutters” on the surface. Therefore, the child quickly stops what he started. A kid, who was enthusiastically playing with a doll, sees a car from his peer - and the doll is forgotten. The ability to concentrate attention is also expressed in the fact that the child fixes insignificant, but the most striking signs of objects. As soon as their novelty disappears, their emotional appeal is lost, and attention to them fades away.

Development of attention in preschool age

In preschool age, changes concern all types and properties of attention. In general, the child becomes more focused, he has the ability to distribute attention between different objects and switch from one complex object to another. The main line of development of attention in preschool age is associated with the fact that children increasingly begin to control their attention and consciously direct it to certain objects and phenomena.

Junior preschool age. A child’s attention in early preschool age is involuntary and extremely unstable. It is largely connected with the child’s interests in relation to surrounding objects and the actions performed with them. The child is focused on the subject until interest wanes. So, he looks at a plot picture that is interesting to him for 8 seconds, and, as a rule, the child is able to engage in the most exciting activity for no more than 10-15 minutes. Many children cannot concentrate for more than 5 minutes.

Attention begins to be attracted to such stimuli that have a signaling value due to their direct connection with the satisfaction of the child’s needs, as well as objects associated with vivid and emotional experiences. The appearance of a new object causes a shift in attention. However, it is still difficult for a child to switch attention at the request of an adult. Also at this age, it is difficult for children to distribute their attention between several objects.

Middle preschool age . The stability of attention increases, which is expressed in: That most children can concentrate on some activity (sculpting, appliqué, drawing) within 15-20 minutes. Games can last up to 30 minutes. The attention span increases. In a play situation, a child can act with 2-3 objects, but outside of play this is rarely possible. The distribution of attention also increases, and this is due to the automation of many of the child’s actions. Increased stability of attention gives the child the opportunity to perform certain work, even uninteresting work, under the guidance of an adult. He may not be distracted if he understands that the task must be completed, despite the appearance of a more attractive activity.

An important indicator of the development of attention is that by the age of 5, action according to the rule appears in the child’s activities - the first necessary element of voluntary attention. It is at this age that children begin to actively play games with rules: both tabletop (lotto, children's dominoes) and mobile games (hide and seek, sorcerers).

Maintaining sustained attention is associated with the development of other cognitive processes and curiosity. The stability of attention depends on the nature of the current stimulus. To a greater extent, it manifests itself in play, when looking at pictures, listening to stories and fairy tales. Distraction gradually decreases, indicating increased resilience. In many ways, the development of attention is associated with the development of new types of activities (games, art, education, work), and also depends on the influence of adults.

Senior preschool age. Compared to younger preschoolers, attention span during this period increases approximately 2 times. Games can last more than an hour per lesson - 30 minutes. On average, a child can look at an interesting picture for about 10 minutes. Children can switch their attention from one complex object to another, and are able to distribute their attention between several objects (for example, their games involve many characters and toys).

In older preschool age, a transition occurs from involuntary attention to voluntary attention. This is due to the assimilation of means of controlling it. If at 3-5 years old the main means was external support (a pointing gesture, the word of an adult), then at 6-7 years old it was the speech of the child himself, which acquired a planning function.

Thus, the development of voluntary attention is closely related to: the development of speech; understanding the significance of the upcoming activity; awareness of its purpose; mastering norms and rules of behavior; with the formation of volitional action; with the ability to focus on activities that are intellectually meaningful to them.

In older preschoolers, elements of post-voluntary attention are also observed, when they themselves return to the activity that was previously the object of voluntary concentration, but interested in its content.

Ways and means of developing attention in preschool age

The development of children's attention is largely determined by the correct position of teachers, based on relevant psychological and pedagogical knowledge.

The following ways of forming the attention of children in preschool age can be distinguished:

1. Optimal organization of the daily routine. Compliance with a certain regime is the most important condition not only for the development of switching, concentration and other properties of children’s attention, but also for the organization of all their life activities. But at the same time, one should remember the flexibility of the approach to solving this problem. Sometimes a principled pedagogical position negatively affects the development of the child’s individuality.

2. Proper organization of the child’s activities, which assumes:

The use of emotionally rich material that will cause positive experiences in children and will help maintain involuntary attention;

Manifestation of activity in cognition of a subject (its study in order to identify new properties and qualities);

Bringing things started to completion;

Rational alternation of activities (for example, after physical education, when children are excited, it is not advisable to offer work that requires great concentration);

Moderate load (classes should not require maximum effort and energy from children (primarily this applies to physical education classes, since in subsequent classes children will be overexcited, and after some time fatigue will begin to affect, which naturally will not contribute to maintaining a stable attention even in interesting activities);

A ban on introducing three to five new components at once in one lesson;

Informing children in advance about the change in activity (“Play a little more. Soon we will wash our hands and have dinner”);

Use of game situations, etc.

3. Using external supports, pointing words and gestures, which teach the child to manage his attention and behavior. By pointing out the need for some action (“look”, “listen”, “touch”, etc.), the teacher helps the child learn an algorithm for concentrating on the desired subject (activity), which subsequently moves to the internal plane (i.e. . the child will give the appropriate commands to himself). An example of the use of external supports is the situation when sequential pictures of the dressing process are located in the dressing room. The child first performs the action and checks himself using the pictures. And then he becomes able to carry them out without support.

4. Incorporating games and exercises into the child’s mental and motor activity. Proper organization of various types of children's activities involves using their interests and desire to play. Thanks to the inclusion of a play element, the child will more actively develop switching, distribution, concentration and other properties of attention.

In general, the development of a preschooler’s attention depends on the position of adults. V.A. Sukhomlinsky figuratively pointed out that the child’s attention seems to be a “shy bird” that flies away from the nest as soon as you try to get closer to it. When you finally manage to catch the bird, you can only hold it in your hands or in a cage. Don't expect songs from a bird if it feels like a prisoner. So is the attention of a small child: if you hold it like a bird, then it is a bad helper.” Therefore, a more justified position is when the teacher not only takes into account the objectives of the educational process, but also strives to understand and penetrate the age-related and individual characteristics of the mental development of his pupils. Only in this case can one count on the optimal development of not only attention, but also all other mental processes.

Despite the fact that the development of attention in preschool children is... Prepare two boxes with an identical set of different buttons or...

How often do parents of first-graders complain that their child “counts crows” in class, gets distracted when doing homework, and can’t sit still for even a minute. And it’s not his fault at all! It was they, the parents, who needed to think about developing their child’s attention before school.

The great Russian teacher K.D. Ushinsky, pointing out the importance of instilling attention in children, compared it to a door into a child’s consciousness, which should always be open. This ability to focus on the desired object does not appear in the child on his own.

Concept of attention

Attention is a mental process during which selective selection of information entering through the senses occurs.

It has a number of properties.

Volume - characterized by the amount of information that a child can perceive. Place 10 objects or pictures in front of your baby and hide them under a piece of fabric. Then open them for 3 seconds and cover them again. Ask your little one to name them.
Concentration - shows how strongly the baby can concentrate on an object. Preschoolers need to develop it, because it is still very small. Try learning a rhyme or song with the TV on.
Resilience is the ability to maintain concentration for a long time. The activity of six-year-olds lasts only 10–15 minutes, after which they need to change the type of activity.
Switchability is a meaningful transition from one object or activity to another. Shifting concentration occurs consciously and requires volitional effort.
Distribution – the ability to perform several tasks at the same time.

Violation of each of the properties can lead to deviations in the cognitive activity of children.

However, it happens that the child’s absent-mindedness and inattention are caused by other reasons:

the presence of tiny adenoids in the nasopharynx, which interfere with nasal breathing, as a result of which there is a deficiency of oxygen in the brain;
overloads resulting from non-compliance with the regime, weekends “oversaturated” with sections and classes;
peculiarities of upbringing, when in the family the child is pampered with an abundance of entertainment, freed from responsibilities, and allowed to postpone the time of classes.

Parents should not demand attentiveness from a tired or sick child.

Involuntary attention

The attention of preschool children is involuntary, or unintentional. Its main feature is that it appears only when the baby is interested in an activity or subject. Visually, emotionally, unexpectedly - this is how a lesson with a child should be structured.

Voluntary attention

Closer to older preschool age, voluntary attention begins to form. It does not depend on unintentional development and is formed due to the influence of adults.

Voluntary attention develops in children when they need to consciously focus on an object or activity. Although willpower and self-discipline play a role here, it also depends on the interests and feelings of the child.

Post-voluntary attention

Post-voluntary attention in preschool children occurs at a time when volitional effort turns into interest and enthusiasm.

It is usually the most effective and lasts the longest, because the child does not strain or get tired. For example, a child wants to watch a cartoon, and adults ask him to help set the table. At first, the baby does this with an effort of will, following the instructions of his parents, then he gets carried away and there is no need to concentrate his attention, from voluntary it becomes post-voluntary.

Where does the development of attention begin?

Despite the fact that the attention of preschool children is passive, the child’s growing experience and knowledge of the world around him allows him to perform many actions automatically. In this regard, the distribution of attention is improved, when the child can operate with several objects without volitional effort.

Thematic material:

Under the guidance of parents, the child learns to concentrate on the lesson, even when he is not interested. Speech is an excellent tool for this. Children of older preschool age often recite instructions out loud when completing a task.

When giving instructions to your child, make sure that they are logical and understandable to the child. Try to engage him by highlighting the attractive aspects of the subject.

Teach children from childhood to notice unusual features of objects and phenomena. Increasing curiosity and improvement of thought processes allow a preschool child to better concentrate on a subject of interest.

The attention of 4-5 year old children is controlled by an adult using speech or gestures (“Be more careful!”, “Look at the bird!”). In older preschool age, children control their attention with the help of their speech. In this way they plan their activities and set their ultimate goal. This gives impetus to the development of voluntary attention.

In order for the development of voluntary attention in children to be successful, parents need to take into account some of its features.

The tasks must be systematically complicated; they should slightly exceed the knowledge and skills of the preschooler. If it is difficult for your child to complete it right away, create detailed step-by-step instructions. While considering the instructions, the baby will speak out loud the plan of actions to be performed.
Repeat instructions several times as necessary. Only then will the baby remember the algorithm of actions in his head and monitor their implementation.
Due to his age characteristics, the child is not able to control attention and often falls under the influence of various kinds of stimuli. Develop his ability to resist distractions.
Encourage your child to complete the action with praise, approval, and admiration for the future result.
Teach children to control themselves. Preschoolers love to compare their work with the work of other children. You can offer to test you on the task. Another incentive can be one of the features of child psychology - the desire to compete.
Don't slow down your children with constant comments. Words like “Don’t be distracted!”, “Don’t touch!”, “Don’t look!” will not put you in a working mood.

Everything is learned in the game

It is difficult to overestimate the role of play in the development of preschool children. Being the main activity of children, it teaches, develops useful skills, and introduces new actions. It has been proven that the duration of play for a six-year-old reaches an hour or more, while three-year-olds can be occupied for no more than 20-25 minutes. These features should be taken into account when organizing classes and choosing exercises.

"Look at me"

During the game, the child carefully examines his mother and turns away. Then he should answer the questions: “What am I wearing?”, “Are I wearing glasses?”, “What color is the scarf?” Then you can switch roles.

"Sharp Eye"

At home or on a walk, ask your child to look around and name all the objects according to some characteristic (find round, blue objects). For younger babies, choose simple features - shape, color, size. For children of older preschool age, you can complicate the criteria: find everything wooden and smooth.

"Fold the button"

During this game, attention and memory develop in preschool children. Prepare two boxes with an identical set of different buttons or small items and two pieces of paper, lined into squares. One of the players places 3 buttons on the cells and after a while covers them. The second participant’s task is to repeat the location of the buttons on his playing field. Depending on age characteristics, you can make the game more difficult and add objects and cells.

"Little proofreader"

An excellent game for developing voluntary attention. Prepare any text in large font. The child’s task is to cross out all the letters “i” that appear in it, for example. It would be great if a parent joins in and, when given a signal, works with the same text. After completing the task, you can check each other's texts. This way the educational effect of the game will be much higher.

When both the test and the task are easy for the little one, you can use cunning and make one or two mistakes. If it is difficult for your child to detect them, take your time with the hint. It is enough just to unobtrusively guide the baby with phrases like “I think I made a mistake,” “Maybe in this line,” etc., until the baby finds the mistake.

To complicate the game you can:

look for several letters;
mark them differently;
play to see who is faster.

Give in and you will see how the taste of victory will make your preschooler strive to improve his skills.

Note: Pay attention to the specifics of searching for a child. His gaze should not randomly search for the necessary letters, but move from left to right. If necessary, explain and show how to proceed.

“I won’t go astray”

The game is useful for concentration and distribution of voluntary attention. The baby counts to 10 or recites a poem, and his parents try to distract him. Don't forget to prepare a prize for the winner.

"Three Tasks"

This game is aimed at developing the volume of voluntary attention in children of senior preschool age. Without moving, the child must listen carefully to three tasks. Then, upon a signal, quickly begin to perform them in the given order.

Simplified version:

jump three times;
name the pet;
pick up a plastic object.

Advanced game:

blink as many times as there are days in the week;
write a name starting with the letter “n” on paper;
stand next to the round blue object.

You can come up with more points if the characteristics of the child’s cognitive processes allow it.

"Don't miss a word"

The adult tells the child a set of words, and when he hears those that denote inanimate objects, for example, he claps his hands or stands up.

Complicate the task by adding another word (for example, plants) and a new action to it for “recognition.”

Such games, in addition to developing voluntary attention, broaden the horizons of a preschooler. It would be great if a few more guys joined the game. The desire to win and a symbolic prize will make the game even more exciting.

Remember the good old children's games like “edible - inedible”, “yes - no, black - white”, in which these words are prohibited, or “Ear-nose”. In the latter, the baby, on command, shows parts of the body, and the leader confuses him, saying one word and pointing to another organ.

Also an excellent exercise for developing voluntary attention will be mazes that you need to go through with your eyes, and “Find the Differences” pictures. It is important that classes are not occasional, but systematic.

Try not to reproach your child for inattention, under no circumstances compare him with other children, just love the baby and work on his development. And then the results will not take long to arrive!

Attention in children begins to manifest itself quite early. The very first manifestations of a baby’s concentration are recorded on the 10-12th day of his life. By the end of the first month of life, the child can already follow for several seconds a bright, shiny object moving at a distance of about a meter from his eyes. In the first months of life, a child is characterized by only involuntary attention. Starting from 2-3 months of age, the perception of new stimuli causes a characteristic complex of revival. As time passes and the baby grows, the process of attention becomes more complex and diverse. It is directly related to the development of the motor sphere. This occurs in parallel with the expansion of space that can be accessible to the child through crawling, and then upright walking. Along with the increase in the child’s activity and the complexity of his objective actions, the stability of attention also increases. The makings of voluntary attention appear when an adult, pointing the child to an object, helps him to distinguish this object from others. In preschool age, emotionally significant stimuli play a large role in attracting the child’s attention. In older preschool age, despite the predominance of the role of emotional stimuli, the ability to connect any activity with verbal instructions begins to increase significantly. In children of senior preschool age, involuntary attention prevails over voluntary attention. It should be noted that there is a close connection between voluntary attention and speech. The development of voluntary attention in a child manifests itself first in the subordination of his behavior to the speech instructions of an adult, and then, as he masters speech, in the subordination of his behavior to his own speech instructions. Voluntary attention primarily relies on internal speech. The better the speech is developed in a preschool child, the higher the level of development of perception, the earlier voluntary attention is formed. So, in preschool age involuntary attention remains predominant, but by about six years old one can observe the gradual development of voluntary and post-voluntary attention; the child himself begins to manage his own attention, forcing himself to focus on something important and necessary, sacrificing entertaining and interesting things. At primary school age, attention becomes voluntary, but for quite a long time, especially in the primary grades, the involuntary attention of children remains strong and competes with voluntary attention. In the formation of a child’s attention, his intellectualization is essential, which occurs in the process of the child’s mental development: attention, based first on sensory content, begins to switch to mental connections. As a result, the child's attention span expands. In early preschool age, the future student becomes able to carefully examine and fairly clearly perceive two to four objects in succession. The result improves if an adult comments on the images, compares them, looks for cause-and-effect relationships between the images, and involves the child in this process. By the age of six, not only does the number of objects that a child is able to simultaneously perceive increase, but the range of objects that attract his attention also changes. If at three or four years old the child’s attention was attracted by bright, unusual objects, then at the age of six - by outwardly unremarkable objects. A child’s interest can increasingly be aroused by a riddle or a question. And in those objects that the child liked before, he begins to notice something different. However, the attention span of a primary school student is still less than that of an adult.

As a rule, the stability of attention increases with age. This is manifested, for example, in the increasing duration of children's games. If younger preschoolers can play the same game for 30-50 minutes, then by the age of five or six years the duration of the game increases to two hours. This is explained by the fact that the play of six-year-olds reflects more complex actions, and people’s relationships and interest in it are maintained by the constant introduction of new situations. It is also noted that older preschoolers are able to maintain attention on actions that acquire intellectually significant interest for them (puzzle games, riddles, educational-type tasks). When organizing the education of six-year-old children, it is important to take into account the fact that six-year-old children are able to actively and productively engage in the same activity for no more than 10-15 minutes. It is also important to remember that individual differences in children, for example, temperamental characteristics, are very pronounced in the stability of attention. In preschool age, most often, the power of concentration (concentration) in children is still small, as well as switching and distribution of attention, which is extremely necessary to develop for further successful learning. By the end of primary school (grades 3-4), all properties of attention in children become almost the same as in an adult. It is believed that attention switching at this age is even higher in children than in an average adult. This is due to the youth of the body and greater mobility of processes in the child’s central nervous system. Younger schoolchildren can move from one type of activity to another without much difficulty or internal effort (Nemov R. S., 2007). Speaking about age differences in the development of attention, we must not lose sight of the existence of individual differences, and very significant ones at that. For each child, the process of developing attention can take place differently, individually. But one thing is certain: the properties of attention can and should be developed. And the main role here certainly belongs to the adult, next to whom the child grows and develops. Since the basis of involuntary attention is hobbies, in order to develop sufficiently fruitful involuntary attention it is necessary, first of all, to expand the child’s interests. However, building education only on involuntary attention (offering the child only bright, emotionally rich material and avoiding any boring work) is a mistake, as well as constantly demanding intense voluntary attention from the child without giving him any support. This may even be the surest way to avoid getting attention. Therefore, in the process of a child’s learning and development it is necessary:

* use involuntary attention;

* promote the development of voluntary attention;

* remember the unity and mutual transition of voluntary and involuntary attention.

In the sixth year of life, the child begins to control his own attention, forcing himself to focus on something important and necessary, sacrificing entertaining and interesting things.

The type of attention in which a person sets a conscious goal to concentrate on something is called voluntary. In this case, setting and achieving goals requires the expenditure of physical energy, which is provided by emotions and will. A child, showing voluntary attention, spends not only his time, but also part of his energy. This is why it is important to thank the child for showing voluntary attention. For example, on Sunday, a younger sister watches cartoons in the living room, and her older six-year-old brother, tightly closing the door of the children's room, finishes an application that needs to be brought to kindergarten tomorrow. He also wants to watch cartoons, but it is important to finish the craft. Gathering his emotions and will into a fist, the boy courageously directs his activity towards the application. Wise adults will definitely note his determination with a kind word.

How does voluntary attention develop? The means by which a child begins to manage his attention are obtained in the process of interaction with adults. Parents and educators include the child in such new activities as games according to the rules, construction, etc. When introducing the child to these types of activities, adults organize his attention using verbal instructions. The child is directed to the need to perform given actions, taking into account certain circumstances.

For example, an adult accompanies a child when building a city from construction kit parts, saying: “When you start building a house, choose the largest parts for the foundation. That's right. Where is the biggest one now? Look!” Later, the child himself begins to designate in words those objects and phenomena that need to be paid attention to in order to achieve the desired result. This is how he masters one of the main means of managing attention - the ability to verbally formulate what he will focus on. During preschool age, the child’s use of speech to organize his own attention increases sharply. When performing a task according to an adult’s instructions, children of older preschool age pronounce the instructions 10-12 times more often than younger preschoolers. Thus, voluntary attention is formed in preschool age due to the general increase in the role of speech in regulating the child’s behavior.

It often happens that activities that initially required volitional efforts to concentrate attention later become interesting and captivate the child. In this case, voluntary attention turns into post-voluntary attention, in which the characteristic features of both voluntary and involuntary attention are mixed. Post-voluntary attention is similar to voluntary attention in its activity and purposefulness, and to involuntary attention it is similar to the lack of effort to maintain it.

While working on the appliqué, the boy unbeknownst to himself became so carried away that he stopped listening to the sounds of the TV coming from the living room. His attention was completely captured by the plot of the picture appearing in his hands. "Wow! You’re doing great!” - his sister’s admiring remark took him by surprise and surprised him very much. It turns out that the cartoons ended, but he didn’t even notice, while doing something interesting, that a lot of time had passed.

Attention is a very important mental process, which is a condition for the successful implementation of any activity of children, both external and internal, and its product is its high-quality implementation.

Attention is understood as the direction and concentration of mental activity on a specific object while being distracted from others. Thus, this mental process is a condition for the successful implementation of any activity, both external and internal, and its product is its high-quality implementation.

A child’s attention at the beginning of preschool age reflects his interest in surrounding objects and the actions performed with them. The child is focused until interest wanes. The appearance of a new object immediately causes a shift of attention to it. Therefore, children rarely do the same thing for a long time.

The development of attention directly depends on the position of the adult in communicating with the preschooler, as well as on how he organizes the child’s activities. The daily routine is important for the development of a child’s attention. It creates reference points in children’s lives, serves as an external means of organizing it, and facilitates switching, distribution, and concentration of attention.

Involuntary attention, arising without a consciously set goal, predominates in a child of primary preschool age. However, by the end of the preschool period, the rudiments of voluntary, active attention appear, associated with a consciously set goal and volitional effort. Its occurrence is determined by the maturation of the frontal parts of the cerebral cortex. With its development, older preschoolers gain the opportunity to correctly direct their consciousness to certain objects and phenomena and retain it for some time. But the development and improvement of involuntary attention in itself does not lead to the emergence of its voluntary types.

By the end of senior preschool age, due to the complication of children's activities and their movement in general mental development, attention acquires greater concentration and stability.

The level of development of attention in older preschoolers is evidenced by the formation of its properties: concentration, stability, distribution and switching. In older preschool age, changes concern all types and properties of attention. Its volume increases: a preschooler can already operate with 2-3 objects. Attention becomes more stable. This gives the child the opportunity to do work under guidance, even if it is uninteresting. An older preschooler is not distracted if he understands that the task must be completed, even if a more attractive prospect has appeared. Maintaining stability of attention and fixing it on an object is determined by the development of curiosity and cognitive processes. During older preschool age, the duration of distractions caused by various stimuli decreases, that is, the stability of attention increases. The most dramatic decrease in the duration of distraction is observed in children aged 5.5 to 6.5 years. The development of the attention of an older preschooler is due to the fact that the organization of his life changes, he masters new types of activities (play, work, study).

Let us indicate the main features of the development of attention in older preschool age:

Its concentration, volume and stability increase significantly;

Elements of voluntariness in the control of attention take shape based on the development of speech and cognitive interests;

Attention becomes indirect;

Elements appear after voluntary attention.

The development of voluntary attention is the most important task of preschool education. In the future, it will ensure the child’s success in school, help him follow the teacher’s instructions and control himself.