Development of thinking. Developmental exercises, logical puzzles. Exercises to develop abstract thinking in children

Bubnova Ksenia Alexandrovna

Now your baby has become a first grader. Or maybe he will go to school in next year, but now you are worried about the question: “Will it be difficult for my child to study? What should I pay attention to when preparing for school?” In this article I will talk about how to help your child develop abstract logical thinking. After all, good abstract logical thinking is the key to successful mastery of the school curriculum. A simple test will help you determine whether it is sufficiently developed in your child (we are talking about preschoolers and children of primary school age).

Test "Increased or decreased."
Conservation of mass.

Take two plasticine balls, 5 cm in diameter. Show them to your baby, let him make sure that each has the same amount of plasticine: “Imagine that this is pie dough. If we bake two pies from these balls, and you eat one and I eat the other, will we eat equally? Or will you eat more?” ? Or me?"

After that, take one of the balls and make a biscuit out of it (a flat oval) approximately 8 cm long: “And now the ball and the biscuit have the same amount of plasticine? Or is there more plasticine in the ball? Or in the biscuit? (Play up the situation with food). Depending on the answers You can try to confuse your child: “Look at the biscuit, it’s flat, very thin. Don't you think you can eat more in a ball?" Before you roll the biscuit into a ball again, as in the beginning, ask your child: "If I make a ball out of this biscuit, will I have as much as I do now?" Make a ball out of the biscuit and show that there is the same amount of substance left. Third procedure with plasticine: divide one of the balls into small pieces (approximately 8-10 “crumbs”), and then ask the child to compare all the resulting pieces with the ball.

Abstract logical thinking is poorly developed.
Here are the answers and explanations the child gives: “There is more in the ball because the sausage is thinner” or “There is more in the biscuit because it is longer.” This means that the baby is focused on one of the dimensions, sometimes moves from one to another, but does not connect them with each other. Reminding him of the initial amount of the substance does not change his opinion. Sometimes children suggest the possibility of returning to the same number of balls.

Abstract logical thinking is not very well developed.
The child hesitates between affirmation and denial. If you confuse him by suggesting the wrong answer, the baby does not resist.

Abstract - logical thinking is well developed. The child reasons approximately like this: “Both here and there are the same, because if you make a ball again, it will be the same.” Or: “After all, nothing was taken away or added, so it’s the same here and there.”

Test "Which word is the odd one out?"

Let your child know that you are going to play now. The extra word is hidden among words that “suit” each other in meaning. The task is to find the “inappropriate” word. Then read the first row of words.

Tulip, lily, bean, chamomile, violet.

If the child answered incorrectly, give him a chance to correct the mistake. If the answer is correct, ask the question: “Why?” The same work is carried out with the remaining rows of words. The question "Why?" is set from rows 1 to 9.

Rows of words:

River, lake, sea, bridge, pond.
Doll, jump rope, sand, ball, spinning top.
Table, carpet, chair, bed, stool.
Poplar, birch, gooseberry, linden, aspen.
Chicken, duck, eagle, goose, turkey.
Circle, triangle, pointer, square.
Sasha, Vitya, Stasik, Petrov, Kolya.
Cheerful, fast, sad, tasty, careful

If the child is not mistaken in most cases and can answer the question “Why?” (for tasks 1 - 9), his level is assessed as high, if he successfully completed half of the tasks - as average. If the level is low (the child couldn’t cope with half the tasks), you shouldn’t worry - you just need to work with the baby. Try another test.

"What do they have in common?"

It is assessed in the same way as the previous one.
Ask your child how to describe what you read in one word.

Perch, crucian carp - ...
Cucumber tomato - …
Wardrobe, sofa -…
June July - …
Elephant, ant - ...

First, you read these rows to the baby, then give the task (name it in one word). Ask your child to answer as you read the words again. If the task is not clear, tell your child and think together about how to, say, call a rose and a daisy in one word. Ask if you can say: “Rose and daisy are flowers”?

There are several more tests (awareness test using the Amthauer method, analogy test) with a point system for assessing the level of development of abstract logical thinking. You can familiarize yourself with them by reading the wonderful book “How to Prepare a Child for School” (authors - A. A. Rean and S. N. Kostromina), based on the materials of which this article was prepared. However, based on the results of the proposed tests, you can determine whether your baby has problems and how serious they are.
And now - a little theory. Abstract logical thinking is largely based on concepts. Concepts reflect the essence of objects and are expressed in words or other signs. Typically, in a preschool child this type of thinking is just beginning to develop, but the first grade curriculum includes tasks that require solutions in the abstract-logical sphere. It's better to start training early.

Exercise "What and why?"

Psychologists call it this way: “The formation of concepts based on abstraction and identification of essential properties of specific objects.”
You explain to your child: “A car runs on gasoline or other fuel; a tram, trolleybus or electric train runs on electricity. All this together is transport.” When you see an unfamiliar machine (for example, a crane truck), ask "What is this? Why?" Similar exercises can be performed with other concepts: tools, utensils, utensils, plants, animals, furniture, etc.

Exercise "Cards"
(Formation of artificial concepts)

You will need to make three sets of cards (nine cards in each set). The cards should depict geometric shapes (one on each card): triangle, square, circle. Each figure is depicted against a background of three degrees of saturation: pale pink, pink, red. In the first set, all the figures are black. In the second - white, in the third - gray. On the back of the cards are written meaningless combinations of three letters. For the first set - PAK, for the second - BRO. For the third - VIL. You need to divide the cards into groups and invite the children to guess the intended combination of figures.

The child must identify the signs that unite the figures into a group. At the same time, he can sometimes use meaningless words written on the back of the cards: figures belonging to the same group have the same inscriptions on the back. It is very important to ensure that the child looks at the back of the card as little as possible. Thus, the child, willy-nilly, will have to form artificial concepts using two rows of stimuli: one row performs the function of the object to which the child’s activity is directed, the other row serves as the function of signs organizing this activity.

Exercise "Bigger, Longer and Shorter"
(Formation of the ability to separate the form of a concept from its content)

Tell your child: “Now I will tell you words, and you will answer me, which is more, which is smaller, which is longer, which is shorter.”
Pencil or pencil? Which one is shorter? Why?
Cat or whale? Which one is bigger? Why?
Boa constrictor or worm? Which one is longer? Why?
Tail or ponytail? Which one is shorter? Why?
You can come up with your own questions based on the ones above.

Exercise "What is this all called?"

You read the given series of words to the child and then ask how these objects can be called in one word. You can invite your child to continue the row. Example: duck, chicken... All these are birds. And also a dove, a crow, a turkey.
Rows of words:

Perch, crucian carp - _______________
Cucumber tomato - ____________
Wardrobe, sofa - ________________
June July - _________________
Butterfly, ant - ____________
Tree, flower - _______________
Coat, skirt - ________________
Teacher, doctor - ________________
Bus, tram - _____________
Monday Tuesday - ________
Spring Summer - __________________
Morning evening - __________________
Pan, spoon - _____________
Doll, ball - ___________________
Boots, shoes - ________________

Exercise "Difference and Similarity"

The child must determine how the concepts are different and similar:

Morning evening
Cow - horse
Tank pilot
Skis - skates
Tram - trolleybus
Lake - river
Rain - snow
Train - plane
deception is a mistake
Little girl - big doll
Apple - cherry
Crow - sparrow
Milk - water
Gold Silver
Sleigh - cart
Sparrow - chicken
Evening - morning
Oak - birch
Fairy tale - song
Painting - portrait

Exercise "Who can't do without what"
(Helps the child learn to identify essential features to maintain logical judgments if he solves a long series of similar problems.)

You explain the task like this: “Now I will read a series of words. From these words you need to choose only two, meaning something that the main subject cannot do without. Other words are also related to the main word, but they are not the main ones. You need to find the most important ones words. For example, garden... Which of these words do you think are the most important: plants, gardener, dog, fence, earth, that is, something without which a garden cannot exist? Can there be a garden without plants? Why?.. Without a gardener ... dogs... fence... land?.. Why?"
Each of the suggested words is analyzed in detail. The main thing is for the child to understand why this or that word is the main, essential feature of a given concept.

Sample tasks:

Boots (laces, sole, heel, zipper, shaft)
River (shore, fish, fisherman, mud, water)
City (car, building, crowd, street, bicycle)
Barn (hayloft, horses, roof, livestock, walls)
Cube (corners, drawing, side, stone, wood)
Division (class, dividend, pencil, divider, paper)
Game (cards, players, fines, penalties, rules)
Reading (eyes, book, picture, print, word)
War (plane, guns, battles, guns, soldiers)

The next stage of your studies should be the formation of judgments, and for this the child must learn to understand the figurative meaning of the phrase. For this training, you can use various literary material, proverbs, sayings that can be understood both literally and figuratively.

For example, work on explaining the following proverbs:
"Measure twice and cut once"
"Less is better"
"If you hurry, you'll make people laugh"
"Strike while the iron is hot"
"Business before pleasure"
"Don't sit in your own sleigh"

Work on proverbs is carried out as follows.
Tell your child: “Now I’ll read you a proverb, and try to find a suitable phrase for it from those that I offer you.”

For the proverb “Measure twice, cut once”, offer three options:

If you cut it incorrectly, you shouldn’t blame the scissors.
Before you do it, you need to think carefully.
The seller measured seven meters of fabric and cut it.

The correct choice is the second option.
Work on the rest of the proverbs in the same way. Of course, at first the child will not be able to cope without your help; this task is quite difficult not only for preschoolers, but also for children of primary school age. Think together, reflect together, let your child understand that sometimes you yourself cannot immediately find the right answer. And now - the most important thing. You need to work with your child in such a way that everything you do seems to him an interesting and exciting game. Show maximum patience, tact and kindness! Under no circumstances should your child feel that you are dissatisfied with him or that something is not working out for him! It can’t work right away! Don't forget to praise your child for the smallest victory. Tell him with delight: “You see, before this task seemed difficult to you, but now you did it so well!”

Good luck to you and your child!

Preschool children tend to think in images, and visuals are extremely important for them. Closer to 6 years of age, the child learns verbal-logical and abstract thinking. Those. he can operate with symbols that cannot be touched or seen.

Parents often learn about their child's difficulties with abstract thinking when they begin to teach simple mathematical operations. Plus and minus may be too confusing for a preschooler. First of all, he should not be scolded for this and forced to “think better.”

You can understand how much your child knows abstract concepts by taking a simple test.

Pour the same amount of water into two glasses. Show the baby and tell him what you did. Now pour the contents of one glass into a narrow transparent bottle; the other - in a liter jar. Ask: Which container has more water?

If your child confidently points to the bottle, you should use development tips abstract thinking, since it still works poorly for him. Did your child answer the question correctly? This indicates that he is ready to study mathematics.

Conduct all activities in the form of a game so that the child does not get bored with them. Change the exercises day by day, and the baby won’t even understand what is being done to him! Let's start with the simplest ones.

Remove the extra word

You name concepts, phenomena or objects, and one unrelated word.

For example

Crow, owl, stork, sparrow, mouse, dove. Over time, complicate the chains by setting “traps”. For example like this. Snow, ice, ice cream, cotton candy, icicle (everything cold except cotton candy).

What are the same and how are they different?

Choose first simple options, for example, “bush-tree”. The more the baby tells you about the similarities and differences, the better!

Idea

Take an active part in the game. After the child answers your question, let him give you a task. Choosing the right pair is also a workout!

Antonyms

The baby will easily find the opposite of the word “day” or “sun”. But let him try to find an antonym for words such as “stand”, “ask for forgiveness”, “aroma”, “final”... In this game, your assistant is a dictionary of antonyms. At the same time, teach your child how to use it.

Charging in reverse

This fun and active exercise will also help your baby develop attentiveness. Ask your child to repeat your movements without paying attention to the words. When you raise your hands up, say: hands down. As you lower your arms down, say: arms to the sides. And so on. After that, it's the other way around. You do the wrong thing, but you say the right thing.

Associations

You can play this word game while walking or on the road. For example, you start: “car”. The child must name a word that is somehow related to the car. Let there be a “wheel”. Your turn: "circle". And now the baby can say either “Earth” or “cup”. The main thing is to explain why his word is connected with the concept of “circle”.

These activities are useful both for the development of thinking and attention, and for concentration. You can come up with similar games yourself. Or better yet, invent it together!

Abstract thinking is thinking using speculative judgments. That is, with the help of various generalized terms such as “consciousness”, “life”, “meaning”. This type of mental activity allows you to see the full picture.

Abstract thinking: what is it?

They call it one of the types, thanks to which it is possible to generalize the situation from unnoticed details and take a closer look at it as a whole. This type of thinking allows you to take a step forward, crossing boundaries and standards.

The development of abstract thinking in people should occupy an important stage from childhood. This is due to the fact that this approach makes it much faster and easier to find unexpected conclusions and find a way out of any current situation. This type of thought is a variation of human cognition.

This type is very important in the life of any individual, therefore it has a number of such signs:

Ability to reproduce external world without affecting the senses. That is, the individual does not require interaction with the object to obtain new information. The individual gets the outcome based on his skills.
Phenomena are summed up to determine legitimacy. Every individual wants to make the thinking process easier.
There is an undeniable connection between thoughts and linguistic expressions. The process of thinking is divided into thinking without language and internal dialogue, which occurs alone with oneself.

Forms of abstract thinking

Can be divided into three forms. Without understanding them, it is very difficult to understand what this type is. The forms are as follows:

Concept. This is a special form of thoughts in which an object or several objects are reproduced as one attribute. This sign must be significant. The main concepts can also be expressed in phrases.
Judgment. At the moment of judgment, an affirmation or denial of a phrase occurs. She describes surrounding objects. Contact and some pattern are established. But a judgment can be either simple or complex.
Inference. One or more interrelated judgments are linked into one whole. A conclusion has already been drawn from this. This is the basis of logical abstract thinking. Abstract thinking includes free thoughts that are operated by judgments, inferences and concepts.

Thoughts cannot be the same for every individual. Some are inclined towards painting, others towards music, others prefer poetry, but some can think abstractly. But such thinking needs to be formed and it is important to do this from the very beginning. early childhood. It is necessary to give the child the opportunity to fantasize, think and reflect.

In adults it is already developed and perceive new information it is extremely difficult for them. Thoughts can lose their flexibility over time. Below are exercises that will help combat this process. They are able to develop creativity and breadth of thought within themselves:

In your head you need to imagine emotions such as fear, joy, delight or doubt. What will pleasure look like? Or, for example, what will interest be like if it is not tied to individual objects.
Imagine some image of an idea. How can a person imagine harmony? Will this create an association or symbol? It is recommended to practice with such images as infinity, challenge, order, religiosity.
Turn the book over and read it from top to bottom. In this case, you need to read in a different order. It is necessary to establish a logical connection between the plot being reproduced.
Close your eyes and mentally imagine all the people with whom you communicated today. Pay attention to clothing and facial expressions, facial expressions, gestures. Not a single detail should be missed. What does a person get when communicating?
Take up drawing.

There are also exercises for children:

Come up with new unusual names with your baby. Find an interesting picture online and try to choose at least 3 titles for it.
Try to do dramatizations. Make costumes from available materials.
Solve various puzzles and puzzles.
Take a blank piece of paper and spill ink on it. Together with the baby, make some kind of face out of the stain.

It helps solve many problems. You need to think effectively and creatively. This will help you quickly make decisions and draw conclusions. Therefore, it is very important to improve yourself and pay attention to your abstract thoughts. But exercises must be done regularly. Only with effort and time can you get a good result.

The highest level of human knowledge is considered thinking. The development of thinking is the mental process of creating obvious, non-proving patterns of the surrounding world. This is a mental activity that has a goal, motive, actions (operations) and a result.

Development of thinking

Scientists offer several options for defining thinking:

The highest stage of human assimilation and processing of information, the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships between objects of reality.
The process of displaying the explicit properties of objects and, as a result, creating an idea of the surrounding reality.
This is a process of cognition of reality, which is based on acquired knowledge, constant replenishment of the baggage of ideas and concepts.

Thinking is studied in several disciplines. The laws and types of thinking are considered by logic, the psychophysiological component of the process - physiology and psychology.

Thinking develops throughout a person’s life, starting from infancy. This is a consistent process of mapping the realities of reality in the human brain.

Types of human thinking

Most often, psychologists divide thinking according to content:

visual-figurative thinking;

abstract (verbal-logical) thinking;

visually effective thinking.

Visual-figurative thinking

Visual-figurative thinking involves visually solving a problem without resorting to practical actions. The right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for the development of this species.

Many people believe that visual-figurative thinking and imagination are one and the same. You are wrong.

Thinking is based on a real process, object or action. Imagination includes the creation of a fictitious, unreal image, something that does not exist in reality.

Developed by artists, sculptors, fashion designers - people of the creative profession. They transform reality into an image, and with its help, new properties are highlighted in standard objects and non-standard combinations of things are established.

Exercises to develop visual-figurative thinking:

Question answer

If the capital letter N is from English alphabet turn it 90 degrees, what is the resulting letter?
Ear shape German Shepherd?
How many rooms are there in the living room of your home?

Creating images

Create the image of the last family dinner. Mentally picture the event and answer the questions:

How many family members were present, and who was wearing what?
What dishes were served?
What was the conversation about?
Imagine your plate, where your hands lay, the face of a relative sitting next to you. Taste the food you ate.
Was the picture presented in black and white or color?
Describe the visual image of the room.

Description of items

Describe each item presented:

Toothbrush;
Pine forest;
sunset;
your bedroom;
drops of morning dew;
eagle soaring in the sky.

Imagination

Imagine Beauty, Wealth, Success.

Describe the highlighted image using two nouns, three adjectives and verbs, and one adverb.

Memories

Imagine the people you have interacted with today (or ever).

What did they look like, what were they wearing? Describe their appearance (eye color, hair color, height and build).

Verbal-logical type of thinking (Abstract thinking)

A person sees the picture as a whole, highlights only the significant qualities of the phenomenon, without noticing unimportant details that only complement the subject. This kind of thinking is well developed among physicists and chemists - people who are directly related to science.

Forms of abstract thinking

Abstract thinking has 3 forms:

concept– objects are combined according to characteristics;

judgment– affirmation or denial of any phenomenon or connection between objects;

inference– conclusions based on several judgments.

An example of abstract thinking:

You have a soccer ball (you can even pick it up). What can you do with it?

Options: play football, throw a hoop, sit on it, etc. - not abstracts. But if you imagine that good game hitting the ball will attract the attention of the coach, and you will be able to get into a famous football team... this is already transcendental, abstract thinking.

Exercises to develop abstract thinking:

"Who's the odd one out?"

From a number of words, select one or more words that do not fit the meaning:

careful, fast, cheerful, sad;
turkey, pigeon, crow, duck;
Ivanov, Andryusha, Sergey, Vladimir, Inna;
square, pointer, circle, diameter.
plate, pan, spoon, glass, broth.

Finding differences

What is the difference:

train - plane;
horse-sheep;
oak-pine;
fairy tale-poem;
still life-portrait.

Find at least 3 differences in each pair.

Main and secondary

From a number of words, select one or two, without which the concept is impossible, cannot exist in principle.

Game - players, penalty, cards, rules, dominoes.
War - guns, planes, battle, soldiers, command.
Youth – love, growth, teenager, quarrels, choice.
Boots - heel, sole, laces, clasp, shaft.
Barn – walls, ceiling, animals, hay, horses.
Road - asphalt, traffic lights, traffic, cars, pedestrians.

Read the phrases backwards

Tomorrow is the premiere of the play;
Come visit;
let's go to the park;
what's for lunch?

Words

In 3 minutes, write as many words as possible starting with the letter z (w, h, i)

(beetle, toad, magazine, cruelty...).

Come up with names

Come up with 3 of the most unusual male and female names.

Visual-effective thinking

It involves solving mental problems through transforming a situation that has arisen in reality. This is the very first way to process the information received.

This type of thinking actively develops in preschool children. They start to unite various items into a single whole, analyze and operate with them. Develops in the left hemisphere of the brain.

In an adult, this type of thinking is carried out through the transformation of practical usefulness of real objects. Visual-figurative thinking is extremely developed among people who are engaged in production work - engineers, plumbers, surgeons. When they see an object, they understand what actions need to be performed with it. People say that people in similar professions have their hands full.

Visual-figurative thinking helped ancient civilizations, for example, measure the earth, because both hands and brain are involved during the process. This is the so-called manual intelligence.

Playing chess perfectly develops visual and effective thinking.

Exercises to develop visual and effective thinking

The simplest, but very effective task for developing this type of thinking is collection of constructors. There should be as many parts as possible, at least 40 pieces. You can use visual instructions.
No less useful for the development of this type of thinking are various puzzles, puzzles. The more details there are, the better.
Make 2 equal triangles from 5 matches, 2 squares and 2 triangles from 7 matches.
Turn into a square by cutting once in a straight line, a circle, a diamond and a triangle.
Make a cat, a house, a tree from plasticine.
Without special instruments, determine the weight of the pillow you are sleeping on, all the clothes you are wearing, and the size of the room you are in.

Conclusion

Every person must develop all three types of thinking, but one type always predominates. This can be determined in childhood, while observing the child’s behavior.

In children starting school, “memory becomes thinking, and perception becomes thinking.” The statement of the outstanding child psychologist, author of original methods, D. B. Elkonin means the main thing: in mental development Children of primary school age experience an active transformation of the entire cognitive sphere (memory, attention, perception, speech). Psychologists emphasize that such improvement of the psyche is possible only with abstract logical thinking. Experts authoritatively state that abstract thinking is necessary not only for the further mental development of a child, but also for mastering such complex academic subjects as mathematics, natural history, and later, physics, geometry, and astronomy. It is important for parents to understand the diversity of their child’s mental development in order to come to the rescue in time.

What is abstract thinking

What do we know about abstract thinking? Is it really so important in a person’s life or can you do without it just fine, just using something visual! Abstract (abstract) thinking, that is, the formation of abstract concepts and operating with them, is inherent in each of us. From time to time a person should abstract (mentally distract himself) from the private and operate general concepts, to see the world in general, without touching on details. Such an action is necessary in order to concentrate on a specific goal, make discoveries, develop abilities, and fulfill one’s aspirations. When some event is viewed as if from the outside, abstractly, then one is sure to find original ways his decisions.

The clearest example of how abstract thinking works is in the exact sciences. For example, in mathematics we do not see a number as such, but we see its components (numbers), we can count or group different objects according to some characteristic and call their quantity. Abstraction is needed even when a person plans his future. It is still unknown, but each of us sets goals, has desires, makes plans, and all this happens thanks to abstract logical thinking.

About forms of abstract thinking

The main characteristic features of abstract thinking are its forms, since those surrounding phenomena that are inaccessible to the human eye are still actively present in human life. Like any phenomenon, they must have their own design, so psychologists distinguish three main forms:

Concept

The concept means a thought or a system of thoughts that identifies and generalizes various objects according to their general and specific characteristics. The concept conveys a common property of different objects in the surrounding world. For example, “furniture” unites into its group those objects that we need in everyday life and have a common property - to provide comfort to a person: table, chair, sofa, wardrobe, etc. Another concept “school supplies” generalizes a pen, pencil, notebook, eraser, that is, those items that are necessary for writing. Basic publicly available concepts are transmitted to children already in preschool age, since otherwise it will be simply impossible to understand the world around us in its entirety.

Judgment

The basic form of abstraction, which is present in the assertion or denial of something about an object, its qualities or relationships with other objects. In other words, the judgment shows some connection between objects and phenomena of the surrounding reality. Simply put, a judgment (simple or complex) serves us when we need to confirm or refute something, for example: “the child is playing” (simple judgment). The complex expression also has a more complex form: “autumn has come, the leaves are falling.” In addition, a proposition can be true or false, it all depends on what it is based on. If a person reasons objectively, in accordance with reality, then the judgment will be true. And if he is interested in his statement and relies on his own thoughts that contradict the real thing, then the judgment becomes false.

Inference

Expressed by a thought that is formed on the basis of several judgments. In order to draw a conclusion, you need to go through three stages: premise (initial judgment), conclusion (new judgment) and conclusion (logical transition from premise to conclusion). Usually, inference is expressed in complex sentences (“if all angles of a triangle are equal, then this triangle is equilateral”). A well-known fan of making inferences is literary character- Sherlock Holmes.

Signs of abstract-logical thinking in children

It is possible to detect the presence of such signs already in preschoolers, since experts believe that older preschool age the most optimal period of transition from visual to abstract thinking. It is believed that for school mental development children reaches a fairly high level. A seven-year-old child already knows and can do a lot, acquires some life experience, for example, navigates the world around him, easily remembers information, knows literary works well, understands the meaning of riddles, solves problems whose conditions are clear, coherently expresses his opinion about various events, is interested in the computer, loves to do creative work (modeling, drawing, designing) . At the same time, the thinking of a primary school student is at a turning point in development; abstract-logical thinking is still imperfect. To understand what level of mental development your child is at, you can use a simple test that psychologists often use when examining primary school children.

Diagnosis of the ability to think abstractly

Cross out the extra word

Lamp, lantern, Sun, candle.
Boots, boots, laces, felt boots.
Dog, horse, cow, wolf.
Table chair, floor, sofa
Sweet, bitter, sour, hot.
Glasses, eyes, nose, ears.
Tractor, combine, machine, sled.
Soup, porridge, pot, potato.
Birch, pine, oak, rose.
Apricot, peach, tomato, orange.

Fill in the missing letters in the words

d...r...in... (tree); k...m...n (stone); r...b... (fish); k...r...v... (cow); b...r...z... (birch)

Choose the word that makes sense

1) wolf: mouth = bird: ? a) air b) beak c) nightingale d) egg e) singing
2) library: book = forest: ? a) birch b) tree c) branch d) log e) maple
3) bird: nest = person: ? a) people b) worker c) chick d) house d) reasonable
4) school: training = hospital: ? a) doctor b) patient c) treatment d) establishment

Choose the opposite word

Beginning -... (end). Day Night). Evil -... (good).
High Low). Young -... (old). Strong -... (weak).
Cry - ... (laugh). Make peace -... (quarrel). Find -... (lose).

Unscramble the words

naul - (moon); maiz - (winter); aker - (river); toel - (summer).

Analysis of results

Each correct action is worth 1 point. Quantity maximum points - 29.

29 - 26 - increased level logical thinking
25 - 22 - high level
21 - 18 - average level
17 - 14 - level of logical thinking below average
13 - 10 - low level
9 - 0 - critical level.

Why develop abstract thinking in children

Are you convinced that a certain level of abstract thinking is necessary for success in school? Have you realized that your child has problems in the ability to think logically and find non-standard solutions? Do you want to form forms of abstraction in your little schoolchild? Then you need to listen to the opinion of experts. Thus, psychologists warn that the development of thinking is a rather long process and requires daily work. One child may not be able to quickly and efficiently master abstract operations. Therefore, parents need to help him develop abstraction skills. In psychological and pedagogical practice, many methods have been developed for the formation of abstract processes in junior schoolchildren. Parents can focus on the one that seems most accessible and acceptable to them for homeschooling.

Exercises and games for logical thinking

Gaming activities still remain important for younger schoolchildren, so games and exercises are successfully used in the development of abstract thinking. This method is accessible and interesting for children; with its help, you can do complex work to improve forms of abstraction. Each adult can come up with game tasks independently for their child. The main thing is your creativity and ingenuity! To prevent games from getting boring, they can easily be “revitalized” with elements of outdoor games (running, jumping, clapping) or sports items(ball, skittles, rope). A competitive moment (who can name it faster...) and forfeits are good options. What can you offer for home use?

Synonyms - antonyms

The classic game of matching synonyms and antonyms always attracts children. They enjoy the competition of “who can come up with the first word (synonym or antonym).” You can play verbally, or you can throw the ball to each other with the chosen word. Approximate synonyms (close in meaning): stingy - greedy, throw - throw, dog - dog, slacker - lazy, friend - buddy, damp - wet, lie - not true.

A simpler task for children is to select antonyms (words with opposite meanings). It is carried out similarly to the previous one, for example: friend - enemy, brave - cowardly, future - past, good - evil, grief - joy, beautiful - ugly. Interest in the game can be maintained by introducing game moments: for an incorrect answer, the player gives a forfeit, and then redeems it with the help of a certain task: sing, dance, say a tongue twister, guess a riddle.

Finish the sentence

Similar to the previous game, an exercise is carried out to complete sentences. Players must catch the ball with the beginning of the phrase, and return it with the ending, for example: dogs bark, and cats... (meow), in winter there is frost, and in summer -... (heat), the car drives, but the plane... (flies). A more complex option - you need to end a complex sentence with a subordinate clause, for example: in winter it’s cold, ... (because it’s frost); the student received an A, ... (because he learned the lessons) and the like.

Decipher it!

Such an exercise must be prepared in advance; at first, pictures or words written on cards are used. Subsequently, when the student learns to divide a word into syllables mentally, it can be carried out in the form of a word game. The essence of the exercise is the following:

highlight the first syllables of each word and compose a new one (decipher): de lo, re ka, in yes (tree); si la, Neither on the, tsa ritsa (tit); ma ma, shi py, On tasha (car);
highlight the last syllables and create a new word: itself years, me chick(pilot); bar ban, ut ka(jar); dere in, laban Yes(water).

Three effective methods for developing abstract thinking

Association game

Associations (connections between phenomena, concepts) are considered the most accessible and simple method development of abstract thinking in children. It is easy to use in Everyday life, if you invite the child to find various connections between objects and phenomena that surround him. For example, during a walk together, or while traveling to the country, or over evening tea, you can play a word association game. The point of the game is that one concept or image entails another. An adult pronounces a concept, and children must choose words that are in any way related to it. For example, umbrella - rain - puddles - boots - roof; car - trip - passenger - truck - motor - wheel; summer - sun - warm - fun - swim - sunbathe - holidays. The player can name any word, the main thing is to prove that the words are related. It is interesting to involve all family members in the action and reward the winner who has found and proven the most associations.

As a variant of such a game, you can invite participants to create an associative chain based on a given characteristic, for example, yellow and warm - sun - lantern - lamp, etc. Or original associations, for example, hedgehog - Christmas tree - needles - burdock - brush.

The older the child, the more complex the concepts from which associations are built should be. These can be words denoting various relationships in the world around us: between people (family, mom, dad, sister, brother, society, friendship, school); in living and inanimate nature (winter, summer, water, thunderstorm, any animals, forest, tree, fruit, vegetables); emotional processes (joy, grief, love, success, envy, sympathy); phenomena public life(homeland, peace, war, country) and other concepts that make up the world around us.

Shadow play

The most popular and interesting way development of abstract thinking, somewhat similar to an association game. With its help, various images are created, by playing with which the child uses all mental processes (memory, attention, thinking, imagination, speech). Shadow theater is easy and simple to organize at home and make it a family tradition. For organization you will need a sheet, desk lamp, character figures cut out of cardboard or plywood, or various hand movements. The lamp is installed so that it creates a shadow. You can act out any works familiar to children, but not only - performances can be improvised. The main thing is that the child must see the image depicted and be able to act out it. Shadow theater promotes the development of abstract thinking in the child, develops the ability to use and understand symbols: hand movements are concrete, real, and an image is created from shadows on the screen. You have to imagine that these are no longer fingers, but animals that move.

Mental arithmetic

Experts consider mental arithmetic a more effective way to develop abstract thinking - a program for developing mental abilities and creative potential using arithmetic calculations on special accounts (soroban). The technique is designed for children and schoolchildren from four to sixteen years old. Instructions for this technique can be found in more detail on the Internet, at special courses for schoolchildren.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to form abstract thinking in a child at home if you follow the recommendations of specialists. And most importantly, show parental love, care, and attention. Help your little schoolchild see the world around him from all sides and show his abilities.