Didactic games (DI) are one of the frequently used methods of educational work in preschool institutions. Learning through the process ideally matches the psychological and physiological characteristics of preschool children. It is this period of time that is considered ideal for the development of memory, speech, thinking, imagination, as well as broadening one’s horizons. Thanks to didactic games, you can intensify and diversify the educational impact on the child. At the same time, the organization and conduct of tasks has a number of features that must be taken into account in order to achieve maximum results.
The importance of didactic games in the senior group of kindergarten
DI is used for the purposes of teaching and raising children. With their help, specific learning tasks are solved, and certain skills are nurtured and developed.
DI in the older group
Didactic games for preschool age in preschool educational institutions
The purpose and objectives of the didactic game in the senior group of preschool educational institutions
Making the learning process interesting, simple and non-tiring is the main goal of such classes. The tasks of the didactic game for the senior group of preschool educational institutions are varied. They primarily depend on the requirements of the program and educational field, as well as on how children perceive the material.
If students quickly master knowledge and successfully master the material, then when repeated, the tasks expand.
Note! Otherwise, if children do not master the material well, then the gameplay is carried out with the same software tasks, and their content changes.
DI tasks are inextricably linked to the topic. All material is divided into thematic blocks. Work on one topic lasts from several weeks to one month. Therefore, in one year, many training sessions on various topics are conducted with children and the entire volume of tasks provided for in the program is completed.
DI tasks
Note! In older groups of preschool educational institutions, puzzles, charades, rebuses and intellectual tasks are useful, as they stimulate thought processes and teach children to think creatively and outside the box.
The educational role of games in older preschool age
From early childhood, play has a positive impact on children. As for older preschool age, during this period of time such activities cultivate the following qualities in the child:
- The ability to accept both victory and defeat with dignity.
- A sense of community and camaraderie.
- Honesty.
- Mutual respect.
- Decency.
- Partnerships.
In the senior group of the kindergarten, various games are played; the emphasis is primarily on educational games, as the children are prepared for school.
Preparatory group
In the preparatory group, preschoolers prepare for the transition to first grade and acquire important knowledge and skills. Therefore, complex didactic games with a predominantly educational focus are applicable.
Train for animals
To play, make a cardboard train with 3 carriages: the first for animals, the second for birds, the third for insects. Print out pictures depicting fauna representatives. The game task is to correctly arrange the pictures into the cars.
Man or nature
Children stand in a circle. Throw a ball to each of them in turn, asking at random, “What did the person do?” or “What has nature done?” In the first case, the answers will be, for example, “car”, “clothes”. And in the second there is “tree”, “river”, “stone”, “nest”. The player who finds it difficult to answer is eliminated from the circle. The winner is the last one to give the correct answer.
Name the plant
Say a sound and the players must remember the plants that start with it. For example: A – aster, watermelon, orange, pineapple, aloe, acacia, cherry plum.
Clouds
On a fine day, when cumulus clouds float in the sky, take the students for a walk. Let everyone choose a cloud and tell them what it reminds them of.
Basic approaches to the classification of didactic games in the senior group
DIs are classified according to various criteria. They are divided by:
- the nature of the pedagogical process;
- game technique;
- gaming environment.
Note! Despite the different approaches to classification, every teacher needs to remember that play is not just a child’s activity. It is primarily expressed in the attitude and behavior of adults and is recurrent and permanent in nature.
Contents and selection of materials for the game
DI can be used both in relevant classes and outside educational activities. Depending on where the game is used, its duration is determined.
Preparing for DI
Class structure:
- First of all, a didactic task is determined, which is presented in the form of a game task and set by the teacher.
- Game actions are determined. The older group of kindergarten can independently determine their circle.
- Rules are set. Most often, the teacher sets them, but if the students come up with their own, the teacher can accept them.
- The result of the game is determined.
All didactic games include the main stages:
- the topic and content are communicated;
- participants get acquainted with the game material;
- familiarization with the rules is carried out;
- game actions are performed;
- the results are summed up.
Note! If something in the game did not work out for the child, then after summing up the results, the teacher can continue a personal discussion and analysis of mistakes in each specific case.
In conclusion, the teacher must motivate the students to achieve success in the future.
The role of the teacher in organizing classes
In the process of organizing and conducting didactic games, it is the teacher who must lead the entire process. He is obliged to ensure the direct and active participation of each child.
The role of the educator in the organization of DI
The teacher must think through and organize the entire process in such a way as to ensure that the game is connected with the learning and other activities of the students. Create conditions so that the process turns into an independent activity for children.
Note! The teacher needs to interest children in games. This can only be achieved if there is a sufficient amount of teaching material and toys. At the end of the game, the teacher must give not only an impartial, but also a friendly assessment.
Card index of board and printed games
When does this happen?
Didactic task
: To consolidate children's knowledge about the seasons. Cultivate attention, observation, partnerships.
Game rules
: Act on the teacher’s signal. Maintain the order.
Game action
: Compiling the seasons according to signs on the circles of Lull. Compiling a short story about the time of year according to signs.
Didactic material
: Lull circles for each child with story cards will be accepted.
Progress of the game
Children are given Llull circles with story cards for the seasons. Children should pick up story cards for the seasons in all circles and tell:
On the smallest circle, the state of the sun: the sun with rays, behind a cloud, without rays, etc.
On the second circle there are trees and plants according to the seasons: with leaves, with yellow leaves, snow-covered trees, etc.
In the third circle, activities for adults and children at different times of the year: swimming in the river, sledding, picking vegetables in the garden, etc.
— This time of year is summer. Because the sun is shining brightly. There are green leaves on the trees and flowers are blooming. People sunbathe and swim in the river.
— This time of year is spring. Green leaves appear on the trees. Streams run along the paths. The sun is shining, but the rays are still small. People took off their warm clothes and put on jackets and rubber boots. Etc.
What wind?
Didactic task
: To consolidate children’s knowledge about the phenomena of inanimate nature: the properties of wind.
Game rules
: Determine the positive or negative properties of the wind.
Game action:
They look at the plot picture and determine which wind is good or bad.
Didactic material
: plot pictures about the wind.
Progress of the game
The teacher displays a picture on a magnetic board. Children must determine which wind is good or bad?
— A window open from the wind, a broken vase on the floor.
— The girl cleans the room with a vacuum cleaner.
— The children are flying a kite.
— The girl calms the crying child and hands him a balloon.
— A boy launches a boat on the water.
— Strong wind in the forest and broken trees.
— There is a strong wind outside, and the children are walking in the yard.
Pick up the key
Didactic task:
To consolidate children's knowledge about the phenomena of inanimate nature: the sun, the moon, clouds.
Game rules:
Children select pictures of the corresponding color, assemble the picture and find the corresponding object from the picture. They guess riddles at the teacher’s signal.
Game action
: Collect cut-out pictures, find the corresponding object, guess riddles. Dialogue between teacher and children.
Didactic material
: cut-out pictures with the image of a key - colored, according to the number of children. Volumetric objects - keys of different shapes. A chest with riddles.
How didactic games are conducted in the senior group
In the senior group, conducting a didactic game will lead to the expected results only if all the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard and educational programs are taken into account. Guided by all these documents, the teacher must be convinced that the process will bring benefit to the children. At the same time, a developmental activity should not only become a form of mastering certain skills and knowledge, but also contribute to the overall development of children.
Developmental and educational value of the game
When it comes to older preschoolers, during the learning process the teacher must not only give children ready-made information, but also gradually complicate it, awakening in them the desire to learn new things and stimulate their cognitive activity.
Values of the didactic game
Important! To make it interesting for children, the game must contain a riddle, a mystery that the children will eventually have to solve.
Visual techniques
If a teacher uses visual aids in an educational game, then he must pay attention to the following nuances:
- The material should be selected taking into account its realism and scientific character. When it comes to objects, professions or phenomena, their image should be presented as realistically as possible.
- It is inappropriate to use fairy-tale and cartoon characters in the game.
- It is not recommended to unnecessarily overload the study process with material. It is necessary to put the preschooler in situations where he has to think and make decisions without relying on visual evidence.
Degree of independence of pupils
Every year the share of children's independence in didactic games is growing rapidly. At the very beginning, the teacher must make sure that the students understand the rules, and only after that invite them to play independently.
If in the process children themselves create their own rules based on existing ones, then the teacher should encourage such activity, since in most cases such a manifestation is worthy of attention and development.
Matching the game to the age of the children
Children in the older group of kindergarten are more attentive and diligent than the younger ones. They are already able to reflect, based on their experience, reason and think about their own actions. Therefore, the content and topics of classes for development are significantly expanded.
Note! Game processes that require a set amount of effort are interesting and age-appropriate for older preschoolers. They build determination and self-confidence in children.
Types of didactic games in the senior group of kindergarten
Didactic games in the senior group are divided into several varieties.
Types of didactic games
They are distinguished by the following criteria:
- educational content;
- cognitive activity;
- game actions and rules;
- children's organizations;
- role of the teacher.
The listed differences are inherent in all didactic games, but they appear more clearly in some than in others. Games are also classified:
- on sensory education;
- to get acquainted with nature and the surrounding world;
- on the formation of mathematical concepts;
- verbal;
- musical;
- on literacy preparation;
- figurative;
- with educational toys;
- pseudo-plot;
- desktop-printed.
By type of activity, game processes are as follows:
- trips;
- instructions;
- offers;
- puzzles;
- conversations or dialogues.
Note! The classification does not end there. The entire range of possible gaming techniques is huge. But as practice shows, the ones listed above are most often used.
Card index of educational games in the senior group of preschool educational institutions with goals according to the Federal State Educational Standard
Important! Modern kindergartens carry out their activities in accordance with the standards of the Federal State Educational Standard. When developing a thematic plan, each educator must take into account and implement learning activities in accordance with the requirements of the standard.
DI card index
Didactic game "Toys"
Dolls have existed for centuries; they are the best means of comprehensive development and socialization of children. Therefore, no kindergarten can do without a large play corner.
The purpose of the didactic game “Toys” is to get acquainted with different dolls and toys, to develop the ability to distinguish between them based on their main characteristics.
Tasks:
- formation of ideas about the types of toys, their size, geometric shape, color, number;
- enrichment of vocabulary on the topic “Children’s toys”;
- education of careful handling of toy objects;
- developing the ability to think logically and concentrate;
- improvement of finger motor skills, general coordination of movements, spatial orientation;
- development of speech skills, the ability to communicate, build a dialogue, listen to the interlocutor, answer questions, describe objects;
- development of imagination, visual perception.
Examples of didactic games in the senior group
All didactic game processes are specially developed by teachers for teaching children. The main goal is to combine business with pleasure. While playing, a child learns and develops certain skills. Now you can find a huge number of didactic games for children in the senior group of kindergarten on the Internet. You can print them out and offer them to children.
The most common of them are the following:
- “Good or bad” - the essence is that several life situations are reproduced, and the child must express his opinion and attitude. Develops speech, attention and memory.
- “Seasons” - 4 pictures depict the seasons. There are also cut cards with their signs. In the process, the child must correctly identify the signs of winter, spring, summer and autumn, and also arrange the cards in their places.
- “We teach the months of the year” - the child must know in what sequence the months of the year are distributed, and be able to determine, for example, that after December comes January, and after February comes March.
- “Search for objects in the picture” - helps develop children's memory while playing.
Note! A didactic game for a teacher is one of the most effective methods of achieving educational goals.
Children of the older group enjoy completing assigned tasks in the process, while developing certain skills and abilities for subsequent socialization.
Game options
The simplest version of the lesson is for the teacher to show a card, and the student names the illustrated object. For example: “Who is drawn here?” - “Crow”, “Swallow”, “Tit”, “Crane”, “Bullfinch”, “Cuckoo” - “Name what you drew in one word?” - "Birds". Or: “What is drawn here?” - “Boletus”, “Chanterelles”, “Honey mushrooms”, “Boletus”, “Volnushka”, “Green milk” - “And together is this?” - "Mushrooms".
For the didactic game “Name 1 word”, you can make cards in the following categories:
- pets;
- forest animals;
- birds of our region;
- insects;
- river fish;
- Marine life;
- fruits;
- flowers;
- edible mushrooms;
- vegetables;
- berries;
- trees;
- transport;
- Kids toys;
- cookware;
- furniture;
- food products;
- sports accessories;
- school supplies;
- wardrobe;
- musical instruments;
- household tools.
You can organize a team game. Have the students divide into two groups. The teacher shows cards to groups of players in random order. Children must list the objects and give them a common name. The team with the most correct answers wins.
When playing with cards, you can combine objects not only by general properties, but also by color, edibility or inedibility, living or inanimate state.
You can also make a fun puzzle game. For it, you need to cut out pictures of such a shape that images of the same category are combined into a single canvas. The players' task is to correctly put together puzzles, name the objects depicted and the concept that unites them.
