How to develop a child's mind and thinking?
However, let's be honest: our thinking also sometimes fails us. Here, for example, we could not understand a simple thing, there we failed to foresee the consequences of our actions, once we did not take into account the current situation, etc. As a result - ridiculous mistakes, annoying mistakes. They occur especially often in training (it is difficult to understand the material, solve the problem) and in work (it is not easy and not immediately given to make the right decision).
Thinking in our life performs many different functions. The main thing, apparently, are two: understanding and creativity. Understanding provides us with a correct understanding of the situation, the accumulated knowledge of mankind, etc. Creativity contributes to the generation of new discoveries, both small (for themselves) and large (for society). These same functions of thinking are interrelated: on the one hand, to create well, you need to understand the material well, and on the other - to understand the material well, you need to treat it creatively.
Thinking is an extremely complex mental process, and many of its twists and" zigzags " remain unraveled for science. But it is indisputable that large and complex thinking begins with relatively small and relatively simple operations and properties that actually act as gears, motors, and drive belts of any thinking process, and without them it would simply stall.
It is believed that the peculiarities of thinking are determined from birth: one got the best, the other-the worst, and nothing can be done about it. However, a number of psychological experiments, in which it was possible to significantly improve thinking even in children who were considered hopeless in this regard, refute this position. I think it's no exaggeration to say that our thinking is in our hands. It is possible to develop, improve, improve.
Some games that are specifically designed to develop thinking (they are called intellectual) are useful not only for children, but also for adults. For most of the following, it is enough to have only a sheet of paper and a pencil at hand.
Games have to be played with friends or family. And not only because it's more fun and interesting. The fact is that almost the main meaning of these games is just the possibility of exchanging different approaches to the performance of game tasks and thereby significantly expanding the "thinking range" of each of the game participants.
Games are arranged in order of increasing difficulty and in some cases rely on one another. Some of them are based on well-known methods of teaching thinking and imagination in psychology, and some of them are developed by the author. So, sit back and let's get started.
MAKING SENTENCES
Three words are taken at random that are not closely related in meaning, for example, "lake", "pencil " and"bear". It is necessary to make as many sentences as possible that would necessarily include these three words. Answers can be banal ("the Bear missed a pencil in the lake"), complex, with going beyond the situation indicated by three words and introducing new objects ("the Boy took a pencil and drew a bear that was fishing in the lake"), and creative, including these objects in non-standard connections ("The boy, thin as a pencil, stood near the lake, which roared like a bear").
When summing up the results of this and the games described below, it is important to find the" Golden mean " between quantity and quality: on the one hand, it is necessary to encourage more diverse responses, on the other hand, original and creative ones deserve special encouragement.
The game develops the ability to quickly establish a variety of, sometimes completely new connections and relationships between familiar objects, creatively create new complete combinations of individual disparate elements.
THE SEARCH FOR COMMON THINGS
These features may include both essential and non-essential ones. Try to determine and justify which group and why each of the features you have named belongs to. At the same time, you should not be afraid that your thinking will begin to "slide" into non-essential ones in the future. On the contrary, having felt "with your own hands" what they are specifically, you can always recognize them in time and warn the movement of your thoughts in this direction. Although in other settings, for example, in technical creativity, focusing on hidden, non-essential features can be very useful.
The game teaches you to find a lot of common points, "connections" in disparate objects and events, and to highlight such connections that usually do not lie on the surface.
EXCLUDING AN EXTRA WORD
Any three words are taken, for example, "dog", "tomato", "sun". It is necessary to leave only those words that denote similar objects in some way, and one word, "superfluous", which does not have this common feature for them, should be excluded. You should find as many options as possible to exclude the extra word, and most importantly - more features that combine each remaining pair of words and are not inherent in the excluded extra. Without neglecting the options that immediately suggest themselves (exclude "dog", and" tomato "and" sun " leave, because they are round), it is advisable to look for non-standard and at the same time very accurate solutions. The winner is the one with the most answers.
The game develops the ability not only to establish unexpected relationships between disparate objects, but also to easily move from one relationship to another, without "getting hung up" on them. The game teaches you to simultaneously hold several items in the" field of thinking " at once, comparing them with each other. There are completely different ways to combine and dismember a certain group of items, and therefore you should not limit yourself to a single "correct" solution that came to mind, you need to look for a whole set of them.
THE SEARCH FOR ANALOGS
The name of an object or phenomenon, for example, "helicopter". It is necessary to write out as many of its analogues as possible, that is, other items that are similar to it in various essential features. You should also organize these analogs into groups, depending on what property of the given subject they were selected for. For example, in this case, it can be called "bird", " butterfly "(fly and land); "bus", train " (vehicles); "corkscrew" (important parts rotate), etc. The winner is the one who named the largest number of groups of analogs.
The game teaches you to identify a wide variety of properties in the subject and operate separately with each of them, forms the ability to classify phenomena by their characteristics.
SEARCH FOR OPPOSITE ITEMS
The name of an object or phenomenon, for example, "house". It is necessary to name as many other items as possible that are somewhat opposite to this one. At the same time, you should focus on various features of the subject and systematize its opposites (antipodes) by groups. For example, in our case, they can be called: "barn" (the opposite in size and degree of comfort), "field" (open or closed space), "station" (your own or someone else's room), and so on. The winner is the one who indicated the largest number of groups of opposite items, clearly arguing their answers.
The game forms the ability to "scoop out" various properties of an object and use them to search for other objects, teaches you to compare objects with each other, clearly highlighting what exactly they have in common and what is different.
SEARCH FOR CONNECTING LINKS
Two items are set, for example, "shovel" and "car". It is necessary to name the items that are like a "bridge" from the first to the second. They must have a clear logical connection with both of the specified subjects. For example, in our case, it can be an "excavator" (with a shovel similar in function and a vehicle like a car), a "worker" (he digs with a shovel and at the same time the owner of the car), and others. You can also use two or three connecting links (shovel wheelbarrow-trailer-car). Particular attention is paid to the clear justification and disclosure of the content of each link between neighboring elements of the chain. The winner is the one who finds the largest number of diverse and clearly reasoned solutions.
The game makes it possible to easily and quickly establish connections ("build bridges") between phenomena that seem at first glance far from each other, as well as to find objects that have common features simultaneously with several other objects.
WAYS TO USE THE ITEM
The name of a well-known object, for example, "book" Should be listed as many ways to use it: the book can be used as a stand for a movie projector, you can use it to cover a letter lying on the table from prying eyes, etc. (of course, immoral, barbaric ways of using it are prohibited). The winner is the one who specifies the largest number of different functions of the item.
The game develops the ability to concentrate thinking on one subject, the ability to introduce it to various situations and relationships, to discover unexpected opportunities in the unusual.
By the way, the psychological mechanism underlying many discoveries lies precisely in the ability to see in an ordinary object with traditional properties assigned to it a completely unexpected way of using it.
IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF THE CONCEPT
A well-known concept is called, for example, "sport". It is necessary to write out its essential signs. For example, the presence of an orchestra, a podium, a bar, etc. is clearly insignificant, because there are a lot of situations that are undoubtedly related to the dispute, in which there are no signs. What is essential? For sure, you need an athlete in sports, you need training... (continue the list yourself). The winner is the one who names all the important signs, provided that there is not a single insignificant one among them. The answers are checked and discussed by all players.
The game develops the ability to "look at the root", grasp only the essence of the phenomenon, distracting from particular features. This ability is extremely important for comprehension of new things: after all, understanding is "wiping" thoughts through insignificant signs to essential ones.
THE FORMULATION OF DEFINITIONS
It is called a familiar object or phenomenon, for example, "hole". It is necessary to give it the most accurate, "scientific" definition, which would necessarily include all the essential features of this phenomenon and would relate to non-essential ones. The winner is the one whose definition uniquely characterizes this subject, that is, any of its varieties are necessarily covered by this definition, and no other subject falls under it.
The game teaches clarity and harmony of thinking, the ability to fix essential features, distracting from non-essential ones, and also develop the ability to cover a variety of manifestations of the same object with one "mind's eye", sometimes unlike each other. This game is especially useful for those students who have difficulty formulating, understanding, or memorizing definitions.
The game necessarily requires several participants - you need to check the definitions, approve or refute them with counterexamples. Collective creativity is also possible: when the best is jointly developed on the basis of different definitions.
EXPRESSION OF THOUGHT IN OTHER WORDS
Take a simple phrase, for example: "This summer will be very warm." We need to offer several ways to convey the same idea in other words. At the same time, none of the words in the original sentence should be used (imagine that these words suddenly disappeared from the language, but the idea still needs to be expressed somehow). It is important to make sure that the meaning of the statement is not distorted, so that its essence is preserved. The winner is the one with more than three options.
The game is aimed at developing the ability to easily operate with words, accurately expressing your thoughts and transmitting others'. It is known that the criterion of understanding is freedom of expression: what we understand well, we can easily Express in our own words, using different options for this (and if there is no clarity, we cling to the verbal wording and are afraid to move away from it). But this connection also has the opposite manifestation: understanding is often achieved at the moment when we can Express an incomprehensible phrase in other words, "translate into your own language" (to make sure of this, follow how you come to understand a complex, obscure passage of text). This is the skill you need to get in the game.
BUILDING CAUSE-AND-EFFECT CHAINS
Two unrelated events are taken at random, for example: "a Squirrel, sitting on a tree, missed a nut" and "the school Principal was deprived of the award". It is necessary to establish a connection between them, that is, to trace a series of natural transitions from the first event to the second, and then Vice versa. It is advisable to offer several possible answers. As an example, not the most original transition: "a Fallen nut hit a dog walking in the woods, it ran in fright and bit the leg of a boy walking along the path, the boy was an athlete because of the bite could not participate in sports competitions, as a result, his school did not take a prize." The winner is the one who offers the largest number of chains, you can agree on additional points for originality.
LIST OF POSSIBLE CAUSES
Some extraordinary situation is described. for example: "when you Returned from the store, you found your apartment door open." It is necessary as soon as possible to name the reasons for this fact, its possible explanations. The reasons may be banal ("Forgot to close", "thieves got In"), but you should not discard the unlikely, unusual (up to the arrival of the Martians). The winner is the one who offers more reasons, and the more diverse they are, the better.
The game develops the ability to immediately see when solving any problem (or understanding a certain phenomenon) a wide range of reasons, work out a variety of "versions", without losing sight of any, and only then plan your actions. What do we do all the time? We stop at the first hypothesis that comes to mind, which at least somewhat satisfactorily explains what happened, and we do not look for other explanations. Imperceptibly, a hypothesis, that is, only an assumption, develops into a belief. This fate is inevitable for the monopoly hypothesis. How many mistakes in life this turns out to be!
LIST OF TITLES TO THE STORY
A short story or message is taken. For example: "Some children do not want to study or go for a walk - they spend all their time watching TV. The father of two such boys from Washington came up with an original way to fight this TV fever. He unplugged the TV from the mains and connected it to a small Dynamo that had to be set in motion by sitting on a Bicycle frame and working his legs hard to maintain the right voltage. After that, the boys ' interest in TV significantly decreased."
It is necessary to choose as many different titles for the story as possible,reflecting its content. Titles can be strict, logical ("a Way to teach children to watch TV"), or formal, that is, essentially correct, but not grasping the main thing ("Father and sons"), or imaginative, bright, emotional ("Velotelevizor").
The game develops the ability to Express the essence of a passage of text (or an event) in a single phrase. This ability is the basis of such emotional techniques of understanding and remembering, such as drawing up a text diagram or its plan. The more developed it is, the easier it is to assimilate texts.
SHORT STORY
A short story or message is read out, for example: "a Resident of the English city of farington D. White has been robbed eight times in the past two years. It got to the point where he was just afraid to walk down the street. And when white recently went to a pay phone to call a taxi after going out to the store, he found that unknown people had locked the booth. Go after accomplices or wait for an opportunity to attack and Rob again-white thought in a panic and immediately dialed the police number, begging them to come quickly and save him. When the patrol arrived, they found that no one had thought to lock the poor man up. Just box opened inward, and John was breaking out." (Of course, the end is contrived, as the door to the phone booth always opens outward.)
The story content should be transferred as quickly, using only one-two or three sentences (and there is not a single superfluous word). At the same time, the essence and main content of the story should be preserved, while minor points and details should be discarded. The winner is the one who has a shorter story and more accurate content.
The game is especially useful for those who have a mind that is not very clear and highly organized, clinging to the little things, not reaching the main thing. In a relaxed game environment, simple texts gradually develop and strengthen an extremely important ability: to fix only the most basic things with extreme accuracy, and to cut off all the secondary things without pity.
BUILDING A MESSAGE USING THE ALGORITHM
Participants of the game agree that telling about any events offered by one of the players or chosen by each player independently, they will clearly adhere to a certain algorithm that is common to all. For example, it is convenient to use the following: fact (what exactly happened) - reason-reason-accompanying event-analogies and comparisons-consequences. That is, no matter what it is, the narrator must record in his message all the marked moments and in this sequence. You can also use the algorithm proposed by Cicero: who-what-where-what-why-how-when. You can develop your own algorithms similar to the above ones. Of course, you should not use algorithms blindly and formally: in some messages, the answers to some points do not make sense (for example, when describing a natural disaster, the "who" and "why" parts of the algorithm are not needed). First, let these algorithms be in front of you on a piece of paper, then gradually they will be remembered.
The game disciplines thinking, teaches you to analyze, remember, and report on something, be sure to highlight the named aspects in it, thereby allowing you to look much wider and deeper at the phenomenon. It is useful not to limit the selection of a single cause or effect, but to specify the entire possible set. Then you will suddenly see the same phenomenon in a different light.
So, the game is not a waste of time, not an empty fun, but an extremely complex and psychologically rich type of activity that can provide a noticeable improvement in your thinking, increasing its speed and depth.
If you want to learn to think easily and playfully, learn to think by playing.
TASK FOR THE READER
Now that you've read the article, we suggest you try your hand at several games.
1. Identify the essential features in the concept of "sign" and formulate the definition of the subject "strip".
2. Put in other words the statement " in the Spring, hope is born in the soul."
3. Establish a connection between two events using a causal chain (you should get a little story): "The house burned out traffic jams ... floating on the river rose approached the shore."
4. In the section "Notes on Soviet science and technology" published in this issue, change the headings to more imaginative and enticing in your opinion, without forgetting the essence of what is stated in the note.
List of references
E. stutterer, candidate of psychological Sciences. Learn to think while playing.