Development of intellectual abilities of preschool children by means of STEM education

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the concept of intellectual abilities of preschool children. It is determined that intellectual development is understood as a set of quantitative and qualitative changes that occur in the cognitive mental processes of a child under the influence of the child’s environment and own experience. The core of intellectual development is mental abilities. It is emphasized that the devel- opment of intellectual abilities occurs in various types of preschoolers’ activities: play, construction, and learning activities. The influence of STEM education on the development of preschool children’s intellectual abilities is investigated. It is proved that the use of STEM education contributes to the creation of a model of educational environment for the development of prerequisites for scientific and technical creativity and intellectual activity of preschoolers, variability of the content of the educational process in the group, which makes it possible to take initiative and independence in various activities. To achieve this goal, such research methods as analysis and generalization of philosophical and psychological-pedagogical literature, state documents on preschool education were used to determine the terminological field of the study. The classification and generalization of existing practical developments and own pedagogical experience in the implementaƟon of STEM education in the educational process of preschool education institutions are applied. Effective methods and means for the development of students’ intellectual abilities are substantiated: robotics, construction, mental arithmetic, logical tasks, experiments, research, etc. It has been established that STEM educaƟon has a positive impact on the development of a child’s cognitive processes: perception, memory, thinking, speech, imagination. The need to create appropriate curricula, laboratories, and centers for the development of STEM skills in preschoolers is emphasized.