EARLY AGE CHILDREN'S COGNITIVE COMPETENCE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

Relevance of the topic: Cognitive competence stimulates children's curiosity, information collecting, its processing and interest in the surrounding environment. Children are active researchers of the environment, interpreters of knowledge and experience (Baltakienė, Povilaikienė, 2016). Competence development through experience stimulates children's natural curiosity, satisfies the child's need to explore, all this builds confidence in one's own knowledge and abilities, and the challenges of experiential learning promotes problem solving, critical thinking and learning skills and strengthens learning motivation (Baltakienė, Povilaikienė, 2016). The problem of the research: how to promote the development of cognitive competence in early age children through discoveries, tests and experiments? The object of the research: is the development of cognitive competence (s) in early age children through discoveries, tests and experiments. The aim of the research: to reveal the development of cognitive competence in early age children through discoveries, tests and experiments. Research tasks: To theoretically substantiate the development of cognitive competence of early age children through discoveries, tests and experiments; To empirically reveal the attitude of parents and teachers to the development of cognitive competence of early-age children through discoveries, tests and experiments. Research results: The study revealed the importance of developing experiential education for children at an early age. Education through discoveries, tests and experiments stimulates curiosity and interest, encourages children to explore, develops children's competencies and encourages experiential learning. Parents and educators agreed that the involvement of parents in the development of children's cognitive competence is important. Parents of young children participate in the educational process by providing tools, cooperating with teachers and implementing ideas. The results of the research revealed: it is important to develop children's experiential education at an early age, and the most appropriate way to get to know the environment is play. Respondents understand that the family and educators should become educational partners by getting involved in the development of children's cognitive competence in the institution (group), so they get involved in various ways - cooperating with educators, sharing tools or implementing ideas of educators. Educators distinguish that cognitive ability, motor skills, concentration, self-control are strengthened through experience, they are most successful in getting children interested in innovations, coming up with ideas for activities, observing and recording the progress made by children, but they also face difficulties: working in large groups, insufficient means, loss of children's interest.