OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF PRESCHOOLERS IN OUTDOOR KINDERGARTENS

Abstract

Scientific problem. Pre-school education is mainly focused on the development of intelligence. Too little attention is paid to the development of feelings (emotions). There is a lack of research, practical recommendations related to the perception of emotions in preschoolers, teaching to manage and use them effectively. Lithuania is turning to nature, but little has been studied how it can help to develop children's emotional intelligence. Problematic questions, i.e. what are the possibilities of developing emotional intelligence in Outdoor kindergartens; what is the role of educators working in Outdoor Kindergartens in developing a child's emotional intelligence.

The aim of research – to reveal the possibilities of developing children's emotional intelligence in the Outdoor Kindergartens.

Research tasks:

1. To reveal the concept and expression of emotional intelligence in childhood.
2. To analyze the possibilities of developing emotional intelligence in Outdoor kindergartens.
3. To study the opinion of educators about the possibilities of developing emotional intelligence in preschoolers in Outdoor kindergartens.

Research methods: Analysis of scientific literature and documents, qualitative research (semi-structured interview), qualitative analysis of the content.

Main results. It can be stated that, in the opinion of informants, emotional intelligence has links with the development of the child. First of all, the child is focused on self-knowledge and only later begins to understand and recognize the emotions of others. Self-regulation is revealed in the fifth year of a child's life. The responses of informants confirmed that the development of emotional intelligence improves the well-being of children, promotes positive feelings. Educators use the recommendations given in the scientific literature, look for the most effective ways and means. It is noticed that nature and outdoor activities have a huge impact on the development of the child's emotional intelligence. The concept of outdoor kindergartens is not to have a single space, i.e. to travel constantly, experience, explore. The difficulties that educators working in outdoor kindergartens have to face are not specific.

Conclusions.

1. Emotional intelligence is a combination of three components (self-knowledge, cognition of others and self-regulation). The best results are achieved when the development of emotional intelligence begins as early as possible and in as many ways as possible.
2. The peculiarities of the activities of outdoor kindergartens stimulate the experiential education of children, stimulate the development of children and help to develop emotional self-control and self-confidence. The child makes decisions, acquires personal experience in interaction with the natural environment.
3. Educators who participated in the study emphasized that functional spaces located in Outdoor Kindergartens are very important for the development of children's emotional intelligence. The participants of the study emphasized that the nature that constantly surrounds children, natural objects stimulate positive emotions of children, bring joy.