RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN QUALITY OF ENVIRONMENT AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOL AGE

The article presents the results of a study aimed to analyze the relationship between the mental development of older preschool age children and the quality of the literacy environment in which they are immersed. The study involved 250 children from 8 kindergarten groups. To obtain a more detailed analysis and comparison of the children's mental development parameters, two most contrasting groups were chosen. The study found that the indicators of mental development of the emotional and personal and cognitive spheres are higher in kindergarten children with higher indicators of literacy environment quality, especially regarding the specific features of child-adult communication and the conditions necessary for children to develop their reasoning skills in the process of communication. This study concludes that the research outcomes reflect important features of the mental development process in children included in this or that literacy environment. The study results can serve as a basis for further elaboration of recommendations on how to organize an environment in a pre-school educational institution. (c) 2017 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK