Theoretical substantiation of the problem of developing a child’s initiative in cognitive, creative and communicative-speech activities (review of publications)
DOI: 10.23951/2307-6127-2026-3-177-190
Scientific and pedagogical knowledge about the development of children’s initiative has been formalized in the history of pedagogy for a long time. From the 17th century to the early 20th century, educators who advocated free education linked the development of children’s initiative with their mastery of cognitive, creative, playful, and aesthetic activities. They believed that to develop children’s initiative, teachers must consider their age-specific characteristics, create the necessary subject environment, and provide them with the opportunity to act independently as much as possible. In the 1920s and 1930s, pedagogy began to pay special attention to the influence of the social environment on child development. In particular, L.S. Vygotsky, adhering to radical views on free education, believed that children’s joint activities with other people are a decisive factor in the development of their initiative – freedom from external influences and the ability to go beyond the perceived situation. L.S. Vygotsky’s ideas began to be developed by his followers, beginning in the 1950s. In the 20th century, they explored the development of children’s activities under adult guidance, their impact on personality development, and their initiative. Analysis of the authors’ concepts of the genesis of communicative, cognitive-research, creative, productive, and playful activities in children, as well as joint adult-child activities, allowed them to clarify the concept, types, components, and specifics of the development of children’s initiative. A promising direction for further research could be a review of contemporary publications on the issue discussed in this article and their comparative analysis with the conceptual propositions of representatives of child development pedagogy in activity.
Keywords: preschool age, initiative, joint activities of adults and children, development of children’s initiative
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Issue: 3, 2026
Series of issue: Issue 3
Rubric: REVIEWS
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