Age-related features of analytical observation in 6—7-year-old children with normal speech development and general speech underdevelopment (level III) (report 1)

Context and relevance. Analytical observation (analytical perception) is the foundation of the entire educational process for both preschool and school-age children. In cases of general speech underdevelopment (GSU), a decrease in mental tone is observed, one manifestation of which is insufficient analytical observation. Children fail to notice all the components of what is being observed and their qualitative characteristics. This manifestation is also accompanied by the child's difficulty in sustaining attention while examining something for the required duration. The learning process always employs a large amount of pictorial material, which serves various functions. Insufficient analytical observation leads to all subsequent analysis of the observed being based on an incomplete foundation. Objective. To identify the age-related features of analytical observation in 6—7-year-old children with normal speech development and general speech underdevelopment (III level) based on the analysis of story pictures. Methods and materials. A modified version of the “Story Sequencing” methodology was used: examine the pictures and compose a short story based on them; narrate what is depicted in the pictures from the perspectives of different characters. Results. The number of erroneous responses made during generalized description of the analyzed plot and during description from the perspectives of different characters by 6—7-year-old children with normal speech development and with GSU (level III) is presented. Categories that can be distinguished in the children's narratives are indicated. Substantial differences in the types of erroneous responses noted in children with normal speech development and children with GSU (level III) are of interest. A quantitative and qualitative characterization of these responses is provided: types of erroneous responses are given with examples, along with the number of such responses and the quantitative difference between the results of children with normal speech development and children with GSU (level III). More detailed information and corresponding conclusions will be presented in the article “Age-Related Features of Analytical Observation in 6—7-Year-Old Children with Normal Speech Development and with General Speech Underdevelopment (Level III) (Report 2)”.