Assessing the Level of Verbal Intelligence in Preschool Children as Important Element of Cognitive Abilities

Abstract

The article presents the concepts of verbal intelligence as one of the main elements of a person’s cognitive abilities, as well as basic criteria for school readiness. The features of the theory of cognitive psychology, namely: the multiple intelligence of Howard Gardner, who identified eight basic types of intelligence (linguistic, interpersonal, existential, naturalistic, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, visual-spatial, logical-mathematical), are highlighted.

In a theoretical study, we have analysed the general meaning of the concept of intelligence from the point of view of cognitive psychology, and we specified it by outlining the main characteristics of multiple intelligence. We also conducted an analysis of the scientific works of specialists specializing in working with models of cognitive-speech activity and investigated the linguistic mind in preschool children. Not only a certain type of intellect is considered, but also all the others that were named by Gardner, their main aspects of influence on a personality are revealed, they appear even in preschool age.

In the empirical part of the study, methods were used to diagnose the verbal level of intelligence of the basic element of cognitive abilities in preschool children. They are aimed at researching the ability to generalize and analyse verbal information, identifying the ability to classify objects according to common features, differentiate emotional states in the process of communication, and also establish the level of vocabulary of pre-schoolers. According to these indicators, 90 pre-schoolers were diagnosed, and their level of verbal intelligence was revealed.

The paper identifies the main features, skills that a child possesses with a high average or low level of intelligence, correction methods, in order to improve low results.