Sociometric survey of preschool children

Sociometric research in a group of preschoolers is conducted in a game form. Children are invited to give each other gifts in secret. Given the peculiarities of age, when the volitional processes in children are not yet developed enough, and keep information in secret until not every child, the educator organizes with them in the process of playing collective activities: reading, drawing or listening to music.

A sociometric survey is conducted by a researcher who is little familiar with the collective of children. It is not recommended that this procedure be carried out by the teacher of the group. Children can, when distributing gifts, focus not on their desire, but on the opinion of the group's educator. The researcher has a table prepared in advance on the table, including the list of children. The sociometry method assumes the children's choice of three peers, to whom he would give one gift. In the table, the choices made are 1, 2 and 3. As gifts, children can give cards, colorful illustrations, stickers or decals

Preschool children react painfully if they are left without gifts. Therefore, before the game begins, children are given instructions that they must give three friends to one picture, but they, too, someone will put a gift in the locker. The researcher is stocked with extra cards in case someone leaves the group without a present. The sociometric survey includes a number of questions:

1) To whom would you give the first gift? The second? Third? Why him?

2) If you had the opportunity to all children to make a gift, but one card would not be enough. Who would not have a card? Why?

After the sociometric survey is completed, the child does not return to the group, but leaves the next room to the children who have already undergone the procedure. This is done in order to prevent the possibility of children to agree on who to give gifts to. The process of the game itself can be held in the locker room, where each preschooler has his own locker or in the classroom, where children have permanent seats, and special signed folders are prepared for gifts.

A sociometric survey is conducted to identify positive and negative choices for each child. The researcher evaluates the reciprocity of elections, i. Establishes friendships. Additionally traces the relationship of boys and girls, analyzes the causes of negative elections, which is possible, and is the cause of conflicts, negative attitudes among preschoolers.

Sociometry is also a definition of the status of children in a group. The more a child receives gifts from peers (the number of elections), the higher his status. There are four status groups: leaders, preferred, accepted and outcast children. Leaders, usually, have 4-5 or more gifts, and outcasts do not receive a single gift. The teacher, together with the researcher, analyzes the reasons for the rejection of children, their rejection in the team. The cause may be the incidence of a child who rarely visits a group, inability to play with peers, untidy appearance or aggressive behavior.

Based on the results of the study, the teacher and psychologist make up a plan for corrective work with children who found themselves in the status of outcasts. The results of the game "Secret" can also indirectly indicate the relationship between the teacher and the children. So, if there are many leaders and rejected people in the group, one can consider the teacher's style to be authoritarian, and if there is a uniform distribution of children by status groups - democratic.

Sociometric research can be supplemented by observations on the children's play activity , diagnostic conversations with children about friendship.