Fairytale Therapy in the Speech Development System of Preschool-age Children

Abstract. Difficult social conditions lead to an expanding range of problems that require solutions at the pedagogical level. Fairytale therapy is an effective method used to exert a direct influence on the emotional and sensory spheres of the personality to change behaviour patterns and provide an analysis of children’ innate abilities. In this article the theoretical principles of the use of fairytale therapy in psycho-pedagogical practice are substantiated. In particular the criteria and the performance indicators of speech development of preschool-age children were determined in situations where they engaged in fairytale-related play: 1) the level of fairytale-based learning; the ability to recount familiar fairytales; the ability to evaluate their own narration and that of a friend; 2) children's self-sufficiency in making up plots involving fairytale-based situations; the originality of the fictitious fairytale plot; and the presence of tools for creative self-expression. Particular emphasis is put on the children’s creative self-expression in speech, to which the use of fairytale therapy contributes directly: children are immersed in the fairytale world, which extends the maximum speech activity of the children in the educational/developmental setting of their school; the presence of positive emotional stimuli in formulating creative narratives; the devising of successful scenarios in activities involving a combination of speech and play-acting; providing incentives for oral self-expression and creative initiative in preschool-age children in fairytale-related situations. The results of the research which was conducted demonstrate that the use of the fairytale-therapy method is appropriate and justified