Research On Applying Concept Mapping To Preschool Education

With concept mapping as a instructional strategy, a tool of learning, evaluation, creation, support cooperates and communication and a tool of curriculum design and development and so on, more and more researchers focus on it.The study had completed two tasks in quantity and quality method: First, we had proved the value of concept mapping in preschool education in theory;Second, we had carried out three experiments to prove the value of concept mapping in preschool education in practice.The first experiment was on the review of 4～5 year-old children's ability of learning stories. The results showed that concept mapping was a good instructional strategy of teachers and a good meaningful learning tool of 4～5 year-old children. Compared to traditional instructional strategies, concept mapping improved the performance of learning stories more effectively. Concept mapping was a good study tool to all the children and there was no gender difference. The experiment had some significance to develop the Early Reading in preschool education.The second experiment was on the review of 4～6 year-old children's representation of Information Technology. The results showed that 4～6 year-old children had primarily understood the Information Technology. The children had some age differences and sex preference. The experiment had proven that concept mapping was a good tool of evaluation of preschool children's learning and development, and had some significance to develop the Information Technology in preschool education.The third experiment was on the review of preschool teachers' understanding of "Observation". The results showed that teachers' understanding of Observation stayed in the experience level. They had not mastered the scientific observation method. As teachers who came from Singapore and Shanghai of China had different understanding of "Observation", it proved that concept mapping was a good tool of evaluation of teachers' knowledge and belief. The experiment had some significance to develop preschool teachers' specialized quality.At last, it pointed out the question now in applying concept mapping and the direction of the study in the future.