THEORETICAL PREREQUISITES OF THE FORMATION OF THE BASIS OF READING COMPETENCE OF YOUNGER SCHOOL STUDENTS

The article reveals the theoretical prerequisites for the formation of the foundations of reading competence of younger schoolchildren through involvement in reading activities. The logical sequence of concepts is singled out: reading ‒ reading activity ‒ reading competence. The essence of reading is proved; it consists of an attempt to connect reading with reading activity and its results ‒ readiness to read a book independently and the ability to use the acquired knowledge for one’s own purposes. It has been established that becoming a reader, interest in books is born through knowledge of books and actions with them, reluctance to read can be provoked by learning itself. The definition of “reading activity”, which has an indisputable value as a universal human value, as work and creativity, as an opportunity for the comprehensive development of the personality of a junior high school student, has been revealed. Considering reading activity as a system of purposeful and motivated actions, we believe that it should be motivated by adequate motives directly related to its content. It is assumed that the formed foundations of the reading competence of younger schoolchildren can be achieved by developing the specified reading skills and knowledge, but not at the expense of extensive methods, but as a result of pedagogical modeling, the development of special technologies for teaching reading, developing personal-value, information-communicative and educational-cognitive abilities of younger schoolchildren. The following components of reading activity are distinguished: the motivational sphere, the cognitive basis of the reading process, the content aspect of reading, the communicative sphere, the informational basis as the ability to use literary terms, the emotional and aesthetic basis of reading. The concept of “reading activity” and “reading competence” was compared. We connect the prospects of further research with solving the issues of formation of such reading competences of junior high school students, such as the competence of personal self-improvement, cultural and social competences, with the development of technology for training teachers for the formation of reading competence of junior high school students and the technology of continuity between the initial and basic stages of the educational process. Keywords: prerequisites; formation; reading competence; younger schoolchildren; reading activity; reading; primary education; reading skills; reader.