Makarova L. Psychological peculiarities of perception of music by primary school students.

The dissertation presents outcomes of research on psychological characteristics of a piece of music perception observed in the process of adequate music appreciation development in primary school children. Analyzed was the structure of music language's spatial components bearing informative function, such as horizontal dimension, vertical dimension, and depth; elucidated was the meaningful significance thereof for primary school children. Experiential data proved these spatial components to determine the starting points of a musical image experiencing and understanding by a child. Theoretical grounds are provided and experimental evidence obtained that the ability to sense the aforementioned spatial components is related to the level of musical abilities development in pupils. This enables us to diagnose objectively the level of adequacy in music perception. This level of adequacy can undergo quality changes resulting from purposeful development of musical material spatial differentiation skills. The criteria for and levels of music perception adequacy were elicited with respect to primary school children. Possibility of adequate music perception forming was proved, given the psychological features characteristic of perception at the primary school age. A series of tasks and techniques is proposed, aimed at development of musical material spatial differentiation skills in children.