In the dissertation the theoretical and methodical bases of preparation of future social workers for activity with gifted children are substantiated for the first time.
An attempt was made to extrapolate the problem of gifted children to the sphere of professional activity of social workers. The essential features of the basic concepts of the research are specified. The author's interpretation of the concepts such as «professional training», «professional readiness», «activities of a social worker with gifted children», «giftedness», «gifted child», «professional training of future social workers to work with gifted children», «professional readiness of future social workers to work with gifted children» are introduced. Systematically typologized (classified) types of giftedness. The functions of the specialist of the specified sphere concerning activity with gifted children are specified (diagnostic, prognostic, preventive, organizational, communicative, mediation, preventive, protective, assistance and support (social and therapeutic). Defined the concept of «training future social workers to work with gifted children» as the possession of a set of knowledge, professional skills and abilities, as well as the formation of their personal and professional qualities in accordance with society's demands for a social specialist. As a result, we consider the professional readiness to work with gifted children. It is interpreted as a complex integrative personal formation that formed in the process of training and self-improvement and based on professional knowledge, the totality of personal and professional qualities, and skills to identify and encourage the development of children's talents, their positive motivation for creativity, reflection providing successful professional work.
The Ukrainian and foreign experience of professional training of social workers is analyzed, its main ideas are singled out, the implementation of which is expedient in the national educational environment.
The methodological approaches that determined the general direction of the study are systemic, activity, competence, personality-oriented, axiological, culturological. The principles are implemented at the methodological (scientific, historicism, system, continuity, connection of theory with practice), general didactic (clarity, independence, creativity, creativity, integration) and personal levels (consciousness and activity, values to knowledge, mobility). Criteria (motivational-target, cognitive-research, activity-technological, personal-creative and reflexive-volitional) and levels of readiness of future social workers for the specified activity in four dimensions are characterized as high, sufficient, average, low.
The organizational and pedagogical conditions of the process of preparation of future social workers to work with gifted children (permanent updating of the content of educational and methodological support of professional training of future social workers to work with gifted children; provision of practice-oriented educational process; introduction of informational educational technologies into the educational process) expansion of the subjects of interaction in the training of social workers) are highlighted.
A structural and functional model of the readiness formation of students majoring in 231 «Social Work» to activities with gifted children on the basis of the interaction of target, content, theoretical and methodological, organizational and methodological, practical and control-effective blocks is introduced.
The obtained results of the experimental research testify the effectiveness of the developed and implemented author's model of the process of professional training of future social workers to work with gifted children.
Prospects and program tasks of social work development in the specified branch are outlined.
