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Relevance of the article. The use of digital educational technologies in preschool education is one of the urgent problems of our time. Its relevance is determined by a number of factors: the need of modern society for the maximum approximation of educational organizations, including preschool ones, to modern digital technologies, the lack of clearly developed methods for the use of new information technologies in preschool institutions; lack of equipment for the successful education of children in a digital educational environment. The article discusses the possibilities of using the digital educational environment in the educational process and its impact on the formation of the intellectual abilities of children of senior preschool age.

The aim of the study is to develop, experimentally test and describe the pedagogical conditions for the development of intellectual abilities of children of senior preschool age in the process of using the digital educational environment in preschool.

Research progress. The study was conducted on the basis of a kindergarten in Ulyanovsk: 80 children of 5–6 years of age participated in the experiment. In the process of diagnostics, the following methods were used: “Color and shape differentiation” (selectively, the learning ability test of G. Witzlak was used), “Determining the degree of formation of logical thinking actions” (N.B. Venger), “Colored numbers” (Kuizener sticks), “Computing machines” and “Word transformation” (the game of A.A. Stolyar was used), the method of Beloshistaya A.V. The study consisted in determining the pedagogical conditions for the intellectual development of older preschoolers in the process of using the digital educational environment, developing and implementing a system aimed at teaching children the basics of computer literacy, forming a stable interest and positive motivation among preschoolers to master digital learning tools.

Research results. The effectiveness of work on the development of the intellectual abilities of children aged 5–6 years in the process of using the digital educational environment was revealed. After carrying out the formative work, a high level of intellectual development was revealed in 12 children (30%) of the experimental group, an average level was observed in 21 children (52.5%) of the experimental group, and a low level was shown by 7 children (17.5%) of the experimental group.

Conclusions. The use of the digital educational environment significantly affects the active knowledge of the world by the child, his outlook, curiosity, motives for educational activities. It has been proven that the process of developing the intellectual abilities of older preschool children will be more effective if digital educational technologies are actively used, and effective interaction between the educational institution and the family is ensured.

Relevance of the article. The topic of digital transformation is extremely relevant today, but its use in relation to young children, that is, from 0 to 8 years old, always raises many questions from those who are responsible for their health and development. Representatives of science adhere to diametrically opposite points of view on this problem. Some believe that technology harms children, others believe that since humanity has received a similar direction in development, despite the negative impact of digital transformation, its use is inevitable and children will have to immerse themselves in the world of technology. To answer the question of what is right and what is not, we have to understand in detail the processes taking place. However, the topic of digital transformation, the adoption of the Digital Transformation of Education program forces us to take urgent measures that are not always justified. Serious research is required to substantiate them.

The purpose of the study is to identify the manifestations of digital transformation in preschool organizations and systematize them, taking into account: the main directions of development of digital technologies that are used in the upbringing and education of small kids; research on children’s behavior, their physical condition, the development of cognitive and non-cognitive abilities depending on digital technologies; changing children’s preferences in the use of digital technologies depending on the digital transformation of society.

Description of the research progress. The research of information technologies has been conducted since 2000 and consisted in constant monitoring of foreign and Russian legislation on this topic, translation of publications, correspondence with authors, clarification of details.

The results of the study. As a result of the research, material was collected from surveys conducted by various foundations and universities on the use of new technologies by children.

Conclusion. At the present stage of development, the range of digital technologies that children use from an early age has greatly expanded. The approaches of the education system and the parent community have not changed. The threats that technology brings with it and that researchers and society have seen and recorded before have changed a lot.

Background. Digital technologies are playing an increasingly important role in various fields, including education. However, despite their widespread use, the specific characteristics of the digital environment and its impact on preschoolers remain insufficiently studied at the theoretical level. It is important to understand the place and role of gadgets in kindergarten settings, how they can enrich a child’s social development situation, and what the adult’s role should be.

Objective. To examine 6-7 year-old children’s perceptions of their ideal personal phone (appearance, functions), and to analyze the relationship between these perceptions and actual phone use in groups with fundamentally different pedagogical approaches to gadgets.

Sample. The study involved 47 children aged 6-7 (25 girls and 22 boys) fr om 9 preschool groups across 3 educational institutions. Educators in these groups had different approaches to using digital devices.

Methods. The research was conducted using the mosaic approach, where children participated as co-researchers. Primary methods included drawing with commentary and interviews. For quantitative analysis, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test was applied.

Results. Qualitative analysis of children’s responses and interpreted drawings revealed that smartphones are significant objects for preschoolers, children are aware of its possible and real applications. Children demonstrated awareness of real-world applications, primarily planning to use phones for entertainment/games and communication, less for information-seeking. In groups where teachers didn’t use phones, children focused more on appearance (cases, phone-as-pet designs with ears/tails), while in gadget-positive groups, they emphasized more diverse functions, including child-task-oriented imaginary features. Gender differences were minimal, though girls more frequently mentioned calling and service/purchasing apps, while boys emphasized gaming.

Conclusions. Gadgets are relevant to preschoolers, with children’s phone-use conceptions ranging from predominantly reproductive (e.g., pretend phone play) to rare productive uses (e.g., creating self/friend videos) and institutional integration. The adult’s role is crucial: in groups wh ere educators actively used gadgets as cultural tools, children’s drawings showed greater app diversity and productive applications for situational problem-solving (e.g., information searches).