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The relevance of the topic of the article. In Russia, mixed-age groups in kindergartens are an exception rather than a popular practice. There is a contradictory attitude towards kindergarten mixed-age groups in the community of researchers and practitioners: from the recognition of the value of mixed-age groups for the development of preschoolers to the concerns associated with the treatment of older or younger children in such groups. Discussion of the advisability of organizing groups of different ages in kindergartens should be conducted taking into account the peculiarities of the influence of the experience of visiting such groups and interacting with children of a different age on the development of children. This requires an analysis of existing scientific research.

The aim of the study is to analyze empirical studies on the peculiarities of the interaction of children in mixed-age groups and the influence of mixed-age groups on the development of preschool children.

Description of the research progress. In accordance with the purpose of the review, criteria for selecting sources were developed, a search was carried out in Russian-language and English-language scientific databases. A total of 15 articles were selected in peer-reviewed journals that met all the selection criteria. The depth of analysis is 44 years, the sources represent the experience of 4 countries.

The results of the study. The analysis of the sources showed that for the development of preschoolers, it is not the fact of attending mixed-age groups that matters, but the qualitative features of such groups: the size of the difference in age between older and younger children, the ratio of older and younger, the difference in the level of development between older and younger, the type of relationship between children and the style of pedagogical interaction. As part of the review, the main limitations of existing research are analyzed, and directions for future research are formulated. It is concluded that it is necessary to develop programs for the professional development of teachers working in mixed-age groups.

Conclusion. The article may be of interest both to practitioners interested in the organization of mixed-age groups in kindergarten, and to researchers of preschool education.

The relevance of the topic of the article. An analysis of the indicators of irregularity in a child’s speech, speech disorders, and the existing methods of their measurement shows that disturbances in the fluency of speech in preschool children are mainly associated with evolutionary stuttering. There are no methods of objective assessment of fluency of speech and its disorders in stuttering in the Russian literature and speech therapy practice, while abroad there are different models of categorization of indicators of speech irregularity and various objective methods of measuring fluency of speech in children with normal conditions and with stuttering are used.

The aim of the research. The study of physiological and pathological indicators of speech irregularity of preschool children with stuttering and without speech disorders for the differential diagnosis of normal and deviating speech development is the aim of the study.

Description of the research progress. The study involved 35 children aged 4,5–6,5 years: 16 children without speech disorders and 19 children with stuttering of varying severity. The fluency / irregularity of speech was assessed using technology for assessing the indicators of speech irregularity (Vanderbilt technology) based on the analysis of two representative speech samples of 100 words each (a conversation and a story based on a series of plot pictures): the total percentage of speech irregularity, the percentage of physiological and pathological indicators of speech irregularity were calculated, the dominant types of speech irregularity in both groups were identified.

The results of the study. A significant difference was revealed in physiological and pathological indicators of speech irregularity in preschoolers with normal conditions and with stuttering. The article provides evidence of the connection of mainly pathological indicators of speech irregularity with stuttering, and physiological indicators - with normal speech development. In preschoolers with stuttering, a direct relationship was found between the overall percentage of speech irregularity and the severity of stuttering. In the group of children without speech disorders, preschoolers with a risk factor for stuttering were identified, for whose parent’s recommendations on a protective general and speech regime were developed.

Conclusion. The results of the experimental study demonstrate the advisability of including Vanderbilt’s technology in a comprehensive examination of the speech of a preschool child. The specific nature and frequency of manifestation of indicators of speech irregularity in preschool children make important diagnostic information about the typical / atypical development of speech irregularity.

Building a connected etiquette speech in verbal communication is a long process. This is the fruit of personal development as a result of proper linguistic, ideological, moral and aesthetic education and upbringing. The development by each teacher of his own program for systematic etiquette education will give great results, especially if parents participate in it.

Connected etiquette speech (CES) in preschool children occurs in terms of verbal communication with direct contact or orally, in the form of dialogue. Functionally, the CES is implemented in the form of a connected dialogical unity, consisting of replica-stimuli and replica-responses. In contrast to the usual dialogue, in which speech is produced, ready-made, “cliched” expressions or words-formulas of speech etiquette are reproduced in a connected etiquette speech.

The main goal of connected etiquette speech in preschool children is to bring harmony into their relationships, to provide the necessary mutual tolerance in communication. Verbal communication in kindergarten is carried out in a certain obligatory context, in which the etiquette associated with speech can and should be consciously studied by children in its functional dimensions in the act of verbal communication. Various thematic etiquette situations from the daily life of children are offered.

The study was conducted in a kindergarten in a small town in Bulgaria with preschool children. The children were offered play situations in which they had to use various types of etiquette forms.

The results of the study will be presented at a later stage of work on the problem, when creating a comprehensive Program of mastering unmarked connected speech by these children. The program will include both the provision of knowledge about individual subsystems of speech etiquette as sign systems and rules for their use, and exercises for their practical mastering using appropriate methods and means of constructing connected etiquette speech. Compliance with the rules of etiquette, in principle, presupposes their knowledge, but it would be naive to believe that, knowing the etiquette norms, the child will begin to act in accordance with them. Usually, he remembers them only when he violates them and thereby harms the interests of others. It can be assumed that one of the reasons for this phenomenon is related to the fact that we teach the rules, and not educate according to them.

In the course of the study, a number of conclusions and generalizations are made. Knowledge of speech etiquette ensures its functioning, or etiquette can be formed only through etiquette. This is the only way to build the belief that the use of speech etiquette has become axiomatic, as an obligatory component of interpersonal speech contacts. Etiquette verbal communication should become conscious, and this is possible only when conscious politeness becomes a habit, a norm of behavior.

Role play has a crucial role in early childhood education. Through play important changes take place in the children’s psyche. During the age of 6 the role play changes. The children become more conscious of the imaginary play situation and a growing awareness of the purpose of play comes into existence. The development of this new level of play makes it possible to introduce a new type of play: frame play. Here children and educators together decide a general theme and formulate some dimensions of content, they plan the setting, they discuss the different roles, the rules within the roles, and possible actions attached to some specific roles. Through this shared planning gradually the context or frame of play manifests itself. The problem is whether this more planned play will spoil the characteristics of role play and with that the child’s experiences of meaningfulness and flow.

Paper describes the main approaches to the social and personal development of children of preschool age. The main attention has been paid to the fact that a kindergarten group, as a genetically early stage of social organization, creates the necessary conditions for the development of children’s contacts in the process of an independent and joint activity, the acquisition of communication skills with peers “on equal terms” in a variety of educational situations necessary for the development of a child’s personality.

The methodological basis of the study is the concept of child development as a subject of a child activity and behavior (T.I. Babaeva, A.G. Gogoberidze). Theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature on the problem of the social and personal development of a child, analysis of PhD dissertations, defended at the Early Childhood Education Department of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia from the second half of the 20th century to the present was applied as an objective analytical tool.

The main directions of social and personal development of preschoolers, the personal characteristics in the interaction of preschool children with peers have been described. The indicators and conditions for the development and upbringing of the independence of preschool children have been revealed.

Introduction. The article presents results of a theoretical research in the field of quality control of learning environment of early childhood groups. The purpose of the study is to develop a theory based methodology for quality control of learning environment by employing modern trends in early childhood pedagogy.

Directions and methods of research. The research methods are based on activity and competence approach, the idea of the learning environment as a medium for successful socialization of toddlers, structural components of the learning environment, where the key parameters are: nature of adult - child interaction, content and modes of the interaction, focused on successful mastery of kindergarten programs, designing of stimulating environment for early childhood groups. Theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature on the subject, design of structural components of learning environment of early childhood groups, determination of the expert indicators for each component of learning environment were used as research methods.

Results. Result of the research was presented in the form of control methods description, that include evaluation of the quality of learning environment, measurement of the quality indicators for each component of the learning environment (the nature of adult interaction with the child, the content and modes of interaction, aimed at the successful mastery of the kindergarten program, design of stimulating environment for early childhood groups). Detailed recommendations to the content of each indicator are given.

Conclusion. The developed control methodology makes it possible to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the quality of learning environment for early childhood groups in accordance with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard, and to help an expert to determine ways of further quality improvement of the learning environment.

Background. The article highlights the problem of communication and socialization of older preschool children with severe speech impairments and with normal speech development, attending preparatory groups of combined kindergartens for school. In recent years, in kindergartens, groups of a combined orientation that are inclusive are increasingly functioning, which necessitates the search for effective ways of psychological and pedagogical work.

Objectives. The purpose of the work is to study the state of communication of preschoolers 6–7 years old with severe speech impairments in comparison with peers with normal speech development, in relation to indicators of their socialization in inclusive educational conditions.

Sample. In total, the study involved 60 children aged 6–7 years who attended preparatory groups of a combined orientation of Irkutsk kindergarten No. 153. Of these, 30 preschoolers had normal speech development and the same number with severe speech impairments.

Methods. The following methods were used in the study: “Studying communication and the nature of interpersonal relationships” (Aizman et al., 1994); the method of expert scale assessment of the development of social forms of behavior in older preschoolers by A.M. Shchetinina and L.V. Kirs (Shchetinina, 2000).

Results. It was found that children aged 6–7 years with speech disorders have significantly lower communication and socialization rates than their peers with normal speech ontogenesis. It was shown that studying the level of communication of preschool children can serve both as a reliable indicator of their preschool socialization and a basis for determining the conditions of psychological support for children with severe speech disorders in an inclusive environment.

Conclusions. Data were obtained on the communication of preschoolers studying in inclusive conditions. Firstly, the constant communication of 6–7-year-old children with normal speech development with peers with severe speech disorders in conditions of inclusion does not influence their communicative and social development. Secondly, despite the fact that severe speech disorders in children aged 6-7 years cause imperfection in the formation of communication skills and, in general, their socialization, an increase in the frequency of communication with peers has a positive effect on their social development for all preschoolers.