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The relevance of the article’s topic. In modern education, more and more attention is paid to meta-subject results, such as well-being, socio-emotional development, agency (independence and initiative), etc. The article discusses the growing importance of one of these meta-subject results of preschool education - children’s independence, provides examples of changes in international discourse, recognition of the importance of well-being, social-emotional skills, autonomy and agency (independence and initiative). In addition, modern studies of environmental factors (family and educational conditions) of the formation of independence are described. The problem of the uncertainty of the terms used and the need for their further definition is posed.

The aim of the study was to identify and describe the practices of developing independence in preschool educational institutions in Moscow and Krasnoyarsk and to describe the image of independence that is realized in these practices.

Description of the research progress. As part of the work, a qualitative study and 14 thematic interviews with leaders and teachers of preschool educational organizations in two million-plus cities of the Russian Federation were conducted. To develop the interview guide, materials provided by teachers working in line with Montessori ideas were used. The aim of the study was to identify the attitude of teachers to new guidelines for the development of preschool education, as well as their ideas about the possibility of developing the independence of pupils and success in this activity.

The results of the study. The analysis of teachers’ answers showed that independence should be considered in three areas – everyday life, play and productive activity. Manifestations of independence may be different. Independence is associated with the child’s interest in the activities he performs, much attention is paid to the child’s ability to complete t the job he started, which in the broader context of independence seems controversial.

The most difficult for teachers was the description of the practices of developing independence adopted in their kindergarten: teachers either found it difficult to describe them clearly, or, on the contrary, called all children’s activities. It was practically impossible to identify signs of success of pedagogical efforts to develop independence.

Conclusion. The data obtained indicate a general positive attitude to the need for the development of children’s independence, however, they also indicate difficulties in implementing this task. Thus, it was found that teachers see an obstacle in the development of independence in the insecurity of providing preschool children with freedom of action. In addition, it can be argued that the construct “independence” does not have a clear definition, and teachers’ ideas reflect this uncertainty. We have also revealed the absence of recognized, accepted methods of developing independence, teachers find it difficult to evaluate their work, to make judgments about the effectiveness of one or another activity aimed at increasing the level of independence.

Digital technology is a central part of young children’s everyday lives in most societies today. This paper contributes to current research by exploring two teachers’ pedagogical strategies when creating digital stories together with groups of six kindergarten children (age 4–5). The study has a qualitative, multiple-case study design. The analysis was performed inductively across the two cases. The findings show that when creating digital stories with young children, teachers’ various pedagogical strategies are equally important for the process and product: Inviting to dialogue, Explaining the practical, and Instructing for results. An encouraging tone characterises the teachers’ communication. The research findings contribute to knowledge of how teachers involve groups of children in technology-mediated story creation processes by highlighting the pedagogical perspectives when using digital technology.

The relevance of the topic of the article. Modern parents of preschoolers are active participants in the educational process. Their satisfaction is an important criterion for assessing the quality of education. Studying their opinion is an effective tool for systematic improving the quality of preschool educational institutions.

The aim of the study. Identification and description of the reasons for the dissatisfaction of parents of Moscow preschool institutions. Methodology: thematic semi-structured interviews.

Description of the research progress. The sample consisted of 20 mothers of children aged 3 to 7 attending kindergartens of various types and forms of institutions in Moscow. Parents were asked to tell about the choice of kindergarten, subject-spatial environment, daily routine, supervision and care of children, interaction between teachers, children and parents, types of activity, development of speech, thinking and educational program. The spontaneously mentioned causes of dissatisfaction were thoroughly investigated. The thematic framework for the questions was the ECERS international scale and works devoted to identifying the correlation of parental involvement and their level of satisfaction.

Research results. Among the main groups of reasons for dissatisfaction with preschool educational institutions, “interaction” is leading by a wide margin, implying the quality of interaction between children, educators, administration, and parents. It is the reasons for the “interaction” group that become the critical point for transferring children to another preschool. Among the main complaints are: the individuality of the child is not taken into account; tough discipline; strict, rude, unprofessional educators; the authoritarian position of the head towards parents; poor quality of feedback; relationships with peers. The group “types of children’s activity” has the potential to become as significant as “interaction”: when choosing a kindergarten, parents pay attention to the presence and variety of circles, in the private sector they are ready to take their child further for the sake of quality classes. Parents are rather satisfied with supervision, care, compliance with the temperature regime, the subject-spatial environment. The group “development of speech and literacy” stands apart: parents do not mention this topic. They are either poorly informed about the kindergarten program, or consider this aspect unimportant.

Conclusion. Satisfaction of parents as active participants in educational process is one of the important criteria for assessing the quality of preschool education, and dissatisfaction is a marker for the necessary improvements. If the administration and teachers, when assessing the quality, evaluate the group and the kindergarten as a whole, that the comfort and emotional well-being of their own child is important to parents. This means that the individual approach and personal development are at the forefront. The main attention should be paid to the quality of interaction between children, parents and the kindergarten staff and to the quality and variety of types of children’s activity. These studies of the causes of parental dissatisfaction can be useful for heads of preschool educational institutions of various forms of ownership to improve the quality of services provided and develop a marketing strategy.

Early career guidance – helping a child in pre-professional self-determination, choosing a suitable type of work, taking into account his needs and capabilities – is an essential condition for training professional personnel capable of ensuring Russia’s global competitiveness. It is necessary to start early career guidance from kindergarten, since it is during preschool childhood that a child develops an attitude towards work, professions, and a model of work activity. Early career guidance is included in the educational program of the preschool educational institution (area “Social and Communicative Development”) as an integral part of the full development of the individual. However, in the mass practice of kindergartens, early career guidance most often comes down to acquainting children with professions and types of work and the formation of a value attitude to work and representatives of professions. At the same time, children are not included in real professional activities, they can’t try themselves in different professions. This article proposes a means of strengthening the practical orientation of early career guidance of preschool children – including them in trial professional activities in specially equipped centers of professional tests based on the kindergarten and its social partners. The authors analyzed the available scientific research, innovative projects and programs for early career guidance implemented by kindergartens. The experience of organizing professional mini-tests for preschoolers, available in the kindergarten of the Chegdomyn village, was studied. The ways of developing this experience are shown through the creation of centers for professional tests based on kindergartens and its social partners, equipped with modern professional realities and safety requirements of preschoolers, and organizing children’s trial professional activities in them during regime moments as part of the “Professional Navigator” program (component variable part of the main educational program of preschool education). The article reveals the conditions for the inclusion of preschool children in trial professional activity.

The article presents the results of a study on the integration of children’s reading and playing practices implemented within the framework of the Federal innovation platform – kindergarten No. 8 of the Central District of St. Petersburg on the topic “Designing Practices for the Education of Preschool Children in a Changing Sociocultural Situation”.

The aim of the study was to study the possibilities of enriching the practice of subject-role play of children in various age groups (3-7,5 years) as a result of testing the technology of productive reading when children get acquainted with the modern world bestseller of children’s literature, J. Donaldson “Snail and Whale”. It was found that the technology of productive reading has a high developing potential both for organizing children’s perception of the book and understanding its meaning, and for the natural display read in the conditions of play activity. The monitoring and quality analysis of playing activity of children 3-7,5 years revealed that the implementation of the technology of productive reading with preschool children allows, on the one hand, to consider the game as a way of interpreting literary works and on the other hand, to support the game based on the read.

The obtained results show that the implementation of the research plan contributed to the fact that the development indicators of the children’s game begin to approach the normative in the situation of the “zone of proximal development” and the further accumulation of play practice will contribute to the achievement of the normative indicators of the role-playing game in the “zone of the actual development of children”. It is also important that the reliance on the content and structure of the literary text allows the teacher to feel more confident in situations of play interaction with children, as an adult and a child interact in a single story context.