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The relevance of the article’s topic. Planning the educational activities of preschoolers is one of the most important and complex areas of work for a kindergarten teacher. The lack of methodological recommendations and a unified form for writing a plan lead to a formal attitude to planning interaction with children and implementing an educational program without taking into account the individual interests and needs of preschoolers.

The aim of the study. The work is aimed at studying the features of planning educational work with children as one of the most difficult areas of the educator’s work, studying the influence of a new form of planning “Lotus-Plan” on the organization of educational activities of a teacher and a child as a technology of targeted planning.

Description of the research progress. The specifics of the professional activity of the educator are considered, in which the main directions of the teacher’s work are highlighted. Based on the survey data of 133 educators in the Ivanovo region, the areas of work that cause the greatest difficulties for teachers are identified. Planning and writing a plan for educational work with children is considered as the most difficult and requires modern solutions to increase the interest of teachers in applying a targeted approach to planning for successful interaction with preschoolers. As a solution to the problem, it is proposed to design educational activities according to the “Blossoming Lotus” method and draw up a lotus plan for a thematic week or an educational project. The experience of introducing a new form of planning on the basis of kindergarten No. 48 of the city of Kineshma, Ivanovo region, is described.

The results of the study. As a practical tool, the article contains a description of the techniques of drawing up a lotus plan, and gives the main directions that can be used as guidelines for planning. The results of the implementation of the lotus plan in the kindergarten of the Ivanovo region are described.

Conclusion. Materials on the study of the attitude of educators to various areas of professional activity are of interest for further analysis. The data on the introduction of a new form of planning in kindergarten allow us to conclude that the drawing up of a lotus plan has a positive impact on the organization of educational work with children and requires more detailed study in the context of the technology of targeted planning of the educational process. The descriptions and illustrations of the completed lotus plans can be used in the work of preschool educators as practical recommendations for organizing educational activities within the framework of using the project method or in organizing thematic weeks.

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 article is devoted to the study of creativity of a teacher of preschool education. The aim of the research was to study the influence of motivating factors on the professional creativity of teachers. The developing subject-spatial environment was considered as the main indicator of the manifestation of creativity in the work of the teacher. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the transformation of the subject space

of the group on the creative development and change in the attitude of the teacher to professional activities. The developing subject-spatial environment of the kindergarten is viewed from several sides: as a product of the teacher’s creativity, as a place of interaction between the teacher and children, as an application area of ​​the teacher’s creative abilities.

The article was prepared on the basis of experimental research using questionnaires for teachers and monitoring their work. The study was conducted on the basis of two preschool institutions in the city of Ivanovo, Ivanovo Region. 16 teachers took part in the study. As a toolkit, scales for assessing the conditions of creative activity of children in independent activities and art classes were used. To study the changes in the sources of professional motivation of teachers, a questionnaire developed by D. Barbuto and R. Skoll was used. The study consisted of two stages, at each of which a new motivating factor was introduced. After each stage, the sources of teachers’ professional motivation were measured, the state of the group’s developing environment was assessed, and the interaction in the art class was chosen as the most creative type of educational activity. As motivating factors, a professional competition and the involvement of teachers in the work on the dissemination of experience were used.

The results of our study showed that the use of the mentioned motivating factors contributed to the launch of the creative cycle among teachers, which resulted in creative changes in the organization of the subject space of groups, improving the interaction of the teacher and children in the arts classes. Creative manifestations in the subject space and interaction with children were reflected in the motivational sphere of teachers.

The paper has been devoted to the study of the influence of the developing subject and spatial environment on the creativity of the early childhood teacher and the child. The purpose of the study is to learn the process of development of the early childhood teacher’s creativity, based on the assumption that the work on improving the development environment will inevitably contribute to the development of the teacher’s creativity. This paper has been prepared on the basis of materials of research of developing subject and spatial environment of 26 groups of 4 early childhood institutions in the city of Ivanovo, Russia. Scales of Analysis developed by the author were used as an analysis toolkit. The toolkit is focused on the assessment of the teacher’s performance through the conditions he or she created for the creativeness of children. The problem of definition of the concept of creativeness in the work of the teacher and activity of the child is considered. The reasons of manifestation of creativity of the teacher and the child in the process of creation of the developing environment are explained. The developing environment has been analyzed through different perspectives: as a factor influencing the child’s activity and motivating the child to play, and the teacher to work, and as a space that changes the adult or child, while showing creativity. The research has shown that the involvement of teachers in the improvement of the playing space contributes to the support of children’s activity. The research revealed a slight improvement in the organization of the development environment of the experimental kindergarten groups. Thus, we established a correlation between the development environment, the work of the educator in its creation and the appearance of creativity in the play and other activities of the preschooler. The low score of the assessment of changes in the development environment in the experimental early childhood educational institution can be explained by the fact that the approach of educators to the design of playing space remained the same. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the level of teachers’ knowledge in the field of organizing the development environment and to do it simultaneously with the practical work on improving the playing space.

The article is based on data obtained from studies conducted from 2011 to 2016. This research is devoted to the enhancement of preschool teachers’ stress resistance. “Lack of moral and material stimulation of labor” is identified as the most significant stressor in the work of teacher in kindergarten and orphanage. The author examines stress in connection with the motivation of teachers and the peculiarities of competence development activities, civic consciousness and value-semantic orientation in the world. The author reveals the relationship of stress resistance level and teacher’s competence level. To reduce the impact of stressor named “lack of moral and material stimulation of labour” it is proposed to explore and promote the use of the motivational mechanisms that may be available to education managers in order to reduce the stressful pedagogical work at the expense of change in the corporate culture of the organization, the introduction of original methods of stimulation. The experience motivation study of teacher, evaluation of the motivational potential of the tasks and development of methods of motivation in the course of conducting scientific-methodical seminars and workshops with teachers of pre-school education are presented.

The Federal State Educational Standard of Preschool Education ratified by the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation dated 17.10.2013 No. 1155 came into force on 1st January, 2014. Order of the Federal Service for the Supervision of Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor) dated 07.02.2014 N 01-52-22/05-382 pointed out the unacceptability of requirements from preschool education organizations immediately making the statutory documents and programs in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard of Preschool Education. The interim period has been set to 1st January, 2016. In the article the author reflects upon results of accomplished work at this period of time and determines, states and characterizes arising problems. The need of minimize emerging negative issues in time is also emphasized. The author offers different solutions of the situation.

Background. In the context of the implementation of the Federal Educational Program for Preschool Education, many kindergarten teachers face difficulties in organizing a developing environment, which leads to tension and disagreements within the team. Studying the teachers’ attitudes towards this issue will not only reveal the professional aspects of improving the quality of the educational environment, but also identify areas for working with teaching staff.

Objectives. Identification of the essence and contradictions in the attitude of preschool teachers towards the organization of a developing material and spatial environment.

Sample. The study involved 28 respondents aged 25 to 65, including teachers and specialists from preschool educational institutions in the Ivanovo region.

Methods. The study was based on discursive design and qualitative content analysis of pedagogical essays that expressed the author’s position on the main issues of creating a developing environment in a kindergarten. The analysis of the essays’ content was conducted based on four aspects of the organization of the subject space, including approaches to zoning, the composition and content of corners (activity centers), aesthetic design, and the possibility of children’s participation in changing the space.

Results. It has been revealed that determining approaches to zoning the group’s space presents a particular challenge for modern educators, as they must choose between a clear division of the environment into play areas or a “dispersed” arrangement of materials. Educators have expressed a desire to increase the diversity of the play areas, with a trend towards moving away from unpopular play centers and encouraging children’s initiative and creating conditions for their activities. A separate issue is the difference in approaches to understanding the aesthetics of a kindergarten between educators and supervisors, which can hinder the collaborative creative work of educators and children within the group’s physical space.

Conclusions. The essence of teachers’ attitude to the organization of the developing environment is expressed in the contradiction between the need to comply with formal requirements, which are expressed in the structuredness of the space and its external attractiveness, and the importance of providing conditions for the child’s initiative and activity. Improving professional training and working with pedagogical teams can be carried out by transforming professional values from a superficial understanding of the environment as a system of “correct” corners to the formation of a holistic image of the environment as a space for the developing interaction between the teacher and the child.

 

Background. The current stage of preschool education development is characterized by the active implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Despite the understanding of the indispensability of personal communication between teacher and child, AI tools can optimize the professional activities of educators, freeing them from routine tasks and providing data for personalized learning. However, there is a lack of empirical data on the practical application of AI assistants directly in the work of educators in kindergarten groups.

Objective. To test and evaluate the effectiveness of integrating AI assistants into the educational process of preschool educational institutions in Kazan to personalize learning and optimize the professional activities of teachers.

Sample. The study involved 180 children aged 5 to 7 years (60 preschoolers aged 5-6 and 120 children aged 6-7), 24 teachers (educators and kindergarten specialists), and 180 parents (legal guardians of the children participating in the experiment) from six municipal kindergartens in Kazan.

Methods. The study was conducted using an experimental design and included four stages (preparatory, training, main, and evaluation). A combination of diagnostic methods was used: assessment of teachers’ digital competence (surveys and interviews), analysis of the individualization of the educational process, pedagogical assessment of children’s development (speech, cognition, socialization, emotional-volitional sphere), and parental surveys. Statistical data processing was performed using the Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Pearson’s c² test, variance and correlation analysis, and Cohen’s d coefficient for effect size assessment.

Results. AI assistants were integrated into the educational process of kindergartens. A significant increase in the digital competence of teachers in the experimental group was observed, and a reduction in the time teachers spent on recordkeeping was found due to the use of a digital platform with AI analytics. Statistically significant differences in the cognitive and speech development of children in the experimental group compared to the control group were found. A strong positive correlation was found between the use of robotic assistants and the development of social skills, as well as between specialized AI platforms and personalized learning. Positive trends in parental attitudes toward the implementation of AI were also recorded.

Conclusions. The integration of AI assistants allows for the optimization of educators’ work and the personalization of educational trajectories without replacing the role of the teacher. Key conditions for successful implementation include data security, technological reliability, and the critical selection of tools (taking into account the risks of commercial support, as in the case of the Moxie robot). AI assistants should not be viewed as a replacement for the teacher, but as a tool that enhances their capabilities and allows them to see the child more deeply, without replacing human warmth and understanding.