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Background. As AI becomes embedded in children’s lives, from entertainment to learning, the role of content is transforming—from passive consumption to active, system-embedded dialogue.

Methods. This article draws from content development experience at Mako Kids and research-led design at KidsAI. It integrates global studies, co-design fieldwork, and expert interviews to analyze how children interpret AI tools and how design influences developmental outcomes.

Results. Findings show that children anthropomorphize AI agents and that system behavior often teaches unintended lessons. Core principles of quality content—including age-appropriateness, holistic thinking, inclusion, safety, play-based learning, and cultural relevance—remain essential in AI-driven environments. Structured prompts, ethical voice design, and scaffolded interactions are key design features in KidsAI’s work, including the development of Olly, KidsAI’s assistant for kids.

Conclusions. Content must now function as ethical infrastructure in sociotechnical systems. Designers must avoid emotional simulation and focus on supporting autonomy, reflection, and cognitive safety. AI should guide—not mimic—human relationships, with clarity and respect.

Background. Currently, key aspects of children’s mental development remain insufficiently studied in psychological science and educational practice, among which the problem of the relationship between speech and thinking stands out. Despite considerable attention to this area, an in-depth study of a number of classical works makes it possible to identify works that were previously underestimated and are now gaining special importance due to their important conclusions and prospects for further research. Such works include a monograph that presents a study of the relationship between words and images in solving various tasks for preschoolers, carried out by psychologists under the guidance of L.A. Venger.

Objective. Analysis of the results of an experimental study conducted by a research team led by L.A. Venger in the late 1990s and devoted to the study of the genesis and mechanisms of interaction between verbal and figurative components of thinking in preschool age.

Methods. Analysis of scientific literature, review and presentation of the initial data and results of the study of the relationship between words and images in the process of solving mental tasks by preschool children.

Results. The study showed that in preschool age, thinking is mediated primarily by images and visual models, and speech performs auxiliary, guiding and expressive functions, but is not the main means of solving cognitive problems. It was established that the word can become a mediating means only when solving logical problems that require conceptual analysis and planning, which is typical for senior preschool age. Figurative and verbal thinking develop in parallel and independently of each other, but with specially organized training, close relationships are formed between them.

Conclusions. The data of the presented study strongly suggests that speech performs mainly an auxiliary role when using visual models in solving mental tasks (generating an image, drawing on past experience, designating visual means of solving problems, etc.). The word can perform a mediating function by the older preschool age when solving tasks by children where it is necessary to establish hierarchical relationships between generalizations and generalized speech planning. The study of the problem of the relationship between image and word in solving cognitive tasks by preschool children not only provided answers to some important psychological questions on the complex topic of the relationship between speech and thinking, but also outlined further lines of study of this problem.

The relevance of the article. Relevance. In today’s rapidly developing world, where sustainability and environmental awareness have become major global issues, special attention should be paid to early childhood education and the promotion of sustainable values. One of the key tools in this process is high-quality children’s media content.

Research objectives. The article examines the importance of high-quality content in children’s media to promote sustainable values and improve early childhood development. The necessity of creating high-quality content in the media for young children is discussed, high-quality content is determined and evaluated, and how it can raise awareness and cause changes in social behavior is investigated.

Research progress. The article takes a case study approach and analyzes Kozalak Preschool, an animated series created by the author of the article that models sustainable practices and encourages children to connect with nature. The series, created as part of the Increasing Quality of and Access to Early Childhood Education Services Project (ECE) in Turkey and serves as an example of how quality content can promote sustainable behavior and support early childhood development.

Conclusions. High-quality content serves as a powerful tool for promoting sustainable development and shaping a more optimistic future. Through the integration of educational elements, positive role modeling, socio-emotional learning and an emphasis on environmental awareness, children’s media can help young minds become catalysts for change. By cultivating an understanding of sustainable development and strengthening commitment to environmental protection, high-quality content in children’s media can have a long-term impact on their development and inspire them to become active defenders of our planet.

Relevance. The article is devoted to the search for opportunities that are provided to a child in modern childhood. Modern childhood, on the one hand, provides children with extraordinary opportunities for development, such as the use of digital devices to implement various ideas, mastering various aspects of culture not only from books, but also through direct acquaintance with the original cultural samples in various museums in different countries. But on the other hand, the wide opportunities associated with travel and acquaintance with modern achievements of science and technology simultaneously generate situations of uncertainty in which children find themselves: for example, such as a pandemic. Society faces the task of realizing the changes that humanity is facing. Flights into space, robotization processes, the emergence of artificial intelligence, etc. poses a new problem of learning. Children and adults are increasingly in a situation of uncertainty.

The aim of the study. To show the possibilities of developmental therapy from the perspective of developmental psychology and psychotherapy on different groups of children.

Description of the research progress. The study was conducted on a group of children who survived the terrorist attack in preschool and primary school age (Beslan, 2004 – 40 children) and children who found themselves in a situation of emotional distress and stress during the pandemic (2020–2021 – 20 children). Group and individual classes were held in offline and online format.

Results. There is a very special task of restoring the normal course of mental development of those children who have experienced unusual situations associated with existential experiences. The possibilities of meeting with negative situations gives rise to fear of the future, which slows down children’s development and limits the horizon of the formation of the personality of a modern person. Studies show that methods aimed at the development of children in certain conditions can achieve a stable psychotherapeutic effect and emotional harmonization, and can be used to work, including with fears. It was shown that such tools as visual models and the author’s symbol can be used for development and psychotherapy, which is developmental therapy in conditions of unpredictable future and uncertainty.

Conclusion. Adaptation to the challenges of the time is becoming one of the important tasks of supporting the development of a modern child. One of the forms of such support is developmental psychotherapy, the theoretical foundations of which are set out in the proposed article.

Relevance of the article. During the period of restrictions associated with the spread of the coronavirus infection COVID-19, many preschool educational organizations are faced with the need to carry out educational activities in a digital format. Traditional forms of work with preschoolers were transferred to the format of remote interaction, which negatively affected the quality of educational activities and the involvement of subjects of educational relations. There was a need to transform educational activities, taking into account the age characteristics of preschoolers and the specifics of the implemented educational programs. The article describes the ideas on the basis of which it is possible to develop variable models for the transformation of educational activities implemented using the resources of the digital environment.

The aim of the article is to consider possible approaches to the development of the digital segment of the basic educational program of a preschool educational organization in the context of the possibilities for designing and implementing new formats of educational activities, alternative options for the formation of a developing subject-spatial environment, as well as family support in the context of the implementation of the digital segment of educational programs for preschool education.

Research methods. Expert analysis of the practice of kindergartens in the process of using the resources of the digital environment for the organization of educational activities with pupils.

The results of the study. Approaches and mechanisms were formulated on the basis of which it is possible to develop variable models of transformation of educational activities implemented using the resources of the digital environment, modernize approaches to the organization of the developing subject-spatial environment of a preschool educational organization and educational cooperation with the family in the process of mastering the child’s educational program of preschool education.

Conclusion. The content presented in the article may be of interest to teachers and educators of preschool educational organizations, specialists in the field of advanced training and professional improvement of teachers of the preschool education system, and form the basis for a professional discussion of issues related to the digitalization of preschool education.

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.

Relevance (context) of the article. Various media products are becoming an integral part of modern childhood, transmitting cultural patterns, moral norms, values and knowledge to the child. A cartoon, as a popular form of art, can have a high developmental potential for children and form their prosocial behavior. Considering how much a modern child watches various media products, it is extremely important to understand how and under what conditions a cartoon can become a means of child development.

The aim of the study. Consideration of the mechanisms of influence of the cartoon on the child, as well as conditions for enhancing the developmental potential of media products. In accordance with the aim, the tasks were set to develop a form of work with children “Children’s Cinema Evening “, as well as to test its effectiveness with the help of a formative experiment.

Description of the research progress. Based on the analysis of research in the field of media influence on a child, we have described the mechanisms of this influence, and also developed principles that allow us to enhance the developing potential of a cartoon. They consist in: matching the content to the age characteristics of the child, demonstrating prosocial behavior by characters on the screen, active participation of an adult in viewing, and consolidating the experience gained in practice through games and exercises. Based on these scientific data, we have developed the aims, objectives, structure and organization of the “Children’s Cinema Evening “, in which the cartoon acts as a means of children’s development. The effectiveness of the Cinema Evening for the formation of prosocial behavior was confirmed by a formative experiment, which was conducted on the basis of the private kindergarten “Interesting Kindergarten” in two stages. The study involved 39 children aged 5-6 years. The experimental group included 20 children aged 5-6 who attended a Children’s Cinema Evening 2 times a month in small groups for six months in the 2019/2020 academic year. The control group included 19 children aged 5-6 years.

Research methods used: “Map of observations on the manifestations of communicative abilities in preschool children” (Shchetinina A.M.), “Unfinished Stories”, “Pictures” (E.O. Smirnova, V.M. Kholmogorova).

Research results. The results of the formative experiment showed that the active participation of an adult in watching a cartoon by children on the basis of the principles we have outlined within the framework of the Children’s Cinema Evening forms prosocial behavior in senior preschool children (development of empathy and goodwill, formation of prosocial attitudes and reduction of aggression in a conflict situation).

Conclusions. “Children’s Cinema Evening” as a modern form of work with children using media technologies, allows you to effectively use the developing potential of a cartoon for the formation of prosocial behavior in senior preschoolers.

Vygotsky theory of higher mental functions formed the basis of understanding of the abilities and means of development. Abilities develop in childhood, providing “entry” in the culture and successful acquisition of different activities throughout life. Development of Vygotsky’s ideas formed understanding of the mechanisms leading to the formation of abilities in preschool childhood through the mastery and use of child preschool imagery tools. The following mental abilities and tools that promote development were identified: sensory (means – sensory etalons), intellectual (means – graphic-shaped models), creative (means – images) and symbolic (means – symbols). The use of imagery means for development of these types of abilities helps the child to deal with complex cognitive and creative tasks with a little help from an adult, i.e. extends the zone of proximal development. Adult acts as both a carrier of culture and as a partner of the child in various activities (educational, play, graphic etc.). Such approach to education and training not only provides intellectual and creative, but also personal and social development of preschool child.

Background. In recent years, preschoolers have increasingly become using digital devices, which undoubtedly has an impact on their development, including the development of executive functions. Direct involvement of parents in children’s digital activities can have both positive and negative effects on preschoolers’ executive functions development, as well as on the parental burnout.

Objectives. To investigate the relationship between children’s use of digital devices and their level of executive functions, considering the level of parental burnout and parental involvement in their children’s digital use.

Sample. The study involved 115 children (61.7% boys, 38.3% girls) aged 5–6 years (M = 5.8 years; SD = 3.628). They were all attending preparatory groups in kindergartens in Moscow. Their parents also participated in the study.

Methods. To diagnose the development of executive functions (working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility), the NEPSY-II battery (subtests “Sentences Repetition”; “Memory for Designs”; “Inhibition” and “Statue”) (Korkman et al., 2007) and the “Dimensional Change Card Sort” (Zelazo, 2006) technique were used. To study the use of digital devices among preschoolers, we developed a questionnaire for parents that asked about frequency of use and rules regarding digital device use. The Parental Burnout Assessment (Roskam et al., 2018, adapted by Egorova & Starchenkova, 2019) was used to assess parental burnout.

Results. Children who have rules in their family about limiting the time they use digital devices have better visual working memory. Parental burnout does not contribute to any of the links between sharing digital devices with adults and executive functions, or between screen time and executive functions.

Conclusions. It has been shown rules regarding practice of digital device usage correspond to higher level of executive functions of children.

Background. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies are rapidly developing, having a significant impact on various spheres of society and opening up new opportunities for progress in healthcare, education, environmental protection and other areas.

Objective. Analysis of the potential of Artificial Intelligence for use in childhood education and media. The author seeks to identify the benefits and risks associated with the use of these technologies in working with children, as well as to develop recommendations for the effective use of Artificial Intelligence for educational purposes.

Results. The article uses an approach to the study of specific cases, analyzes the “Zoe and Olly” initiative, created by media company Kids AI, aimed at improving children’s literacy in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The program uses interactive storytelling and hands-on exercises to explain basic AI concepts such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. The characters Zoe and Olly make learning interesting and accessible for children, developing their curiosity and positive attitude towards technology. The project promotes the development of critical thinking in children, allowing them to evaluate information and results generated by AI systems. This is especially important as children grow up in an environment heavily influenced by Artificial Intelligence.

Conclusions. Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have significantly changed childhood education and media. Artificial Intelligence offers inclusive and personalized learning experiences, making education more accessible and interesting.

Child neuropsychology studies brain functional causes of learning disabilities. Such causes might be conformed as types or neuropsychological profiles, each of which might be commonly established during neuropsychological clinical assessment.

The aim of the article is to show the possibilities of historical and cultural approach in neuropsychology for conformation and study of such qualitative profiles. The authors, basing on own experience during more them two decades of direction of neuropsychological assessment, present types of neuropsychological profiles, which are common in Russia and Mexico in cases of learning disabilities, according to diversity of different errors and mistakes found in each particular case.

It’s interesting to notice that there are both coincidence and difference within the process of identification of neuropsychological profiles by specialists. The article discusses the necessity of continuation of clinical analysis of syndromes as typical and atypical qualitative profiles in order to understand and provide optimal assessment and treatment in cases of learning disabilities.