Background. With the updating of the regulatory and methodological framework for preschool education (the Federal State Educational Standard for Preschool Education, the Federal Program for Preschool Education, and the Development Concept until 2030), the need for methodologically sound approaches to the spiritual, moral, and social development of children is growing. The centenary of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy at the A.I. Herzen Russian Pedagogical University highlights the need to understand its historical and pedagogical legacy and identify the continuity of the humanistic traditions established by T.I. Babaeva’s school in modern kindergarten educational practices.
Objective. To conduct a theoretical analysis of the problem of maintaining continuity in the implementation of the humanistic ideas of the Department of Preschool Pedagogy in the modern educational space; to determine which elements of the paradigm of T.I. Babaeva’s school are preserved in current social and moral education practices and meet modern preschool education requirements.
Sample. The empirical base consists of more than 50 scientific sources, including monographs, dissertations, dissertations, departmental anniversary collections, teaching aids, and current regulatory documents. Particular attention is given to 13 dissertation studies (1988–2009) completed under the academic supervision of T.I. Babaeva, as well as the works of her students and followers, reflecting the development of the school’s ideas from 2010–2026.
Methods. Theoretical analysis of psychological, pedagogical, and methodological literature, a retrospective and contextual analysis of scientific trends in the social and personal development of preschoolers that emerged in the second half of the 20th century and developed in the early 21st century, as well as a comparative-historical method for tracing the genesis and transformation of pedagogical concepts over time.
Results. A stable continuity of the school’s humanistic guidelines in modern practices is revealed. The relevance of the following provisions is confirmed: the priority of the child’s emotional well-being and subjective position; The effectiveness of a situational approach based on problematizing children’s communication experiences and drawing on the preschool subculture; the importance of children’s communities as environments for positive socialization; and the modular, stage-based logic of pedagogical technologies for developing moral qualities. It was established that the diagnostic and technological tools developed within the school have been successfully integrated into the implementation of the preschool educational program, modern social-emotional development programs, and the teaching staff training system.
Conclusions. T.I. Babaeva’s scientific and pedagogical school retains its methodological and practical significance in the modern preschool education system. Its humanistic paradigm, focused on developing subjectivity, emotional intelligence, and moral choice in children within a children’s community, fully aligns with the value foundations of federal educational standards. The school’s ideas continue to be developed in the department’s current research under the direction of A.G. Gogoberidze and are actively implemented in educational practices, teaching and methodological complexes, and networked innovative projects, ensuring the continuity of the traditions of Russian preschool pedagogy.
