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Background. Modern developmental psychology increasingly faces the need to integrate psychological techniques and socio-cultural analysis, especially in the context of the transformation of family structures and educational practices. In this context, rethinking classical diagnostic techniques, such as L.A. Venger’s “Polyanka” method, in new social conditions is of particular importance.

Objective. To show the continuity of scientific ideas of L.S. Vygotsky and his school (A.V. Zaporozhets, D.B. Elkonin, L.A. Venger) in modern interdisciplinary research. To rethink L.A. Venger’s “Polyanka” method not only as a diagnostic tool for visual-imaginative thinking, but also as a means of analyzing the “social situation of development” of a preschooler. To identify the influence of family structure (complete/incomplete) and parental educational strategies on the cognitive development of children, in particular, on the success of completing tasks using the “Polyanka” method.

Sample. 623 older preschool children. Additionally, 941 respondents (fathers and mothers) of these children were interviewed using a special parental questionnaire.

Methods. The following research approaches were used to achieve the objective: analysis of the results of diagnostics of children’s visual-imaginative thinking using Venger’s “Polyanka” method; sociological survey of parents using a specially designed questionnaire; qualitative analysis of the obtained data with the identification of significant correlations.

Results. The study found that boys from single-parent families have significantly lower rates of visual-imaginative thinking (21.9 points) according to Venger’s “Polyanka” method compared to boys from complete families (31.4 points), while such a dependence was not found in girls. Divorced mothers are more likely to use strategies that require their sons to follow strict rules in normatively defined situations, in contrast to fathers in complete families who orient their children towards behavior in uncertain conditions. It was also found that the father’s higher education has a positive effect on the results of girls (32.2 points), and for boys, the best results are associated with the mother’s secondary education (27.8 points). The lowest results are in children whose parents do not use encouragement (25.1 points), and the highest are in those who are not punished (31.7 points).

Conclusions. The study confirmed the importance of the scientific legacy of L.A. Venger for modern developmental psychology. A significant influence of family factors on the development of visual-imaginative thinking of preschoolers has been revealed. Differences in the educational strategies of parents in complete and incomplete families were determined. The “Polyanka” method has proven its effectiveness and social validity in modern conditions, and can be effectively used not only for diagnosing cognitive processes, but also as a tool for analyzing the social situation of development, especially in the context of the dynamics of family development.

The relevance of the subject of the article. Recently, the question of the relationship between creative development and artistic and aesthetic education has become relevant. Although the issues of the artistic and aesthetic development of preschool children were elaborated in the Soviet period, researchers continue to talk about a decrease in the creative activity of modern children. The article offers one of the ways to develop children’s creativity, based on the interaction of the family and the kindergarten.

Description of the research progress. The concepts of interaction between a child and a significant adult, the unity of communication and activity, and the provisions of the dialogical approach on the equal mutual influence of the subjects of dialogue were combined at the theoretical level. These provisions formed the basis of a predictive model of pedagogical support for child-adult interaction in the process of artistic creativity, constructed by the author. It made possible to identify its components and stages of the content block.

Research results. As a result of the study, a predictive model of pedagogical support for child-adult interaction in the process of artistic creation was designed.

Conclusion. The development of creative activity in interaction with the parent will be most effective in preschool childhood. Motivation for joint activities with the parent is extremely important for the child, especially when the child receives a positive experience of creativity, and the senior preschool age is sensitive for the formation of an attitude towards creativity and towards oneself as a creative person. To smooth and harmonize child-adult interaction in creative activity, it is reasonable to use pedagogical support for child-adult interaction.

The relevance of research. The changes taking place in society and culture affect the transformation of such a socio-cultural phenomenon as childhood. Obtaining current knowledge about childhood makes it possible to predict the features of the future society, the adult population of which will consist of modern children. Obtaining data on the similarities and differences of ideas about childhood in children and adults can allow us to build effective educational work with parents. This will help adults better understand children, change the educational and the pedagogical process in accordance with the needs, values, and problems of modern preschoolers. The article presents the results of a study of the peculiarities of ideas about childhood as a phenomenon in older preschool children and parents of older preschoolers and designing on this basis of an educational program for parents.

Organization of the study. The aim of the study was to develop methods and conduct a comparative analysis of children’s and parents’ ideas about childhood and to develop a program of educational activities taking into account the identified features. Diagnostic research tools included modifications of "soft" methods (S.N. Mayorova-Shcheglova): the sociographic method (drawing on a given topic "Children and their childhood", analysis of the depicted event) the collision method (analysis of the verbally presented situation) and the comic book method (inventing the child's replicas of the hero in the presented situations). In addition, an auxiliary method was used – a conversation – for the interpretation of children's drawings and a modified projective technique "Ladder".

Research results. As a result of the study, comparative data were obtained on the specifics of ideas of different generations about the phenomenon of childhood, the peculiarities of the understanding of childhood by modern children and modern parents were identified, on this basis a program of educational activities for parents was developed and tested. The program of educational activities: is focused on the development of parental competence as an integrative ability to solve the problems of development and upbringing of children, which involves the implementation of comprehensive educational work, including stimulating motivation, position formation, enrichment of ideas and the formation of practical skills; involves the organization of a system of individual support of parents, a variety of forms of work, the development of parental reflection, stimulating independence and awareness through keeping a personal diary; practice-oriented, illustrated with a large number of examples and cases from real practice; involves updating the existing experience of parents, helps everyone see points of their own growth.

Conclusions. The program of educational activities was designed on the basis of the data obtained on the specific ideas about the phenomenon of childhood of older preschoolers and parents and is focused on the problems of raising a child in a family that are relevant for modern parents and children.

The relevance of research. The article broadly discusses the issue of education of parents (legal representatives) of children of early and preschool age. The problem of parental education has been relevant for more than a century. During this period, it has been transformed from a simple transmission of information and the elimination of parental illiteracy in matters of health, development, and upbringing of children to an activity that is one of the measures of state support for parents, a way to form a generation of conscious and competent parents.

Organization of the study. The purpose of the study was to develop the content side of the education of parents (legal representatives) of children attending preschool educational organizations. The authors of the article propose to trace the dynamics of society’s approaches to educating parents, reveal the key features of the phenomenon of modern parenthood. Modern parents, living in the age of wide access to information, continue to experience difficulties in family education. However, their needs are no longer connected with information, but with help in a critical analysis of information, selection of the one that will help their educational practice, formation competent and effective parenting skills.

Research results. The implementation of the tasks of psychological and pedagogical support and assistance in the development of competent parenthood is facilitated by the educational activities of teachers of preschool educational organizations. The article contains a brief description of the developed Education Program for parents (legal representatives) of preschool children attending preschool educational organizations. The program was developed by the Laboratory of Preschool Education of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Institute of Developmental Physiology of the Russian Academy of Education by order of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation as part of the development of state support measures in terms of the preparation and implementation of educational programs for parents of children attending preschool educational organizations (in pursuance of paragraph 3 of the list of instructions of the President of the Russian Federation dated June 14, 2022 No. Pr-1049GS following the meeting of the Presidium of the State Council of the Russian Federation on May 25, 2022).

Conclusions. The Education Program for parents (legal representatives) of preschool children attending preschool educational organizations contains content that can serve as a guide for preschool teachers in educational activities.

Relevance and purpose of the study. Studying the impact of digital technologies on the development of preschool children is one of the topical areas of modern psychology. Digital devices become part of the microenvironment of a child’s development from the first years of their life. However, their impact on a preschooler, is associated, on the one hand, with the discovery of new opportunities, and, on the other hand, with the emergence of risks and difficulties, is a great challenge for parents, teachers, and psychologists. In this regard, the study was aimed at identifying the features of the use of digital devices (tablet / computer) as components of the family educational microenvironment and studying their influence on the intellectual development of older preschoolers.

Sample consisted of 200 preschoolers aged 6-7 years, their parents (mainly mothers) from Moscow city.

Methods. Methods of express diagnostics of intellectual abilities /MEDIS, (E.I.Scheblanova, I.S.Averina, E.N.Zadorina); expert evaluation of intellectual and creative activity, creative thinking of preschoolers in a specially designed game lesson; the survey of the parents about the use of a tablet / computer at home for the development of a child (frequency, time, programs / games); and methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis (statistical package SPSS Statistics 22).

Results. It was revealed that in the families of the majority of preschoolers (96%) digital devices (tablet / computer) are used for their development, but the intensity (time) of use was different: 20-30 minutes for almost half of the older preschoolers, and 30-60 minutes for a little fewer children; but for individual preschoolers, the time exceeded one hour. The analysis of the number of children’s interactions with digital devices (as part of the family educational environment) during the week showed that a significant part of the children were divided into two approximately equal groups (about 40% in each): the frequency of using a tablet / computer in the first group was 1-2 times a week, in the second – 3-4 times a week. There were significantly fewer preschoolers who used a tablet/computer 5-7 times a week – about a fifth. Among the computer programs / games used at home for the development of older preschoolers, those that develop logical thinking turned out to be the most in demand: three quarters of children use them. Approximately half of the children learn programs/games that develop memory, counting and reading skills. The comparison of the children’s intellectual indicators, taking into account the frequency of using a digital device, showed that preschoolers who spend at a tablet/computer 1-2 times a week have a higher level of the development of intellectual abilities than their peers who use this digital device more often.

Conclusion. The peculiarities of the use of a tablet/computer by preschoolers as a component of the family educational microenvironment may determine the variability of the indicators of children’s intellectual development. These features must be taken into account when developing recommendations for parents on the digitalization of the family microenvironment.

The relevance of the topic of the article. The article discusses the characteristic features of the style of parental attitude “Severity of sanctions” (Eidemiller E.G., Justickis V.V.). It is revealed that the style of parental attitude to the child depends on the quality of reflection. Reflexive defenses, in turn, manifest themselves in behavioral forms of reaction and are fixed as an experience in the styles of parental attitude. The authors also compiled a reflexive portrait of the mother with this style of parental attitude, according to which the reflexive strategies and tactics of the mother’s behavior when communicating with the child are clearly visible. A mental map and an algorithm for consulting work with the mother are also presented.

The aim of the study. The results of an empirical study of the relationship of the style of parental attitude “Severity of sanctions” with the peculiarities of the mother’s reflection are presented. On the example of this style of parental attitude to the child, the reasons preventing the formation of the psychological well-being of the child are shown.

Description of the research progress. An empirical study was conducted with mothers raising preschoolers. The study involved 236 dyads of mothers with children. Respondents have higher education (67%), are married (51%), work (70%) and have more than one child (45%).

Conclusion. The more pronounced the indicators of the protective (pathogenic) reflection of the mother, the more the unconstructive style of parental attitude towards the child is presented, the less competent she is in educational activities.

Relevance of the article. Modern research confirms a decrease in the age of use of digital devices. By the older preschool age, most children have been using digital devices for several years. The involvement of preschoolers in the media space, the peculiarities of parental mediation of the use of digital devices by children make it necessary to work on the formation of digital competence of preschool children.

Description of the research progress. The article is based on a review of publications from Europe, Australia, America, Japan, Turkey and Indonesia from 2006 to 2021 and empirical data from a study of the features of digital competence of older preschool children conducted and published by the authors in 2021.

The results of the study. Older preschool children are active users of various digital devices, have a good command of the technical skills of using digital devices, but do not have formed ideas about their safe and effective use in everyday life. The main purpose of children’s interaction with digital devices is entertainment. Children can get the experience of using digital devices for their own education and development, which is necessary for the formation of digital competence, in preschool educational organizations. However, at the moment there are no relevant programs available to a wide range of teachers. Digital competence is considered as a person’s willingness to effectively and safely apply digital technologies in various areas of life. Within the framework of the proposed structure and content of digital competence for older preschool children, a description of the program for its formation is presented, an example of a lesson is given.

Conclusion. The concept of digital competence can be applied to the study of issues related to the interaction of older preschool children with the digital environment. The presented results and materials will help teachers in developing strategies for teaching preschoolers safe interaction with the digital environment.

The relevance of the topic of the article. It is in the family that the foundation of the child’s social experience is laid. In the process of interaction of a child with a close adult, stable features of constructive personal response are formed, characterological features are fixed. As a rule, the mother is recognized as the dominant influence on the child, on the development of emotional sphere. It is the mother who satisfies the child’s needs for the benevolent attention of an adult. The boundaries of our research do not allow us to identify all the factors contributing to the formation of a particular style of parental attitude to the child. However, many researchers, revealing the concept of parental attitude style, note the unconscious nature of behavioral manifestations and parental attitudes assigned by the mother in childhood imprinted. Therefore, we assumed that one of the factors in the formation of a particular style of parental attitude to the child is the quality of the mother’s reflection. The mother’s reflection, which has a protective character from negative experiences (fear of failure, shame, guilt, resentment), giving a locally temporary effect – pathogenic reflection. Reflection aimed at solving the problem in the relationship with the help of adequate means of the situation – sanogenic reflection.

The aim of the study. The article presents the results of an empirical study of the relationship between well-being in child-parent relationships and factors that negatively affect its development. Such factors are the styles of the child-parent relationship “Excessive requirements-prohibitions” and “Insufficient requirements-prohibitions” and the pathogenic reflection of the mother. On the example of these styles of parental attitude to the child, the mechanisms that prevent the formation of the emotional and psychological well-being of the child are shown.

Description of the research progress. An empirical study was conducted with mothers raising preschoolers. The study involved 236 people – mothers of preschoolers. Mostly respondents have higher education (67%), are married (51%), work (70%) and have more than one child (45%). The r-Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the Mann-Whitney U-test, a nonparametric statistical method of data processing for independent samples, were used for data processing.

The results of the study. The style of parental relationship is a formal dynamic characteristic, which is based on fixed, habitual forms of behavior for the mother and relationships in general, which may be non-constructive (pathogenic) in nature. It is concluded that the style of parental attitude to the child depends on the quality of reflection. Reflexive defenses, in turn, manifest themselves in behavioral forms of reaction and are fixed as an experience in the styles of parental attitude.

Conclusion. The more pronounced the indicators of the protective (pathogenic) reflection of the mother, the more the unconstructive style of parental attitude towards the child is presented, the less competent she is in educational activities. It is established that the style of parental attitude to the child depends on the quality of reflection. The pathogenic reflection of the mother is not aimed at solving problems arising in the child-parent relationship, but at her own experiences and states, which actualizes the need to protect against them. Reflexive defenses, in turn, manifest themselves in behavioral patterns and are fixed as an experience in parenting styles.

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.

The article discusses the results of the study of the emotional well-being of 6-7 years old children of kindergartens in Moscow. The data were obtained through a questionnaire survey of children and their parents using the supplemented Children’s Barometer methodology, consisting of 22 questions for a child and 8 questions for a parent. The study was attended by 151 parent-child couples; children from 15 groups of 5 different preschools. Emotional well-being is based on satisfying the needs of the child, both basic and essential for the age at hand, and essential for personal development including personal relevance, recognition in the group, autonomy and initiative. It was important for us to hear the “voice of the child”, attitude towards kindergarten, what makes child happy and discomforting. It was found that children of 6-7 years old can express their opinion and attitude to what is happening in kindergarten. Organized forms of activity are less interesting for children than free activity; there are discrepancies between children’s and adults’ assessment of issues important for the child; children remember conflicts in kindergarten and it is important for them how the teacher resolves the children’s conflict. The educational environment and style of interaction between adults and children in groups implementing different pedagogical systems influences children’s attitude towards kindergarten, which was shown in significant statistical differences.

This article analyzes the development of public and government requirements to definition of duration of work of kindergartens for all period of existence of system of early childhood education in Russia. The results of the monitoring of the attitude of preschool teachers to the introduction of “family schedules” in modern kindergartens, reflecting the advantages and risks of innovation associated with meeting the needs of families in the baby-sitting, as well as the successful solution of educational problems by the joint efforts of the family and kindergarten are presented. The article describes the possibilities of the current regulatory framework for creation of variable working hours of early childhood educational organizations.

The purpose of the study is to determine the reasons and nature of changes in the operation of early childhood institutions in a historical retrospective. The research was based on the experience of the first Russian kindergartens, legal framework defining the work of early childhood institutions during the XX century and at the present stage of development of early childhood education, the results of the survey of 3415 teachers of preschool groups of 22 regions of the Russian Federation, and review of the studies related to the problem under study. The results of the retrospective analysis of the reasons for the change in the duration of work of Russian early childhood institutions during the whole period of their existence, have been presented. It has been revealed that the work regime was determined by the goals of the kindergarten to ensure the full development and upbringing of the child in different historical periods and reflected the leading trends in the country’s social and economic development and the State’s desire to involve women in active social and productive life. This ensured the normative approval of the variation in the work schedules of kindergartens (pre-school groups) depending on the location, needs and demands of families, which is a distinctive feature of modern public early childhood education. Based on the results of the monitoring of teachers’ opinions on the increase in the time of stay of children in kindergarten, possible risks associated with the reduction of the time of communication between parents and children were identified. Today some parents tend to increase the working hours of the kindergarten as they are not ready to communicate with the child, because of their own parent’s failure. The desire of parents to “build up” the schedule of work of the kindergarten, to correlate it with personal needs is often associated with a lack of understanding of the essence of educational work. Tendencies of interaction of teachers with families in order to draw attention of parents to the importance of dialogue with the child have been defined.

This article analyzes the attitude of respondents to the profession of Early Childhood Education Teacher. Respondents were preschool teachers (n = 203) and parents of preschoolers (n = 706). The basis for the empirical study was the Kazan Center for Social and Humanitarian Education, which is being implemented within the framework of the experimental site of FEDI RANEPA. The study was conducted over September and October 2018. A questionnaire method was used to collect information. The research has shown that to be recognized as a professional, significant for the progressive development of society, the early childhood education teacher fulfills his/her social order, but is assessed by public opinion as a person who does not have the opportunity to rise to a high level in the social hierarchy. Despite the fact that the respondents, i.e. the teachers of early childhood educational institutions belong to the low-income strata of the Russian society and the absence of a high socio-economic status, their ideas about their profession are generally positive. The authors suggest that the positive interpretation of the external assessment of their profession by the respondents is a mechanism for conscious increase of professionalism. An early childhood education teacher is a creative profession and a positive self-esteem of the prestige of the work in the field of early childhood education work can be linked to the processes of self-actualization and self-realization. On the other hand, overestimated perceptions of the prestige of the profession help early childhood education teachers to form their symbolic capital.

Responding parents demonstrate trust in public early childhood educational institutions, which is defined by paternalistic orientation of parents in relations with teachers and administration of preschool educational institution and is interpreted by the authors as loyalty of respondents to government. The authors note that the prestige of the profession of an early childhood education teacher has different meanings for its bearers, for those who use educational services, and for society as a whole.

The ability to recognize emotional states by the expression of the face is part of the group of competencies necessary for the successful implementation of communication activities. Body language, as an important means of communication, is ambiguous in content, which can lead to difficulties in understanding and responding to information (M. Lisina, Kh. Sherjazdanova). The relevance of learning how to recognize emotions in preschool age is related to the high importance of communicative competence for the child’s socialization in kindergarten and preparation for school.

This paper analyzes research on the characteristics and conditions of development of the ability to recognize emotions in childhood. The majority of scientists allocate the following factors: recognition of emotions by facial expression passes a way from the undifferentiated perception of a sign of emotion through allocation of separate elements of mimicry to the integral and generalized perception; there are distinctions in type of perception of emotions of different modalities; ability to recognize emotions depends on experience of child-parent relations and influences personal and social development of the child.

Based on the results of research by A. Shtetinina, E. Listik, M. Kuzmishcheva, J. Russell, D. Lable, R. Thomson, T. Forslund, S. Denham, etc., the hypothesis about the relationship between the two determinants that make the success of the recognition of emotions in preschool age: the development of the proper cognitive means involved in the process and the peculiarities of interpersonal relationships between the child and parents is substantiated. This conclusion is consistent with the provisions of L. Vygotsky, L. Bozhovich, M. Lisina and others on the important role of communication with a close adult for the mental development of the child: the adult acts as a source of various influences, enriches the experience of the child, sets the task of mastering new knowledge, supports and corrects his efforts, as well as acts as a role model for the child.

This paper analyzes the phenomenon of the leap from kindergarten to primary school level of education. Different approaches to understanding the indicators of successful transition have been considered. As the most relevant condition and experience of children concerning occurring changes and new environments, expectations and activity of parents, quality of cooperation with family, educational and public organizations, quality of preparation of teachers come to the fore.

The transformation of ideas about factors influencing the well-being of the transition has been analyzed. The conclusion about the need for a comprehensive consideration of the role of early educational experience of children, their preparation to school, the continuity of the content and methods of education, the involvement of parents and the quality of interaction between all participants in the transition process has been drawn.

Some of the transition strategies have been considered, in particular, from the point of view of the purposes of support of this process, the basic regulatory documents, the most widespread ways of working with children, families, educational and public organizations, as well as challenges and complications.

Cases from Japan, Finland and Australia have been considered to illustrate possible areas of work to improve the transition between preschool and primary education. These countries are implementing significantly different strategies and tactics, while recognizing the need to improve the transition process and appreciating the role of early learning experiences. Japan’s approach is more oriented towards the creation of detailed regulations and the organization of interaction between teachers. The creation of a common methodological framework for early childhood education is relevant for Finland, and the particular implementation of innovations in transition is delegated to the educational institutions themselves. Australia is primarily focused on working with children in the preparatory stage, as well as on informing parents and encouraging them to engage proactively with children, teachers and each other.