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This article presents findings from theoretical research on the issues of studies with children conducted by educators in terms of applying psychological and pedagogical characterization as a strategy. The aim of this study is to uncover the specifics of applying this strategy and compare it with the strategy of observation. The methodological basis is activity and competency-based approaches, whereas the main method of study is a theoretical analysis of the psychological and pedagogical body of literature on this issue. As a result of the research, an understanding of the above mentioned strategy in the entirety of its aims, principles, milestones, and outcomes was achieved. The study shows that psychological and pedagogical characterization as a strategy for the study of children follows the general logic of scientific research in terms of the sequence of its stages (planning, content-organization, analytic-outcome, and prognostic) and that it is implemented through special diagnostic terms of reference. A diagram of the characterization, the structure of which reflects the complex of aims and stages in the study of a child, functions as guidance for the strategy. Part of the diagram describes the most significant markers and directions of psychological development (the level of achievement for different kinds of activity; cognitive, speech, social, and motor development; the particularities of a child’s personality and their individuality) as the basis for a psychological portrait of the child. The resulting part of the diagram includes conclusions drawn from the comparison and synthesis of the obtained facts according to the principles of scientific research and a tentative prediction of a child’s further development. The improvement of the algorithm for evaluating the text of the characterization according to the aims and principles of its composition is an important direction for the perfection of the strategy. The criteria of the characterization are the integrity of the child’s psychological portrait, the quality of conclusions and established pedagogical recommendations, and the position of the educator in their interaction with the child at the information gathering stage.

Background. Modern parents form the public opinion about a preschool educational organization and about each preschool teacher. However, very often the influence of parents on the reputation of a kindergarten is underestimated, which leads to unfavorable consequences for the kindergarten. In this regard, it is extremely important to know how preschool teachers look like to parents, the requirements and requests of parents in order to maintain the competitiveness of the kindergarten.

Objectives. The aim of the study is to identify current problems in the interaction between parents and preschool teachers, to analyze the attitude of modern parents towards preschool teachers, and to develop recommendations for optimizing cooperation between participants in the educational process.

Sample. The study involved 210 respondents — parents of different ages and genders from different regions of Russia, whose children attend preschool educational institutions aged from 2 months to 7 years.

Methods. The following methods are used in the study: a scientific and theoretical analysis of publications on the research problem, a questionnaire conducted with the help of an outsourcing company, generalization and systematization of the obtained data, content analysis of the content of parents’ statements about the professional activities of preschool teachers.

Results. 177 statements by parents about the professional activities of kindergarten teachers were analyzed according to the following parameters: attitude towards parents, attitude towards children, attitude towards professional development. Based on the parents’ opinions the current problems in the interaction between parents and preschool teachers were identified: lack or insufficient information for parents, lack or insufficient number of joint events for children-adult communities, inability of preschool teachers to interact with different categories of families. 144 statements of modern parents about their own attitude towards preschool teachers were also analyzed in the study. It was found that parents often have a biased attitude towards preschool teachers and make unreasonably high demands on preschool teachers.

Conclusions. The study allowed to identify the main problems in the interaction of parents and preschool teachers, positive trends in modern preschool education, and also to record the unfriendly attitude of modern parents to preschool teachers. The results obtained indicate the need for careful preparation of prospective preschool teachers for cooperation with parents.