All articles

The article discusses the experience and results of the researches of emotional well-being of preschoolers, especially 6–7 year old children. The factors that affect the emotional well-being of preschool children in the family and in educational organizations and educational opportunities of the environment (values and ways of interaction of teachers with children, designing of the environment of a kindergarten, planning of current activities) are considered separately, in particular those increasing emotional well-being of children. The principal trends of the current approach to the study of emotional well-being: a synthesis of achievements of different theories, a shift in the study of emotional well-being from problems to its positive manifestations, interest in the opinion of children themselves, complexity (inclusion of all stakeholders in the study design – children, parents, teachers) and variety of methods. The relevance of the study, based on the «child’s voice», reflections by educators and parents, and structured video analysis, is shown.

The article discusses the relevance of the problem of children’s speech readiness for schooling, including the development of language and communication abilities of preschool children. It is shown that the transition from kindergarten to school is associated with a change in the social status of a child who becomes a pupil. This is preceded by a huge preparatory work that develops general and special preparation for learning at school, which should result in readiness for school, including speech. The authors consider the cognitive aspect of preschool children’s speech readiness for school. It is shown that the study of the correlation between thought, speech and language in the formation of a preschool child’s personality provides opportunities to identify patterns of development of intellectual, communicative, speech and language abilities in preschool childhood. Language (linguistic) competence in relation to preschoolers is considered as an elementary awareness of the phenomena and facts of language and speech, the formation of the ability to use words, their forms and syntactic structures in accordance with the norms of the literary language, to use synonymic and antonymic resources of the native language. The tasks of the development of linguistic and communicative abilities are presented. The development of all aspects of speech, knowledge of the rules and norms of speech etiquette, and their use, depending on the situation, play an important role in educating the culture of speech communication among preschoolers. The improvement of communicative competence is impossible without learning the basics of speech culture, the absence of which can cause a misconception about the essence of the statement. The prospects of research on the formation of speech readiness for school education are outlined. The conclusions summarize the main points of the article.

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.

This article describes the findings of research on children’s preferences for interaction in relation to a change in one facial measure - increasing the distance between the inner corners of the eyes (Orbital Hypertelorism Syndrome). This modification has perceptive (related to the processing of the face as a specific object of perception), socio-psychological (related to eye contact between people) and clinical (related to genetic diseases) meanings. The hypothesis for the expected reduction in positive perceptions of faces with symptoms of orbital hypertelorism was formulated on the basis of the documented negative attitude to children with facial abnormalities (cleft lip and palate). Preschoolers (n=140) were shown pictures of children and women with both increased and normal distance between their eyes. Preschoolers expressed their willingness to play with the children and to interact with an adult as an educator choosing one of the options: consent, refuse, or indefinite answer (experiment 1); consent or refuse (experiment 2). The results did not confirm the hypothesis. Rather, the indefinite answer was the primary choice for the perception of the pictures in all three groups: boys, girls, and adult women with the facial features (experiment 1). Comparison of positive and negative answers (experiment 2) showed an equal willingness to interact with people regardless of the symptoms of orbital hypertelorism. The obtained results are interpreted as a reaction to the novelty of an atypical face, which deviates from average measures. The findings are discussed in a broad social context, including short-term contacts with strangers and special needs children with atypical facial features.

This paper considers the issue of cooperation between the family and pre-school teachers during a child’s transition from kindergarten to primary school as a factor contributing to the child’s greater psychological readiness for school. For this purpose, the materials of a nationwide survey called Monitoring the Economics of Education: Early Childhood Education were used to analyze the degree of harmonization of parents’ and preschool teachers’ ideas of kindergarten and issues related to preparations for the transition to school. It is showed that teachers and parents, as well as parents themselves have different perceptions of a good kindergarten, the objectives of education and ways of preparing their child for school, many of the differences stemming from their level of education among other things.

The aim of the article is to help children and their parents in a difficult period of child’s adjustment to the school. The authors examine the relationship of psychological readiness and success of the child’s entry into school life. Indicators of these process successfulness are described. The article highlights the series of preparatory steps for school and the begining of the school life. Possibilities of support of first-graders in this interesting and difficult path to adulthood are explored. The answers to the questions whether the child knows the rules and able to comply with them without supervision by the parents and other adults, whether the child is ready to build a relationship with the teacher and peers in the form of cooperation are provided. Guidelines for psychological care to ensure safe entry child in school life are described.

The article describes the English system of preschool education. The analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of England’s dual model of education is provided. A well-designed structure of preschool education is not limited to the mastery of knowledge and skills, and aims to develop different aspects of the child. The educational tasks include the development of creativity and formation of eagerness to learn. During various discussions the range of problems arising in front of professional team of psychologists working in pre-school and primary education is outlined. The psychologists’ working task is defined based on inspection’s reports on current issues, whereas there are no psychologists on the staff. Therefore, these tasks are often directed to other specialists, commonly to the specially trained teachers. There has developed an effective system of preschool education, which is designed to increase the availability of care for all children, but the implementation of this mechanism is highly dependent on certain conditions.

The article describes the English system of preschool education. The analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of England’s dual model of education is provided. A well-designed structure of preschool education is not limited to the mastery of knowledge and skills, and aims to develop different aspects of the child. The educational tasks include the development of creativity and formation of eagerness to learn. During various discussions the range of problems arising in front of professional team of psychologists working in pre-school and primary education is outlined. The psychologists’ working task is defined based on inspection’s reports on current issues, whereas there are no psychologists on the staff. Therefore, these tasks are often directed to other specialists, commonly to the specially trained teachers. There has developed an effective system of preschool education, which is designed to increase the availability of care for all children, but the implementation of this mechanism is highly dependent on certain conditions.

Background. The intellectual development of older preschool children is of significant importance at the stage of preparation for school. The formation of intellectual readiness is one of the indicators of the child’s adaptive inclusion in the educational process in primary education programs. The analysis of scientific research has revealed the content and structural components of the concepts of “intellectual development” and “intellectual readiness of an older preschooler”. This contributed to the definition of the main criteria for the study of intellectual readiness and the development of appropriate gaming diagnostic tasks for older preschoolers.

Objective. To study the dynamics of the formation of intellectual readiness of older preschoolers in the process of stage-by-stage implementation of the intellectual project “Ready for School!”

Methods. The study involved 30 children of the preparatory school group. At the first stage, the diagnosis of preschoolers was carried out at the beginning of the school year according to the developed set of game tasks. At the second stage, an action plan was implemented with exercises aimed at the intellectual development of older preschoolers. At the final stage, a final study and analysis of the results were carried out.

Results. The analysis of the research results showed an increase in the cognitive and communicative activity of children in solving logical memorization tasks, mathematical riddles, and problems. The effectiveness of the work carried out with children on the formation of constructive and algorithmic thinking and mastery of mathematical concepts was revealed. The highest results were obtained by diagnostic indicators based on criteria for evaluating the formation of a common outlook, ideas and ways of interacting with adults and peers in various types of activities.

Conclusions. To effectively implement the tasks of developing the intellectual readiness of older preschoolers at the stage of preparation for school, the teacher needs to use systematic work technologies that promote the activation of children’s creativity and cognition: problematic mathematical tasks, multi-level and group tasks, design, elementary programming, additional exercises for neurobiology, logical memorization , associative thinking, development of interhemispheric interaction, as well as visual-motor coordination.