Developing Children’s Creative Thinking Potential Through Visual Activities in Preschool Educational Organizations

La relevancia del problema declarado de la crisis de los niños de 6 a 7 años está dictada por la tendencia cada vez mayor de traer a los niños a las instituciones preescolares después de un corto período en la escuela por parte de los padres que notan la condición dolorosa del niño asociada con la mala adaptación escolar. En este sentido, muchos investigadores y educadores en ejercicio recomiendan revisar las fechas de inicio de los niños en la escuela para que el niño comience la escuela a la edad de siete años. Otros maestros notan un aumento significativo en la carga de trabajo de los escolares de primaria relacionados con la introducción del Estándar Educativo del Estado Federal para la Educación General Primaria y las formas correspondientes de actividades de control y evaluación. Por lo tanto, era necesario desarrollar nuevas tecnologías para preservar la salud de los estudiantes más jóvenes y permitirles superar la crisis del inicio de la educación. El propósito del artículo es describir la tecnología desarrollada destinada a ayudar a niños de 6 a 7 años a superar la crisis de la edad y prevenir la mala adaptación escolar con la ayuda de la formación temprana de tolerancia al estrés. El método principal en el estudio es el diseño de una tecnología para la formación temprana de tolerancia al estrés y la predicción de los resultados de su implementación en los grupos experimentales de niños de 6-7 años. La tecnología se basa en los principios de continuidad del proceso educativo entre las organizaciones educativas preescolares y las escuelas. Con la implementación de la tecnología desarrollada se lograron los siguientes resultados: mayor motivación para el éxito y un mayor nivel de salud somática manifestado en actividades deportivas y creativas. Los resultados mencionados a su vez contribuyeron a la prevención de crisis, la privación escolar de los alumnos de primer grado y la superación cómoda de la crisis de los niños de 6 a 7 años. Los materiales del artículo pueden ser útiles para los organizadores de actividades deportivas y creativas en instituciones educativas preescolares, educadores de grupos preparatorios, maestros, metodólogos en educación preescolar y primaria, así como maestros de educación física y maestros de primaria. Los materiales del artículo se pueden utilizar en el sistema de formación avanzada de docentes de educación física y primaria, así como en la preparación de actividades profesionales en instituciones educativas preescolares y escuelas primarias de estudiantes de escuelas de formación de docentes y universidades.

A smart society starts from pre-school age. Aiming to implement the National Education Strategy for 2013–2022, the considerable attention is paid to the involvement of children into pre-school education, where their individual skills would be more actively disclosed. It is therefore essential to develop alternatives within education system, which would be accessible, attractive and valuable to those groups of society that are currently not sufficiently enough involved into education. Considering that the economic well-being of the Republic of Lithuania is growing and the employment is increasing, the requirements for the quality and availability of public services are increasing in the society, it is worth to be mentioned that Lithuanian society also expects more accessibility and quality of services in pre-school education institutions.The aim of the research is to reveal the possibilities of new ways and channels of delivering public service in pre-school education institutions. Having conducted the content analysis of scientific literature and synthesis of ideas substantiated with scientific analysis as well as having conducted qualitative research in pre-school education institutions of Mažeikiai County Municipality, the research is based on the case of Mažeikiai county.The selection of the research object – public services in pre-school education institutions and their delivery ways and channels – is based on the aim of education policy to increase the accessibility, repeatability, individualization of services for early education as well as the increasing interest in modern ways of service delivery in Lithuania, by combining direct and indirect service delivery channels. In the second decade of the 21st century, scientists’ attention paid to the personalization and particularity of the service is increasing, as the user’s needs and the supplier’s possibilities are growing. Innovative technical channels and a whole set of instruments are increasingly being used to personalize services (A. Patapas, V. Vilutytė-Žilienė, 2013, pp. 312–325; A. Jonas, 2016, p. 206).Services are often available through several different distribution channels, which, according to L. Bagdonienė et al. (2004), are understood as the chains of entities (individuals and organizations) involved in the delivery of services and performing specific functions. There are two types of service delivery channels – direct and indirect (through intermediaries) – distinguished by authors, and on the basis of the latest scientific literature, we have included one more channel, when both channels are combined. Direct service delivery may be provided at the provider’s institution or in the consumer’s location, or some services may be provided at either location. Meanwhile, the indirect service channel can take many forms, whose structures are rapidly changing and they are increasingly complex, with active use of e-services, m-services and smart services.In Lithuania,10-15 years ago, direct education services included all educational services (education and care, educational assistance, parent education, etc.) and most of social services (nutrition, health care, social and psychological assistance, ensuring of physical, social and emotional security, family support, etc.). Today, we are talking about combining these channels and the increasing involvement of stakeholders and social partners into service delivery. In this way, modern service delivery channels could be: 1) alternative to the traditional channel (direct service delivery at the provider’s institution or at the recipient’s home) when digital technologies are used, according to the provider’s choice or the recipient’s choice, 2) chains and networks created by inter-institutional co-operation and partnership, when educational and social services are delivered both directly (recreational services for children and family, temporary education and care, child care centres, babysitting services, social and psychological assistance in pre-school education institution or at home, etc.) and indirectly (e-communication with parents, informing about health, social support from local authorities, issues on children’s rights, supply of extracurricular activities, involvement in local community activities, etc.), usually by coordinating delivery channels.The analysis of the material collected during the semi-structured interview (six heads of pre-school education institutions in Mažeikiai county and one specialist from education department who works with kindergartens were interviewed) allowed to distinguish the following particularities and perspectives of the delivery of modern pre-school education services:
 
 Delayed political decisions are among the external factors that hinder the increased use of modern services and delivery channels. The process is promoted by opportunities created by information technology and migration, as emigrants returning to Lithuania want new, more diverse services for their children.
 Of the internal factors that influence the development of modern services, the competence of the staff of pre-school education institution is the most significant. At present, it is of paramount importance in educational services, without avoiding to introduce alternative educational programs. There is active learning to ensure the social and emotional safety of children, but there is the lack of deeper understanding and readiness to provide family support services and work with at-risk families.
 Inter-institutional cooperation is important in service supply chain. It has increased in providing educational, physical, emotional security services for a child; there is the lack of active social interaction with other institutions in providing family support and social security services.
 Through the combination of direct and indirect service delivery channels, the use of digital technologies is important, and informants see their potential in increasing access to services, increasing diversity of services, reducing the disparity in service availability between urban and rural areas, and creating new quality of education.
 In Lithuania, it has not been prepared so far for the model of pre-school education at home and family support, and during the transitional period there would be an approval for mobile kindergarten groups.
 Nanny service, as an alternative service to early childhood education, is provided only in exceptional situations, and it would be viable in the cities and its funding should be complex; the pedagogical and value competence of a nanny is important as well.

The article is devoted to the modern issues of pre-school education in Donetsk region. The article presents the statistic information concerning the development of a network of pre-school education institutions in Donetsk region during the military aggression – the general number of institutions in the cities/regions, the number of children involved into pre-school education, the number of pre-school groups with prioritized ways of development, the number of institutions which operate in the so called “grey zone” and the number of children who get pre-school education in the designated institutions under dangerous conditions, staff assistance, etc. The statistical data concerning the language of the educational process in pre-school institutions of the region are separately represented in the article. The article uncovers special features of the organization and topical issues of Donetsk region pre-school education based on regulatory documents and the programme “Donetsk region education in European dimension. 2017‒2020”. The attention is payed to the modern challenges for Donetsk region education; modern educational challenges have been characterized as national-patriotic upbringing, inclusion, implementation of sustainable development and creation of a safe and child-friendly pre-school education institution. The article focuses on bilingual environment of the region and the necessity to pay attention to this specific aspect while organizing educational activities with preschoolers. The information regarding the results of the pre-school education institutions of Donetsk region involved into educational projects has been summarized. The article presents the forms and methods of pursuing the principle of regionality in pre-school education institutions. Some ways of combining the general regional and the regional components in the educational process of pre-school education institutions under conditions of reformations within the system of education have been proposed. Keywords: modern pedagogical challenge, child-centrism, national patriotic education, inclusion, inclusive education, sustainable development.

This study investigated the commonalities and differences between motor creativity and creative thinking in children and how executive functions differently influence them. Thirty-one children, aged 7 to 8 years, were administered Bertsch Test of Motor Creativity, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, the Random Number Generation (RNG) task tapping executive functions, and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). Scores for three dimensions of motor creativity and creative thinking (fluency, flexibility, and originality), selected indexes of executive function (inhibition and working memory updating) and motor competence scores were submitted to correlational and regression analyses. Results showed that there is no association between motor creativity and motor competence, but a significant association between creative moving and thinking for all their dimensions except for originality. Moreover, originality in thinking was predicted by low inhibitory ability, although originality in moving by high inhibitory ability. Results suggested that there are commonalities in the processes responsible for the fluent and flexible production of creative thoughts and movements, whereas there was a domain-specificity as concerns the role played by inhibitory functions in the production of original solutions during creative moving.

Introduction. The study presented in the paper seeks to determine the role of the family in the development of creative thinking in adolescents. Research methods. The research employs the creativity test by E. P. Torrens, Kinetic drawing of the family by R. Burns. S. Kaufman; and the test questionnaire of parental attitude by A. Ya. Varga, V. V. Stolin. The results of the research. The study reveals and interprets correlations between the indicators of parental education and components of creative thinking in adolescents. Findings show that the families in which parents are interested in the affairs and plans of children, encourage their initiative and independence, trust them, and believe in their strength, creative thinking of children will be highly developed. It has also been empirically established that high values of the creative thinking components are achieved in the absence of hostility and conflict in the family. The study also notes that it is important for adolescents that parents require no obedience to their authority but encourage doubts in children and allow mistakes. It has been proved that family composition influences the development of creative thinking in adolescents. Nuclear families show higher creative thinking indicators when following the parental attitude style of Cooperation, while these indicators for incomplete ones are higher in the cases of Acceptance/Rejection and Control parental attitude styles. In general, the indicators “fluency”, “originality”, “readiness”, and general level of creative thinking are more developed in adolescents from nuclear families. Introduction. The study presented in the paper seeks to determine the role of the family in the development of creative thinking in adolescents. Research methods. The research employs the creativity test by E. P. Torrens, Kinetic drawing of the family by R. Burns. S. Kaufman; and the test questionnaire of parental attitude by A. Ya. Varga, V. V. Stolin. The results of the research. The study reveals and interprets correlations between the indicators of parental education and components of creative thinking in adolescents. Findings show that the families in which parents are interested in the affairs and plans of children, encourage their initiative and independence, trust them, and believe in their strength, creative thinking of children will be highly developed. It has also been empirically established that high values of the creative thinking components are achieved in the absence of hostility and conflict in the family. The study a lso notes that it is important for adolescents that parents require no obedience to their authority but encourage doubts in children and allow mistakes. It has been proved that family composition influences the development of creative thinking in adolescents. Nuclear families show higher creative thinking indicators when following the parental attitude style of Cooperation, while these indicators for incomplete ones are higher in the cases of Acceptance/Rejection and Control parental attitude styles. In general, the indicators “fluency”, “originality”, “readiness”, and general level of creative thinking are more developed in adolescents from nuclear families.

Introduction. In the modern information society, innovation is a strategic resource that largely determines the competitiveness of any organization, including preschool education. In this regard, it becomes important to search for effective management mechanisms for the competent introduction of innovations into preschool practice. One of these mechanisms is the creation of an innovative environment in a preschool educational organization that is favorable for generating new ideas, creating and introducing innovations into the pedagogical process that significantly increase its effectiveness. An analysis of the scientific literature shows that this problem has not been systematically considered, and therefore there are no scientifically sound approaches to its solution. This fact makes it relevant to determine the methodological guidelines for modeling the innovative environment of a preschool educational organization.Materials and methods. Interdisciplinary theoretical analysis of psychological, managerial, pedagogical, and economic literature on the problems of innovation, environment and environmental education, and innovation management; a method for modeling the innovative environment of a preschool educational organization.Results. In the context of the ecological and personal approach and based on the structural and functional model of the educational environment developed by V.A. Yasvin, a model of the innovative environment of a preschool educational organization has been created, including socio-psychological, spatial, subject and activity components. In this model, the innovation environment is defined as a qualitative characteristic of the professional and pedagogical environment, a source and factor of successful creative activity of the teacher and as a resource for the development of a personality type with creative thinking. It is shown that a significant feature of such an environment is the unity of opportunities and conditions for innovation.Discussion and conclusions. The developed ecological and personal model of the innovative environment of a pre-school educational organization, revealing its essential characteristics, such as the duality of nature, dynamism, manageability, system-structural and event-situational organization, a resource for professional and personal development of a teacher, deepens scientific understanding of this phenomenon of pedagogical reality.

Children make a rapid development physically, cognitively and affectively in preschool educational period (age 0 - 6). The cognitive dimension of a child at pre-school age is creative, independent and imaginary. The imagination unceasingly works. This period is regarded as the time that the children have high potential of learning and developing. Thus, the quality of preschool education affects the higher educational success and even the lifelong success of the child. Therefore the aims of the research are to emphasize the importance of preschool education on the development of the child, to make a comparison between the preschool education of Turkey and other developed countries and to support preschool education by explaining why and how the preschool education in Turkey should be improved. In this research, case study method from data collection methods was used; related written and electronic resources were collected, analyzed and interpreted in line with the research purpose. The following suggestions are developed in order to improve the preschool education in Turkey: Service delivery models that increase the participation to preschool education should be varied; the preschool educational facilities should be extended supporting the access of regions with limited financial means and regulations that decreasing the educational costs of families should be adopted. For all children, especially for families with low income, preschool educational institutions should be free like in more than half of European Union countries or preschool educational costs should be arranged in accordance with family incomes and other criterion, and families should be supported. The improvement and development priority should be given to preschool educational stage, accordingly physical resources (building, materials, substructure) and human resources (manager, educator, deputy manager and support staff) should be provided. Besides preschool teaching departments should be opened in faculties of education in universities and the quota of preschool teaching departments should be increased.

Введение. Одной из ведущих проблем в системе современного дошкольного образования является формирование целостной личности, содержание которой качественно изменяется в процессе развития человеческого общества на основе становления и совершенствования ведущих сторон личности ребёнка: 1) направленности личности: потребности, интересы, цели, мотивы и пр. (ради чего и что хочет ребёнок) в форме мотивационных образований влияющих на вектор поведения; 2) форм активности личности и содержания (познавательная деятельность, общение со взрослыми и сверстниками и др.); 3) качеств личности (любознательность, активность, самостоятельность, инициативность, умение общаться, творчество и др.), формирующихся в процессе освоения многообразия видов детской деятельности, разнообразной по формам и содержанию на каждом возрастном этапе развития. Материалы и методы.Ведущими методами исследования являются: а) анализ литературы по теории управления образовательными системами, детской психологии, теории и методике дошкольного образования, б) обобщение профессионального опыта в управленческой деятельности в качестве руководителя дошкольной образовательной организации и преподавателя высшей педагогической школы на уровнях магистратуры и бакаливриата. Результаты. Проведённым исследованием установлено, что позитивным результатом применения ситуационного подхода к процессу формирования познавательной активности у детей дошкольного возраста является: 1) сформированная у ребёнка способность к самостоятельному решению познавательной задачи (с учётом возрастной группы) в условиях обеспечения самостоятельности по освоению игровых действий; 2) проявление умения рассуждать и опровергать, аргументировать собственную точку зрения и презентовать продукт деятельности; 3) демонстрация приобретённых исследовательских навыков в форме автоматизированных действий (бессознательное действие) через выполнение алгоритма операций. Обсуждение. Основу ситуационного подхода к формированию познавательной активности у детей дошкольного возраста, по-нашему мнению, составляют постоянно возникающие в жизни ребёнка ситуации (в природе, в семье, в ДОО, в социуме, во взаимодействии с другими людьми и пр.), выступающие в форме конкретных жизненных обстоятельств как факторов и условий, которые оказывают значительное влияние на организацию процесса познания, развития мыслительной активности и формирования личностных качеств, побуждающих ребёнка к выполнению целенаправленных действий и применению их в конкретных ситуациях и жизненных обстоятельствах. Заключение. Результаты проведённого исследования могут быть использованы в процессе разработки и реализации целостной системы знаний и умений в познавательной деятельности дошкольников в специально организованных условиях ДОО на основе развития устойчивых интеллектуально-деятельностной и потребностно-мотивационной сфер, умственных способностей ребёнка (познавательные, сенсорные, речевые, творческие и др.) для успешного применения личностного опыта в познании нового. Ключевые слова: ситуационный подход; ситуация; формирование; качества личности; культура познавательной деятельности; познавательная активность; образовательные ситуации; исследовательское поведение; дети дошкольного возраста; дошкольная образовательная организация. Основные положения: – уточнена сущность понятия «ситуация», «ситуационный подход» применительно к процессу формирования познавательной активности у детей дошкольного возраста; – установлено, что ведущие виды детской деятельности не являются единственными для конкретной ступени развития личности и в целой системе активностей составляют доминирующее «ядро», от которого зависят формирование и особенности их освоения ребёнком с точки зрения целостного развития ребёнка как активного субъекта деятельности, проявляющихся во всеобщих и индивидуальных особенностях; – обоснован процесс формирования познавательной активности в дошкольном возрасте, который осуществляется на эмоциональном, рациональном и практическом уровнях, имеющих существенное значение для дальнейшего саморазвития личности в различных формах; – интепретировано содержание педагогической работы с дошкольниками и последовательность процесса активизации познания, что обеспечивается психическими процессами, овладение ребёнком умственными действиями и др. Introduction. One of the leading problems in the system of modern preschool education is the formation of a holistic personality, the content of which changes qualitatively in the process of development of human society based on the formation and improvement of the leading aspects of the child's personality: 1) the orientation of the personality: needs, interests, goals, motives, etc. (for the sake of what and what the child wants) in the form of motivational formations influencing the vector of behavior; 2) forms of activity of the personality and content (cognitive activity, communication with adults and peers, etc.); 3) qualities of the personality (curiosity, activity, independence, initiative, ability to communicate, creativity, etc.), formed in the process of mastering a variety of types of children's activities, diverse in form and content at each age stage of development. Materials and methods. The leading research methods are: a) analysis of literature on the theory of management of educational systems, child psychology, theory and methodology of preschool education, b) generalization of professional experience in management activities as a head of a preschool educational organization and a teacher of a higher pedagogical school at the master's and bachelor's levels. Results. The conducted research has established that the positive result of the application of the situational approach to the process of forming cognitive activity in preschool children is: 1) the child's ability to independently solve a cognitive task (taking into account the age group) in conditions of ensuring independence in mastering game actions; 2) the demonstration of the ability to reason and refute, argue one's own point of view and present the product of the activity; 3) demonstration of acquired research skills in the form of automated actions (unconscious action) through the execution of an algorithm of operations. Discussion. In our opinion, the basis of the situational approach to the formation of cognitive activity in preschool children is made up of situations that constantly arise in the child's life (in nature, in the family, in preschool educational institutions, in society, in interaction with other people, etc.), appearing in the form of specific life circumstances as factors and conditions that have a significant impact on the organization of the process of cognition, the development of mental activity and the formation of personal qualities that encourage the child to perform targeted actions and apply them in specific situations and life circumstances. Conclusion. The results of the conducted research can be used in the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive system of knowledge and skills in the cognitive activity of preschoolers in specially organized conditions of preschool educational institutions based on the development of stable intellectual-activity and need-motivational spheres, the child's mental abilities (cognitive, sensory, speech, creative, etc.) for the successful application of personal experience in learning something new. Keywords: Situational approach; Situation; Formation; Personality traits; Culture of cognitive activity; Cognitive activity; Educational situations; Exploratory behavior; Preschool children; Preschool educational organization. Highlights: The essence of the concept of "situation", "situational approach" in relation to the process of formation of cognitive activity in preschool children has been clarified; It has been established that the leading types of children's activities are not the only ones for a specific stage of personality development and in the whole system of activities constitute the dominant "core", on which the formation and features of their mastering by the child depend from the point of view of the holistic development of the child as an active subject of activity, manifested in general and individual characteristics; The process of formation of cognitive activity in preschool age, which is carried out at the emotional, rational and practical levels, which are essential for the further self-development of the individual in various forms, has been substantiated; The content of pedagogical work with preschoolers and the sequence of the process of activating knowledge, which is ensured by mental processes, the child's mastery of mental actions, etc., are interpreted.

The article presents a systematic examination of academic integrity as the basis of scientific research, educational, and creative activities of future preschool teachers of preschool educational institutions (PEI) in the context of the experience of preparing bachelors in the specialty 012 Preschool Education. Based on the analysis of the results of the survey among bachelor's degree seekers (educational program 012 Preschool Education), according to the developed questionnaire "Academic integrity", the students’ view on the problems of academic integrity has been highlighted; the experience of training future teachers of PEI within the framework of educational components that ensure the acquisition of research and creative competences has been released to the public, the means of forming students’ skills of sticking to the integrity approach, in particular during the work with scientific sources, their accurate citation, writing scientific texts based on the sources and producing creative products have been described.
 On this basis, the educational content related to issues of academic integrity, prevention of academic plagiarism within the framework of the educational components "Basics of scientific research", "Modern technologies of musical and aesthetic development of preschoolers", "Pedagogical guidance of visual art activities in PEI", "Methodology of teaching visual art in PEI and child development centers", "Fundamentals of visual art literacy", "Plot and thematic composition in modern painting", "Theatrical activity in PEI" has been improved and strengthened. Also, extensive outreach work on ensuring a climate of academic integrity in PEI, students’ compliance with the principles of academic integrity in order to increase the level of their conscious involvement in the process of obtaining a reliable result of the educational activity, which consists in mastering the professional competencies of a future teacher PEI, has been planned and is being implemented.

The modern educational process in preschool education requires the use of innovative approaches in working with children of early and preschool age. One of the effective technologies that promote emotional development is the Kimochis technology, which helps children become aware of their own emotions, form communication skills and social interaction, which is extremely important in difficult times for Ukraine. The purpose of the article is to analyze the essence and content of the “Kimochis” technology, the possibilities of its implementation in Ukrainian preschool education institutions (PEI) to support the emotional development of children, especially those who have experienced the traumatic experience of war. The authors used mainly theoretical research methods, namely analysis, synthesis, generalization, and classification. The article considers the Kimochis method as an innovative technology for developing emotional intelligence in children of early and preschool age. The relevance of using this method in the educational process, its impact on the formation of communicative and social skills in children is determined. The authors define the essence of the technology, its guiding principles (learning through play; working with children of different ages; implementation in various social institutions, including in preschool education; systematic training of educators; support and guidance for children in experiencing difficult emotional states; adaptability to different cultures and languages), areas of work, characterize toy characters, which are an important component of the implementation of the technology. The implementation of the technology occurs through interconnected stages: familiarization, interaction, and practical. The main advantages of integrating Kimochis into the preschool education system are outlined, in particular, its role in the development of empathy, self-regulation and interaction with peers. The potential possibilities of implementing this technology in pedagogical practice are explored, and the prospects for further scientific exploration in this area are outlined.

Evaluating the Quality of Preschool Education in Russia

Children's rights and responsibilities are equally important; each right of the child is related to a responsibility and the state is responsible for the determination and implementation thereof. Today children's rights are protected by laws, regulated in various documents; public educational programmes are being created, institutions are being established not only in Lithuania but also abroad. The objective of this article is to disclose possibilities of implementation of children's rights in a preschool educational institution. Theoretic aspects of implementation of children's rights in a preschool educational institution are discussed, peculiarities of children's rights implementation possibilities in preschool educational institutions are analysed in the article. A research is presented in the article wherein 240 preschool education pedagogues participated. The research results show that possibilities of implementation of the rights of the child in a preschool education institution are maximum: application of proper measures; cooperation of parents whose children attend preschool educational institutions and pedagogues; solution of problems emerged by using the help of children's rights experts. It was discovered that implementation of children's rights in preschool educational institutions is taking place smoothly, no major problems and violations are noticed and the problems emerged are being solved. KEYWORDS: child, rights of the hild, a preschool educational institution, implementation, possibilities.

This paper focuses on the issue of preschool education in a pandemic. The purpose of this study is to identify the problems that Preschool Educational Institutions (PEI) may face during a pandemic. Particular attention is paid to the topic of the article - the activities of PEI in a pandemic. The research broaches such issues as the mode of PEI functioning, the organization of an educational process in PEI, and the specific features of the activities of the PEI staff under quarantine conditions. To complete the study the following methods were used: theoretical – analysis of psychological- pedagogical and methodological sources, review of educational designs and programs, educational and methodological complexes, and actual educational resources of PEIs; empirical – questionnaires, surveys, interviews, testing, direct and indirect observation, and expert evaluation. The article explores the specificity of PEI activities both under the conditions of distance functioning and under the conditions of normal activity, observing quarantine measures. It also reveals and analyses complications and difficulties in the work of the PEI staff, as well as inconveniences for children and parents. Furthermore, the study considers the measures aimed to eliminate the negative factors of distance learning and gives recommendations for the heads of Preschool Educational Institutions on the peculiarities of their activities in a pandemic.

The article focuses on the main directions for the modernisation of the preschool education system in Ukraine at the current stage. It is stated that the modernisation of the preschool education system is comprehensive and connected with the "New Ukrainian School" reform, especially in ensuring the continuity between preschool and primary education and in promoting the development of key competences. The aim of the article is to identify the key areas and strategies for reforming the preschool education system in order to create optimal conditions and ensure equal access to quality educational services for children of early and preschool age. The need to update the regulatory framework, to improve the professional competence of teachers and to modernise the physical and technical infrastructure of institutions providing preschool education are highlighted as components of the educational process. The analysis highlights initiatives taken by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU), including the State Standard for Preschool Education, the introduction of English language teaching in preschool institutions, the "My Fortress" programme, the security policy, the transformation of the remuneration system in preschool institutions, the digitalisation of the preschool sector, the "Quick Start" programme and alternative forms of preschool education. An overview of the current situation in Ukraine is provided, in particular, regarding regulatory and legal support and certain innovations envisaged by the new Law of Ukraine "On Preschool Education". The article provides statistical data, for example on certain aspects of the staffing of the preschool education system. In addition, the article presents the results of the study conducted by the SSI "Institute of Educational Analytics" in 2023 on the functioning of preschool institutions under martial law conditions. The relevance of the MESU initiatives to modernise the preschool education system in the context of martial law is substantiated. Risks associated with the implementation of preschool education reform are identified. The article emphasises that the reform of preschool education is a strategic priority of the state education policy aimed at creating conditions for the harmonious development of children, ensuring their safety, improving the quality of education, and addressing modern global and societal challenges.

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