Introduction
Due to the reduction in the network of preschool educational institutions and the inability to accommodate all children of preschool age, various forms of preschool education have begun to evolve since 2000. In particular, short-term-stay groups for children in preschool educational institutions and programs for these groups have been developed. In this situation, when considering the various organizational forms of preschool education, it makes sense to distinguish a special organizational unit: the “preschool educational group” (Kwon 479–91). It is necessary to consider the possibility of creating such groups for children aged 1–7 years, including children aged 5–7, not only in preschool educational institutions (as short-stay groups) but also in different cultural and educational centers, additional education centers for children (libraries, museums, clubs, children’s art houses, etc.), and voluntary parent communities. At the same time, preschool educational groups should be able to work in different time modes (with a full or incomplete day of stay, every day or several days a week), thus meeting the diverse demands of the population.
An Alternative/New Approach That Has Been Developed/Piloted
The creation of such a variety of preschool groups will allow fuller use of society’s cultural potential in the education of preschool children (Yoshikawa 1–24). A “pre-school educational group” as an organizational form is more flexible and less expensive than the complex mechanism of a full-day kindergarten (this does not exclude the fuller use of the kindergarten infrastructure for short-term groups of different types) (Kwon 479–91). It is possible to present a list of possible organizational forms of education for children of senior preschool age as follows:
- full-day kindergarten;
- groups of a short stay in kindergarten;
- groups for children of senior preschool age on the basis of general educational institutions;
- preschool groups on the basis of different cultural and educational centers and centers for additional education of children;
- Pre-school groups based on voluntary parental communities.
It is important to note that, with regard to children of senior preschool age, the appropriate model should be the “preschool educational group” rather than “early development classes” in schools or additional education centers (Sarıkaya 888–94). Preschool educational groups should become independent structural subdivisions of general educational institutions, the main goal of which will be the full-fledged development of children of preschool age and the implementation of the general educational program of preschool education in full (Kwon 479–91). In no case should such groups be considered preparatory courses for children entering the first grade of a particular school.
Relevant Literature And Data
Special attention should be paid to the organization of education for children of senior preschool age in general education schools. Education in schools is highly formalized, so regardless of the quality of the program used, the process can gradually acquire characteristics of primary-school education, which may conflict with the age-specific developmental features of older preschoolers (Maze 150–55). Because of this, if a preschool educational group is to be created in a general education school, it should be an independent structural unit organized in accordance with the principles of building education for preschool children (Bolshunova 377–81).
The organization of education for children of senior preschool age in additional-education and cultural institutions should take place in accordance with the requirements established for short-term preschool educational groups in preschool institutions. However, the opportunities inherent in additional-education and cultural institutions themselves should not be rejected, bearing in mind the broader context of involving children in various cultural practices (music, dance, fine arts, museum expositions, etc.) (Sarıkaya 888–94).
The education of children of senior preschool age through family and parental communities is a poorly developed practice in our country; therefore, it requires special attention from educational authorities. To develop family education for children of senior preschool age, it is necessary to determine its possibilities and limitations and the forms of interaction between families, parental communities, and specialists in the development and education of senior preschool children (physiologists, psychologists, and teachers). Education of older preschool children through families and parental communities does not currently have sufficient methodological support, which requires additional scientific research and a specially designed system of interaction between parental communities and specialists in the development and education of senior preschool children (Maze 150–55).
The main models for educating children of senior preschool age are full-day preschool groups in institutions classified as preschool education and short-term preschool educational groups in educational institutions, cultural institutions, and parental communities. Thus, these two models require priority development in order to create equal starting opportunities for children when entering school (Bolshunova 377–81).
Discussion And Analysis
One of the main tasks of preschool educational groups, along with supporting preschool children’s development, is diagnostic work with children aged 5 and 6 to identify their developmental level and characteristics, as well as consultation with parents to select differentiated pedagogical conditions necessary for child development, preparation for school, and the choice of an optimal primary-education model.
The listed forms of education for children of the senior preschool age can be divided into three models based on the nature of the organization of the educational process:
- Full-day groups for senior preschool children on the basis of institutions classified as preschool education (preschool educational institutions and educational institutions for preschool and primary school children);
- groups of short stay of children on the basis of educational institutions, cultural institutions and parental communities;
- Education in the family (represented in the forms of family education proper, carried out by parents, tutorship and tutoring) (Sliwka 1–14).
Experimental work from 2007 to 2020 involved the testing of various models and program variants for the development, education, and training of children aged 5–7 years.
Identifying the three main models of education for senior preschool children makes it possible to specify the invariant part of its organization. In this case, the invariant part itself can be represented by three levels:
- level one – basic – the psychological and pedagogical foundations of organizing education for children of senior preschool age;
- level two – the basic models of education for children of senior preschool age in two types of preschool educational groups – full-day and short-term-stay groups – and in the family;
Level three – the specific organization of educational work with children of senior preschool age, determined by the type of institution in which the educational group was created.
A prerequisite for organizing various forms of education for children of senior preschool age is compliance with their specific requirements (Jakešová 322–28).
The educational process in groups of children of the senior preschool age, regardless of the organization model, should include three blocks:
- training;
- joint activities of an adult with children and
- Independent activity of children.
In this case, the leading role should belong to the second block – the joint (partner) activity of an adult with children. The content of education and the organization of the subject-developing environment must correspond to the age-specific features of children’s development.
Advantages Of Alternative Forms Of Upbringing And Education In Preschool Education
The following section describes a Perm-region preschool plan whose target year was 2020. Because that deadline has passed, the statements about completely resolving kindergarten placement and work being conducted “now” should be read as historical policy goals. The project was called “Preschool education”:
- One payment of a monthly child support benefit from the regional treasury.
- Two, the possibility of reconstruction and construction of new kindergartens is under consideration.
- Three new forms of providing preschool education services are considered.
The governor instructed the regional education ministry to resolve kindergarten queues by 2020. Under the proposed “Preschool education” project, 11 new kindergartens were planned in six territories where shortages were acute, including three 240-place facilities in Perm. Repairs to another 13 kindergartens and participation by private providers were also proposed. These were historical commitments, not a current implementation schedule.
One of the most important periods of a person’s life is preschool childhood. Most often, a child at this age visits Kindergarten. Kindergarten is an important place for a child to acquire not only knowledge and skills but also, most importantly, initial social experience. In addition, preparation for school is no less important. However, unfortunately, not all children have the opportunity to visit Kindergarten (Jakešová 322–28).
For various reasons, children may not attend preschool institutions. These reasons may include parents’ worldviews (religion and views on upbringing and education), a mother who “still stays with a younger child,” or a grandmother who protests against a “children’s prison,” among others.
In The Garden, The Child Acquires:
- Ability to draw, sculpt, dance, read, play.
- Knowledge about the surrounding world, about professions, and the first mathematical concepts.
– Skills of self-service, social work (remove the bed, carry the dishes in the sink, water the flowers, etc.) - The first social experience is fundamental for all further communication.
Thus, a child’s development in kindergarten can be called comprehensive: the child develops physically and mentally and also develops the emotional-volitional sphere;
- It can also be called harmonious because the program of education and upbringing in kindergarten takes into account the child’s age-specific psychophysiological characteristics (that is, the duration, workload, and material appropriate to each age group). Based on these requirements, an alternative to kindergarten must be selected.
The advantage of such education is that it is almost the same as attending a kindergarten. The child also comes in the morning, plays with friends, participates in a program with professional teachers, and goes for walks. That is, the child’s needs for communication, movement, and the acquisition of new knowledge and skills are met.
The disadvantage is that the day becomes fragmented for parents. With such a regime, it is difficult to find a good job. There may be two types of part-time arrangements: attending a special part-time group in the kindergarten, or attending a regular group according to a schedule agreed with the educator and the head that is convenient for parents, provided that the attendance is compatible with the group’s general schedule. Attendance in the regular group may be preferable because the child can also participate after the daytime sleep, for example, in additional rhythm or English lessons that are often held in the afternoon.
References
Bolshunova, Natalia Ya., and Ekaterina O. Ermolova. “Possibilities of Organizing Education for Preschool Children in the Forms of Children’s Subculture.” Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 233, 2016, pp. 377–81, doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.162.
Jakešová, Jitka, and Silvie Slezáková. “Rewards and Punishments in the Education of Preschool Children.” Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 217, 2016, pp. 322–28, doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.02.095.
Kwon, Young Ihm. “A Comparative Analysis of Preschool Education in Korea and England.” Comparative Education, vol. 39, no. 4, 2003, pp. 479–91, doi: 10.1080/0305006032000162048.
Maze, Rohaty. “Critical Issues in Preschool Education in Malaysia.” Recent Advances in Educational Technologies, 2013, pp. 150–55, doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.262.
Sarıkaya, Muammer, and Eda Coşkun. “A New Approach in Preschool Education: Social Entrepreneurship Education.” Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 195, 2015, pp. 888–94, doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.368.
Sliwka, Anne. “The Contribution of Alternative Education.” Innovating to Learn, Learning to Innovate, 2008, pp. 1–14, doi: 10.1787/9789264047983-6-en.
Yoshikawa, Hirokazu, et al. “Investing in Our Future: The Evidence Base on Preschool Education.” Society for Research in Child Development, no. October, 2013, pp. 1–24.
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