Continuity between preschool education institutions and primary school in the implementation of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) in the process of natural science education

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the growing need to ensure effective continuity between preschool education institutions and primary school within the development of an inclusive educational environment. Particular importance is attached to the implementation of AAC in the process of developing natural science competence in children with special educational needs, since natural science education involves the active acquisition of knowledge about objects, phenomena, and patterns of the surrounding world. Insufficient coordination of pedagogical approaches, communication tools, and adapted methodologies between different educational levels complicates children’s educational adaptation and limits the effectiveness of their cognitive activity. The purposeof the article is to substantiate the pedagogical and methodological foundations for ensuring continuity between preschool education institutions and primary school in the use of AAC tools in the process of natural science education for children with special educational needs. The research methods are based on theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis of scientific sources, a logical-analytical approach to interpreting the pedagogical conditions of AAC use, as well as a comparative analysis of contemporary practices of inclusive natural science education. As a result of the study, the essence and functional significance of AAC in the process of forming natural science representations in children with special educational needs have been clarified. The specific features of ensuring continuity between preschool education institutions and primary school in the use of communication tools during natural science activities have been analyzed. Pedagogical and methodological approaches to integrating AAC into natural science education at different stages of primary education have been substantiated. Key scientific and practical problems of AAC implementation have been identified, including insufficient methodological development of subject-based integration of communication tools, lack of coordinated approaches between educational levels, insufficient digital support, and limited teacher preparedness for the use of adapted natural science technologies. Conclusions. It has been proven that the effectiveness of developing natural science competence in children with special educational needs largely depends on the systematic use of AAC, the stability of communication models, and the coordination of pedagogical actions across different educational levels. Prospects for further research are associated with the development of adaptive digital AAC models, the improvement of methods for assessing natural science competence, and the empirical verification of the effectiveness of continuity models in inclusive education.