The role of nature and folklore in the development of social and cognitive skills of preschoolers

Abstract

Developing social and cognitive skills is the key to a child's successful adaptation to society, future education and professional activities. Existing preschool education methods do not sufficiently consider the potential of nature and folklore as powerful developmental tools. New approaches are needed to effectively combine these two aspects to achieve optimal results in children's development. The purpose of the study is to comprehensively examine the impact of nature and folklore on the development of children aged 3 to 6 years. The study used theoretical methods of cognition: analysis and synthesis of literature, system analysis, comparative analysis, abstraction and generalisation. This study developed a model from the theoretical point of view of the influence of nature and elements of folklore on the development of social and cognitive skills in children of younger and older preschool age. The combination of contact with nature and the assimilation of various components of folklore enhances their positive impact on child development, enriches the experience, forms value orientations, and develops creativity. A comparative analysis of different approaches (traditional, Montessori, Waldorf, activity-based, ecologically oriented) to the upbringing and education of children with the influence of nature and folklore is carried out. The article describes pedagogical tools combining nature and folklore (project activities, excursions and field studies, folk games and amusements, creative entertainment, folk tales, legends, and traditions). Two didactic games have been developed for children aged 3-5 and 5-6, which include elements of nature and folklore. Each game describes the purpose, materials, gameplay, discussion, and expected results. Recommendations were developed for preschool teachers (by categories: planning the educational process, organising the academic environment, and interacting with children) and parents regarding the use of folklore and nature in children's educational and upbringing process.