IMPLEMENTING AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH TO DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL COMPETENCE IN OLDER PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of implementing an individual approach in the process of fostering natural and environmental competence in senior preschoolers. The relevance of the study is driven by the modernization of preschool education content, a focus on key competence development, and the necessity of raising ecologically conscious individuals amidst modern socio-cultural challenges. The preschool period is identified as a sensitive stage for the development of environmental culture, as it is during this time that the foundations of a value-based attitude toward nature, elementary environmental knowledge, and sustainable resource management skills are established.

The aim of the study is to define and substantiate the specific features of implementing an individualized approach to fostering natural and environmental competence in older preschool children.

Methodology. The methodological framework of the article is based on the scholarly works of Ukrainian researchers who investigated the individual approach and the development of environmental competence in senior preschoolers. The research methodology relies on a complex combination of general scientific methods, including the classification and systematization of data obtained through a review of professional psychological and pedagogical literature.

Scientific Novelty. Through the analysis of scientific research, the specific features of implementing an individual approach in the process of fostering natural and environmental competence in senior preschoolers have been determined. The stages of implementing this approach are outlined: the initial identification of a child's individual developmental characteristics; clarification and detailing of diagnostic data; systematization and analysis of the information obtained; determination of priority educational tasks; selection of appropriate methods, forms, and tools for pedagogical work; creation of a versatile subject-based play environment; and the direct integration of individualization into the educational process.

Conclusions. The results of the study indicate that an individual approach promotes the effective formation of natural and environmental competence. It allows for the consideration of diverse personal characteristics in preschoolers, stimulates their cognitive activity, develops a responsible attitude toward nature, and shapes skills for environmentally appropriate behavior.