Abstract
This article provides a theoretical justification for the educational potential of folk pedagogy and folklore in contemporary preschool education and describes pedagogical practices involving their systematic application. Five aspects are examined: folk pedagogy as a system of values and educational traditions; the role of folklore genres in the formation of preschoolers’ emotional and social maturity; ways to integrate folklore content into current educational programs; the use of folk games, songs, and fairy tales in working with children with special educational needs; and the significance of folk pedagogy for preserving cultural identity. The theoretical foundation is based on the works of M. G. Stelmakhovych, A. M. Bohush, N. V. Lysenko, H. H. Vashchenko, T. S. Kyrylenko, and O. V. Lisovets. The empirical basis consists of the results of pedagogical observation of 28 children aged 3–4 years (November 2021–January 2022): over the course of three months of systematic use of folk games, songs, and fairy tales, the proportion of children able to verbalize emotions increased from 35% to 75%; the proportion of conflicts resolved without the teacher’s intervention increased from 20% to 65%; the proportion of children who avoided group games decreased from 57% to 18%. It is argued that folk pedagogy appears to correspond to the nature of child development, lays the cultural foundations of personality, and may be considered an integral component of preschool education.
References
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