BLENDED LEARNING FOR PRESCHOOLERS IN CHALLENGING CONDITIONS: THE "NAVIGATOR" MODEL AS A TOOL FOR EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

Abstract

The article examines the relevance of introducing blended learning in preschool education in Ukraine in times of crisis. The project of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) «Improving Access to Early Childhood Education in Emergencies and Early Recovery in Ukraine», implemented by the NGO Association of Preschool Education Workers with the information support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, aimed at involving preschool children in education, is considered. The main focus is on the educational and methodological manual «Organization of the educational process with senior preschool children in a mixed format: A Navigator», which offers a model for organizing the educational process with the most efficient use of time intended for educational meetings with a limited schedule of attendance at a preschool education institution. The term «navigator» of educational and methodological support is substantiated, which in the educational context is understood as a navigator with algorithms of the educational process, which helps to navigate in planning, choosing forms and methods of work with children of senior preschool age. The conceptual foundations on which the Navigator is based are considered. The features of the manual's structure are characterized: monthly topics of meetings, planning of the morning circle, thematic content, competencies to be formed, as well as forms of activities. The results of the study emphasize the importance of the developed manual as a tool to support preschool education in the face of challenges. It is concluded that the organization of educational meetings based on the Navigator model is an alternative solution to ensuring access to quality preschool education in emergency situations, promotes the comprehensive development of children, the formation of important competencies and skills necessary in conditions of instability, and increases the resilience of the educational process to external challenges.