Didactic and methodical approach to the development of environmental consciousness among children within the preparatory pre-school curriculum

Abstract

All educators are faced with the challenge and task to help develop institutional educational system, on the one hand, and everyday pedagogy practices, on the other. It is also necessary to develop such curricula that promote modern tendencies in education in general, as well as, more specifically, in the development of environmental consciousness and desirable lifestyle of young people. Therefore, with regards to the existing institutional pre-school education, it is of particular importance to find suitable ways to include the so-called ecological content in the curriculum, so that it would be most effective in developing environmental consciousness and love toward nature among children during this most sensitive age. This paper, therefore, first examines some of the most important characteristics of pre-school children’s cognitive development. Furthermore, we look at the most suitable content, strategies and didactic and methodical approaches for a functionally acceptable curriculum, with regards to modern environmental education of pre-school children. Alongside the proposed draft of the most acceptable curricular content, we offer concrete didactic and methodical suggestions for educators. These are mostly related to the necessity to practically implement the part of the curriculum related to environmental education, which would be based on children’s experience of their immediate surroundings or, more specifically, to direct observation and experience, as well as mental reflection on things directly or indirectly perceived and experienced.