DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOL CHILDRENS’ MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES AND GEOMETRIC CONCEPTS THROUGH THE USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

The article examines the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) on the development of mathematical abilities and geometric concepts in preschool children. The object of the research is the process of developing mathematical abilities and geometric concepts in older preschool children. The aim of the article is to identify the pedagogical potential of ICT and evaluate its effectiveness in developing these abilities. The research methods include the analysis of scientific and methodological literature, pedagogical observation, game-based learning, pedagogical experimentation, and comparative analysis of the results. Multimedia presentations, interactive games, and electronic educational resources were used during the experimental activities. The methodologies of ICT-mediated learning and game-based learning were applied. The research outcomes indicate that the purposeful use of ICT contributes to the development of children's abilities to recognize, name, compare, and classify geometric shapes. It also promotes children's cognitive engagement, logical and spatial thinking, attention, and memory. The experimental results further revealed increased children's engagement and learning motivation. The conclusion of the study is that the pedagogically justified integration of information and communication technologies into game-based learning is an effective means of developing mathematical abilities and geometric concepts in preschool children, facilitating a more visual, interactive, and child-centered learning process.