Abstract:

Dividing people in generations is a rather complicated issue that provokes scientific discussions, because so far there are no generally accepted criteria, according to which it would be possible to precisely distinguish the period of a generation. Usually generations are distinguished according to the person’s year of birth attributing the features and sociocultural peculiarities characteristic of that generation, indicating the essential differences among the generations. In scientific literature, the classification of generations presented by McCrindle and Wolfinger (2010) is the most common. In our research, we will discuss the specifics of the children of Generation Z and Generation Alpha.

The scientists of different countries (Tougu, Soans, 2010; Targamadzė, 2014; Thompson, 2018), investigating the modern children in the context of the perception of generations, indicate rather different and contradictory features of these children and their personality characteristics (both positive and negative). However, despite conflicting assessments, the majority of the researchers state that the children of the new generation are special, intelligent, technologically literate, open to innovation, and ready to accept challenges.
Teachers’ efforts to better know the children of the new generation, the adjustment of the educational content and environment for children’s different abilities, needs, experience, and learning style can help to answer a problem question raised in the present article – how can we better know and educate the children of the new generation?

Aim:
To discuss the personality characteristics of the children of the new generation and the specifics of education in preschool institutions.
Methodology: 60 preschool teachers from various preschool institutions of Lithuania working with children under six years of age participated in the research. The questionnaire created for the respondents consisted of three informational blocks: the demographic block, the block of the knowledge about the children of the new generation, and the block of the assessment of the specifics of education in the preschool institution X.

Methods of the research:
Analysis of scientific, methodical, and informational literature. For data collection, processing, and estimation, the combination of qualitative and quantitative research has been applied: the method of the questionnaire survey has been used, the absolute and relative frequencies have been calculated.

Results:
The scientists of different countries indicate rather different and contradictory features of the children of the new generation. A more thorough analysis of them allows defining the tendencies of the expression of the children’s peculiarities in both negative and positive terms: hyperactivity, intolerance, and consumerism of children are especially increasing. A special relationship with information technologies even in young children should be emphasized.
The results of the research have revealed that teachers educating the children of the new generation have to personalize their education, i.e., to create educational situations and environments that correspond to the individuality of every child. Therefore, in the teacher’s activity, special attention should be paid to knowing the child.

Keywords:

Teachers’ educational experiences, innovations, preschool institution.