Abstract:

The present article examines the benefits of the study of robotics at a preschool age and the advantages which can be retrieved to support knowledge acquisition in other subjects such as mathematics. A specific curriculum is proposed, and examples and guidelines are developed for creating interdisciplinary connections of robotics with other studied subjects. Undoubtedly, there is a problem with the increasingly tricky retention of the interest of modern children in the limited space of the traditional classroom combined with conventional teaching methods, the lack of motivation and insight into the practical benefit of learning.

In Bulgarian education, robotics is studied in extracurricular forms, which are not part of compulsory training. Such conditions are organized mainly for children in primary and junior high school, but in kindergartens, too little attention is paid to robotics education. The training ideas that the authors offer are based on the constructivist pedagogical approach. It reflects a large extent in providing an environment in which learners can cooperate and help each other, use various information sources to complete learning tasks, and successfully achieve the set goals.

Robotics improves children's spatial orientation by constructing routes. It positively affects the knowledge of mathematics for numbers, digits, lines, and geometric figures and to a certain extent - recognition of colors and objects, recognition of letters. Children develop their spatial orientation skills by recognizing left-right and forward-backward directions. The Curriculum offered by the authors is based on the concept of the STEAM educational approach to learning. Specific examples of the application of robotics in the education of children aged 6-7 in facultative groups are described, the results of the observations are summarized and specific solutions are proposed.

Keywords:

Robotics, preschool education.