EDUCATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES FOR FORMING THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME FEAR IN PRESCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

Introduction. A preschool-age child develops in the modern social environment full of risks, threats, and dangers, which are caused by social aggression. Preschoolers have free accesses to the information about military actions, deaths, wounds, acts of terrorism, industrial and natural disasters, etc. Cartoon and computer game characters are mainly represented as rude and have sinister appearances. The problem is intensified by social stratification, uncertain prospects, emotional intensity of adults, time pressure, and formal relations. As a result, fear is formed in preschool-age children. Purpose. Define and analyse educational circumstances under which preschoolers successfully form their ability to overcome fear. Results. According to the research of preschoolers' fears and ability to overcome them, usual conditions of living environment in a family and at preschool do not contribute to the development of the ability. Educational circumstances for forming the preschoolers' ability to overcome fear are as following: enrich children's knowledge about the ability to overcome fear, its importance in life and effective ways to lose it; evaluate the ability as a core value with the help of authoritative adults; train preschoolers in a family and at preschool to assess threats realistically, to maintain positive energy, to regulate one's own behaviour and to make adequate decision; implement differentiated instruction teaching while forming the ability in children of different ages, sexes and levels of fear formation. Originality. Meaning and structure of the notion ‘the ability to overcome fear' are defined; criteria, characteristics, and levels of 5-7-year-old children's ability to overcome fear are determined; educational circumstances within the field are described; content, forms and methods of education relevant to the point are defined. Conclusion. Special circumstances should be created in order to successfully form the ability to overcome fear in preschoolers. These circumstances should intensify children's consciousness, stimulate their subjective activity, form appropriate motivation, and provide effective teacher training concerning the described issue. The prospects for future investigation are seen in learning innovative approaches to forming the ability to overcome fear in preschoolers. Key words: Overcome Fear; the ability to overcome fear, educational circumstances; principles of forming the ability to overcome fear; differentiated instruction teaching; modelling; exercises; education; Preschool-Age Children.