Moral education of children оf preschool and younger school age: the potential of fiction

The authors emphasize that moral education is an important aspect of a child's development. The formation of such moral qualities as kindness, honesty, justice, politeness, compassion, tolerance, friendliness, diligence, and responsibility is a necessary condition for successful socialization and the harmonious development of personality. Instilling these qualities is a gradual process and depends on upbringing in the family, in educational institutions, and on the influence of the environment. The most sensitive period for the development of these qualities is during preschool and early school age. In the preschool and early school years, when the foundation of personality is laid, the psyche is formed, the child's perception of the surrounding world develops, and speech rapidly evolves, the importance of fiction literature is hard to overestimate. The awareness of the high purpose of literary works for the upbringing and education of the younger generation has been traditional among scholars, educators, and writers of all times. This article explores the potential of fiction literature as a means of moral education for children. The authors point out that fiction introduces children to different cultures, traditions, lifestyles, as well as characters of different ages, genders, races, and physical abilities. This contributes to the development of tolerance, respect for differences, understanding the value of diversity, and fostering humane behavior. The main aspects of the influence of fiction on the moral education of children are highlighted: the development of empathy, imagination, the transmission of moral values, the formation of critical thinking, cultivation of aesthetic taste, and fostering civic attitudes. The authors present a selection of stories and a methodology for their study. While working with literary texts, children learn to evaluate actions, make their own conclusions, and form their moral positions. The stories immerse children in the lives of different characters, allowing them to experience their emotions, understand their motives, and grasp the consequences of actions. By reading about joy, sadness, justice, and injustice, children learn to empathize, interact humanely, and comprehend important moral values.