During preschool age a number of notions are formed related to the development of the child’s personality. Orienteering within space is part of the mathematical preparation of children in kindergarten. This section is one of the most difficult to master. A specific feature of childhood is the concrete-image thinking. To perceive the world around them, children need many examples. Preschoolers handle objects – they rotate, move, but do not analyze their actions. This paper describes the need and role of setting appropriate cognitive tasks to promote the development of spatial orientation of preschool children. The main part of the cognitive tasks related to the formation of spatial perceptions is intended to be mastered through the mathematical educations. Insufficient provision of materials and difficulty in perception by children do not motivate teachers to prefer to work in time for additional activities. It is this fact that provokes us to show that many resources can be created that are interesting for children and at the same time have great cognitive value. Practical developments about the topic are presented, which are realized in the education of students – future pedagogues. Various options are proposed, related to translation or transfer of an object, construction of objects and counting of geometric figures. The presented practical results are part of a study of the possibilities for applying a competency approach in kindergarten. In order to achieve a change in the educational system, it is necessary the University to prepare young educators for a new way of pedagogical interaction.
Viewing "Mathematics for Teaching" as a Form of Applied Mathematics: Implications for the Mathematical Preparation of Teachers