APPLIQUÉ INSPIRES CREATIVITY

Annotation:
This article provides information on the preschool education system, enhancing the quality of education, decisions related to preschool education, and the development of creativity in preschool-aged children through the educational and upbringing process.

Keywords: Preschool education, creativity, appliqué, activity centers, developmental domains, sub-domains, state program, state standards.

Today, every citizen of our country witnesses the unprecedented changes taking place in the field of preschool education. The government has never before paid such systematic and complementary attention and provided such practical support to the preschool education system, which is considered the foundation of the entire educational system.

The meeting held on August 16, 2017, was a historic milestone in the preschool education system. On that day, the President of our country spoke about strengthening the national gene pool and outlined many directions for the development of early childhood education.

In particular, important tasks were set to fundamentally reform the structure of the preschool education system and ensure full enrollment of children in these institutions.

“When we speak about the vital issue of education and upbringing in our lives, we must repeatedly recall the wise words of our ancestor Abdulla Avloniy: ‘Education and upbringing are a matter of life and death for us’,” the President said. In any field, we cannot achieve progress or a prosperous life without nurturing modern, competent personnel. Training such individuals and forming a healthy national gene pool starts first and foremost with the preschool education system.¹

In line with the Presidential Decree of September 30, 2017, “On measures to fundamentally improve the management of the preschool education system,” and the decision “On the organization of the activities of the Ministry of Preschool Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan,” a new system was introduced.

To that end, a modern, continuous education system was implemented, ensuring comprehensive social development of the individual. The main goals were to create a perfect educational system that enables children to become well-rounded individuals and to increase its effectiveness.

A child is the light of life, a continuation of the lineage, and the dream of a healthy generation—a value that has been passed down by our ancestors for millennia and forms the essence of our families, our lives, and our aspirations.

Special attention has been given at the state policy level to the upbringing of a healthy generation in our country. The future of our homeland is directly linked to the scientific potential, talent, and independent thinking of today’s youth. All conditions have been created in Uzbekistan for children’s education and upbringing.

By decision No. 802 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated December 22, 2020, the “State Standard for Preschool Education and Upbringing” was adopted. Section 4.8 of this standard outlines the state requirements for the development of children of early and preschool age, the state curriculum for preschool education institutions, and its effective implementation in the educational process.

Section 4.13 of the state requirements elaborates on the “Creative Development” domain and its sub-domains:

• Artistic perception of the world
• Artistic and creative abilities

This domain emphasizes the requirement that “the child should have the ability to creatively transform the surrounding reality.” Based on the state curriculum, activity centers have been introduced in preschools to organize the educational and upbringing process effectively:

1. Language and speech center
2. Construction, modeling, and mathematics center
3. Art center
4. Dramatic play and role-play center
5. Science and nature center

Children’s creative abilities can be clearly observed during activities conducted within these centers. In particular, the role of the teacher is crucial in developing children’s creative potential and in creating the necessary conditions for their creativity.

The art center, in particular, offers opportunities to uplift the child’s mood and support their creative skills. Artistic talents like drawing or sculpting are not innate in every child, which may result in fewer children participating in this center. However, with proper equipment and regular instruction during morning and evening sessions, the center can be developed. Activities at the art center include appliqué, drawing, and clay work.

Appliqué is a technique for creating images by gluing or stitching colored paper, fabric, or other materials onto a base to form patterns, flowers, or pictures. This technique originated among nomadic peoples around 2,500 years ago. Through the summarization of educators’ experiences, the following benefits of appliqué have been identified:

• Development of aesthetic perception and artistic taste
• Development of artistic and graphic skills
• Enhancement of imagination, creative thinking, and spatial awareness
• Refinement of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills
• Acquisition of certain artistic creation techniques
• Introduction to local and global artistic cultures
• Identification of potential for future artistic professions

During these activities, children often create innovations, and sometimes offer original works in the form of drawings or constructions. Spatial imagination plays a vital role in the formation of creativity. Well-developed imagination is the foundation of creativity and contributes to the creation of new artistic images.

According to scientists, humans can distinguish around 1,300 different colors. This suggests that the world around us is rich with subtle hues and unique beauty. Activities in the art center not only introduce children to colors and their properties, how to combine them, and how to mix them to create new colors, but also strengthen their ability to differentiate colors.

Appliqué activities conducted in preschool institutions contribute to the development of sensory perception, aesthetic education, formation of labor skills, and the emergence of willpower and character traits in young children.

Appliqué stimulates imagination, encourages creativity, activates observation skills, and nurtures attention, imagination, and willpower. It also enhances hand skills and develops the ability to use scissors and glue. These modern teaching methods increase children’s engagement and interest. Through appliqué, children learn cutting techniques and create beautiful, creative works from paper, plants, and straw. Teaching non-traditional methods regularly within their chosen direction draws the children’s attention and inspires them to enjoy visual arts, appreciate beauty, and love the world around them.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, all the reforms being implemented in our country in the field of education and upbringing aim to provide preschool-aged children with quality education and upbringing, uncover their creative abilities, raise them as mature and well-rounded individuals, and prepare them effectively for school education.

In developing the preschool education system, efforts are being made to organize educational processes based on modern information and communication technologies, to conduct training seminars in cooperation with international organizations’ trainers to improve teachers’ qualifications, to develop children’s motivation and creativity, and to create educational materials inspired by international achievements in the field of education.

References:

1. Presidential Decree of the Republic of Uzbekistan, PQ-3261, dated September 9, 2017, “On measures to radically improve the preschool education system”
2. Presidential Decree of the Republic of Uzbekistan, PQ-3305, dated September 30, 2017, “On the organization of the Ministry of Preschool Education”
3. Resolution No. 802 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, dated December 22, 2020, “On approval of the State Standard for Preschool Education and Upbringing”
4. Rahimova N. E. “Carrying out Appliqué Work and Its Types.” Urgench, 2019
5. Website: Kun.uz

Karimova Navbaxar Mahmudjanovna
Born on March 25, 1984, in Gurlan district of Khorezm region, into a family of intellectuals.

From 1990 to 1998, she studied at School No. 1 in Gurlan district. From 1998 to 2001, she continued her education at Gymnasium No. 6 in Gurlan, graduating with excellent marks.

Between 2001 and 2003, she studied in the Nursing field at the Electro-Medical Technical School in the capital city, Tashkent, and successfully graduated with honors.

From 2020 to 2025, she completed her bachelor’s degree in the field of Preschool Education at Urgench State University.

Currently, she is working as an educator at Preschool Educational Institution No. 9, a multi-disciplinary specialized preschool institution under the National Agency for Social Protection under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, located in Gurlan district, Khorezm region.

She is fluent in both Russian and Turkish.

• In 2023, she was awarded the badge of honor “Devoted Specialist of Her Profession”.
• In 2024, she was awarded the badge of honor “Top Scientific Researcher of the Year”.
• In 2025, she received the honorary badge “Excellence in Preschool and School Education”.

She is the author of the methodological guidebook “Inclusive Education in Preschool Institutions”. Her published books include: “Towards My Goals”, “For You, Dear Child”, and “Discoverer Children”. She has published numerous articles in international newspapers and journals. Her article “STEAM Technologies in Preschool Institutions” was published in Turkey in the book titled “Leading Women and Girls of Uzbekistan”.