Continuity between Preschool and Primary Education: Integration of Pedagogical Technologies of the New Ukrainian School

The transition from preschool to primary education is a critical stage in a child’s development, as it is accompanied by a change in the educational environment, the nature of learning activities, the expectations of independence and approaches to pedagogical interaction. In the absence of coordination between the two levels of education, the competence-based and child-centered potential of the New Ukrainian School is implemented inconsistently, and the adaptive load is largely transferred to the individual child. The purpose of the study was to identify organizational, curricular, and pedagogical conditions for ensuring continuity between preschool and primary education; the analysis focused on pedagogical approaches, technologies and tools suitable for consistent application at adjacent educational levels. The study was conducted in the form of a structured thematic review of 30 scientific and analytical works and a comparative analysis of nine Ukrainian regulatory and methodological documents using an analytical matrix and thematic coding with the possibility of assigning one source to several categories. The analysis indicated that pedagogical continuity is formed through the interaction of three dimensions: organizational coordination, alignment of competency expectations and technological continuity. The Ukrainian regulatory framework generally supports alignment between preschool educational areas and primary curriculum domains; however, the procedures for joint planning, the transfer of pedagogically significant information and the assessment of adaptation remain insufficiently specified. Four groups of cross-cutting pedagogical technologies and tools are identified: guided play, activity-based and integrated learning, formative assessment and digital support; partnership pedagogy and inclusive support are identified as organizational mechanisms for their coordinated application. The synthesis indicates that continuity does not consist in the literal repetition of the same methods, but in preserving the child’s familiar ways of learning with a gradual increase in task complexity, independence and responsibility. A structural model is proposed that connects organizational prerequisites, content guidelines, pedagogical technologies and expected transition results. The practical significance of the results lies in the possibility of using the model to develop joint transition plans, competency continuity maps, pedagogical observation procedures and individual support for children.