Elmaz Bilyal

The relevance of the study is determined by the contradiction between the strategic importance of health preservation, enshrined in the Federal Educational Standards, and the insufficient development of pedagogical approaches that foster a conscious attitude of primary school pupils to their own health. As an analysis of existing practice shows, it is often limited to hygiene measures and one-off events, without addressing the child's motivational sphere and without ensuring the integration of knowledge and behavior (this thesis is confirmed in our research and literature analysis). The aim of the article is to analyze the development level of ideas about a healthy lifestyle (HLS) among second-graders and their readiness to implement health-preserving practices in everyday life. The leading research method was pedagogical testing with the use of an adapted diagnostic methodology that allowed us to assess cognitive (knowledge about HLS) and behavioral (actual adherence to rules) components. The cognitive component was diagnosed through answers to questions about daily routine, hygiene, and healthy habits; the behavioral component was diagnosed through the analysis of adherence to these rules in the school environment. To increase the reliability of the results, the method was supplemented by an analysis of pupils' medical records (indicators of physical development, health group) and included pedagogical observation of children's activities during routine moments (meals, physical activity, hygiene procedures). The empirical base consisted of 60 second-grade pupils from the "Pozharskaya School" Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution in the Simferopol district of the Republic of Crimea. Main results of the article: A statistically significant correlation was revealed between the objective health status of pupils and their subjective readiness to follow a healthy lifestyle. It was found that a significant part of children (more than 40%) have fragmentary ideas about HLS that are not supported by regular health-preserving activities. A significant gap was recorded between the knowledge of HLS norms and their implementation in everyday life: the declared rules are followed situationally and require external control from adults. At the same time, the level of awareness about the rules of a healthy lifestyle among the majority of second-graders is assessed as average and above average; however, corresponding behavioral habits are developed in only a third of the respondents. The theoretical significance lies in clarifying the structure of the concept of "readiness to follow a healthy lifestyle" in relation to primary school age through the identification and interrelation of cognitive and behavioral components, as well as in substantiating their age-specific content. The practical significance is determined by the possibility of using the adapted diagnostic tools by primary school teachers for monitoring the effectiveness of health-preserving activities and designing individual work with pupils who have a low level of motivation to take care of their health.