The Concept of 4K Competences in Pre-school and Early School Education - Challenges, Opportunities and Pedagogical Recommendations

This article analyses the concept of 4K competences: critical thinking, creativity, communication, and cooperation, as a key component of modern education for preschool and early school-age children. The main objective was to synthesise and organise existing knowledge on these competences and to propose practical, application-oriented guidelines adapted to the specific context of early childhood education. The methodological framework was based on an analytical review study involving systematic identification, selection, and thematic analysis of publications from academic databases covering the first two decades of the 21st century. The results are presented across four major thematic areas: theoretical foundations, implementation challenges, didactic methods, and pedagogical recommendations. The analysis indicates that the effective development of 4K competences requires conscious didactic strategies, reflective and continuously developing teachers, active engagement of parents and the local community, highlighting the social dimension of fostering future competences and strong systemic support. The article makes a significant contribution to educational literature by addressing the gap between theoretical discourse and the practical implementation of 4K competences in early education. Its innovative character lies in the comprehensive treatment of the 4K concept’s specificity in early childhood education and in the presentation of pedagogical recommendations grounded in contemporary educational research. Unlike most previous studies, this article bridges theoretical perspectives with concrete solutions applicable in practice. It also indicates directions for future empirical research to verify the effectiveness of the proposed recommendations.