Opinions on augmented reality applications in preschool

In the preschool period, concrete operations are very important. It is recommended that children be taught concepts and achievements by doing and experiencing them. At the same time, it is important for children who will adapt to a digitalizing world to be exposed to technology at an early age. When it is desired to combine teaching methods with technology, augmented reality (AR) technology can be considered a good option. AR is like an umbrella used for technologies that place virtual content in the physical world. Because AR creates an entertaining teaching environment by presenting information both colorfully and visually. For this reason, AR technology in the preschool period has the potential to attract children's attention and increase their attention. This technology can give children a sense of reality by concretizing the content and support their peer relationships positively. For this reason, children can be more willingly involved in activities with the use of AR technology. Technology attracts children's attention by making activities more attractive and encourages them to focus on activities. In this way, children can enjoy the activities more and their learning processes can be supported. The purpose of this research is to teach the achievements and indicators of children in the preschool period with AR technology. The researcher prepared a teaching content by examining the achievements and indicators of the preschool period and selecting the achievements that are suitable for AR technology. The prepared content was applied to children between the ages of 4-5 in a preschool institution. This study lasted 4 weeks. The researcher conducted one session each week, limited to 40 minutes. At the end of the applications, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the children. The interviews were conducted by the researcher. Content analysis was performed in the analysis of the data. In addition, detailed observation notes were taken by observing the interactions and behaviors of the participants and the interviews were documented with audio recordings. These methods allowed the participants to express their in-depth thoughts and ensured that the study was conducted comprehensively. According to the results of the study, it is seen that the use of augmented reality technology in the preschool period increases the interest and attention of children. It has been observed that children are more effective in their learning processes and focus more deeply on the content with the integration of this technology. This technology gives children a sense of reality and makes the content tangible. In addition, it supports peer relationships positively and presents information in a colorful and visual way. It was observed that children participated in the activities willingly and focused on them because it provided a pleasant atmosphere. However, it was concluded that the use of AR technology in classes with large student groups could create difficulties in maintaining time and order in the classroom. Keywords: Augmented reality, augmented reality in preschool,preschool, preschool and technology