新加坡是一个多元种族并存的国家，华人人口所占比例最大。受华人传统文化的影响，大多数新加坡人都喜言生避言死。新加坡的丧礼很多是在组屋楼下举行的，每年的中元节，也到处可见一些庆赞中元的祭祀活动。这些场景，无论是哪一族群的幼儿，都有机会看到。但出于保护幼儿的目的，大多数家长都避免和幼儿谈及同“生死”相关的话题，从而忽略了生命教育的意义和价值。但是，新加坡自杀的人数连续 3 年攀升，并呈现低龄化趋势的现象，不仅映射出儿童青少年脆弱的心理防线，更映射出生命教育的缺失，提醒我们生命教育的重要性。再加上突如其来的新冠疫情，也让“生命”“病毒”“死亡”等字眼摆在了幼儿的面前。了解幼儿的生命认知状况，引导幼儿正确认识生命，对幼儿进行相关的生命教育迫在眉睫。

本研究以新加坡某幼儿园的 21 名 5-6 岁的大班幼儿及其家长和教师为研究对象，使用访谈法考察 5-6 岁幼儿对各类生命体（动物、植物、人）在生死概念、生命情感以及生命行为倾向三个维度上的生命认知状况，并使用问卷调查法，调查 5-6 岁幼儿的家长和教师对幼儿生命教育的认识，以及他们在进行幼儿生命教育过程中遇到的问题。研究者希望通过本研究能了解 5-6 岁幼儿的生命认知状况，让家长和教师认识到幼儿生命教育的重要性，并试图提出可行性建议和策略，为丰富教育理论和开展幼儿生命教育提供参考和依据。

结果发现： ①5-6 岁幼儿的生死概念发展尚未完全成熟，在认知水平上存在着差异，对生命概念的总体认知水平高于对死亡概念的总体认知水平；②5-6 岁幼儿对“生命”持有积极情感，对“死亡”表现出消极的情绪； ③5-6 岁幼儿具有珍惜生命、关爱生命的倾向，但具有明显的情感性； ④家长和教师对幼儿生命教育都缺乏全面深刻的认识，在实施幼儿生命教育的内容上表现出不全面性和不平衡性，都忽略了幼儿的心理健康教育； ⑤家长和教师在实施幼儿生命教育时，都会遇到幼儿难以理解、怕对幼儿造成不良影响、缺乏适当的词语、方式方法，不知道如何进行生命教育等问题。

经过对研究结果的讨论可知，影响 5-6 岁幼儿的生命认知水平的原因有两个，一是因为 5-6 岁幼儿的认知水平和已有经验限制了其对生命认知的理解深度；二是因为教师和家长对幼儿的生命教育仍显不足。基于此，提出以下几点建议： ①在进行幼儿生命教育时，可以从四个维度（人与自我、人与他人、人与自然、人与生命）、三个层面（认知、情绪情感、行为倾向）来架构；②在生命教育内容上，需加强对死亡概念的教育力度，提高幼儿对死亡概念的认知水平，减少他们对死亡产生的不良情绪，同时还应当重视幼儿的心理健康教育； ③家长和教师可以通过利用绘本、开辟养殖和种植角、充分利用社区资源，邀请专家为幼儿讲解生命教育内容等途径，对幼儿进行生命教育。

Singapore is a multi-racial country with the majority of its people being of Chinese ethnicity. Influenced by the traditional Chinese culture, Singaporeans usually celebrate life and happy occasions while avoiding taboo topics like death. In Singapore, it is common to find funerals and wakes held at the void decks below HDB flats. In addition, every year during the Hungry Ghost Festival, there are sacrificial activities held in most neighbourhoods. Thus, children of all ethnic groups would have passed by such scenes. However, to protect their young children, most parents avoid talking to them about topics related to "life and death", and in return, losing the meaning and value of life education.

The number of suicide cases in Singapore has been on the rise for three consecutive years with an alarming number of younger persons committing suicide. This reflects the fragile psychological defenses of children and adolescents, as well as the lack of life education in our community. Coupled with the sudden coronavirus pandemic, the words "life", "virus" and "death" have also been placed at the forefront of young children's awareness. This highlights the need and urgency to uncover children's understanding of life and provide relevant life education for children.

This research works with subjects who are currently studying in a kindergarten in Singapore, mainly 21 children aged 5-6 years, their parents and teachers. Interviews with the children were conducted to investigate their understanding on the concepts of life and death on various living organisms (animals, plants, people), specifically focusing on these three areas: the concept of life and death, life emotions and life behavior tendencies. Using the survey method, questionnaires were also used to investigate the knowledge of parents and teachers of children aged 5-6 on children's life education, how they were carrying out life education with the children, and the problems they have encountered in the process. Through this study, the researcher hopes to understand the life cognitive status of 5-6-year-old children, make parents and teachers aware of the importance of life education for young children, and attempt to propose feasible suggestions and strategies to provide reference and basis for enriching educational theories and carrying out life education for children.

The results showed that:①5－6 years old children's understanding of the concept of life and death is not yet matured and there are varying differences in their level of understanding. The overall cognition level of the concept of life is also higher than the overall cognition level of the concept of death; ②Children aged 5-6 hold positive emotions about "life" and show negative emotions towards "death"; ③5-6 years old children have the ability to cherish and care for life, but they can show signs of being emotional as well; ④Parents and teachers lack comprehensive understanding on how to conduct life education for children. Thus, the life education carried out may be incomplete, affecting the child's mental health. ⑤In the process of conducting life education, parents and teachers face challenges such as a lack of appropriate words, methods, and understanding on how to conduct life education and are worried about the adverse effects on
children.

After reviewing the results of the study, it is clear that there are two reasons affecting the level of life cognition of 5-6-year-olds: first, the cognitive level and existing experience of 5-6-year-olds limit the depth of their understanding of life cognition; second, life education for children by teachers and parents is still inadequate. Based on this, the following suggestions are made: ①When conducting life education for children, it can be structured in four dimensions (people and self, people and others, people and nature, and peoople and life) and three levels (cognition, emotions and feelings, and behavioral tendencies); ② In terms of the content of life education, it is necessary to strengthen the education on the concept of death, improve the level of young children's cognition of the concept of death, and reduce their adverse emotions towards it. One should also pay attention t0 young children's mental health education; ③The parents and teachers can conduct life education by using picture books, opening up farming and planting areas, making full use of community resources, and inviting experts to explain the content of life education to children.