The thesis is devoted to the problem of theoretical research and scientificmethodological support of health-saving use of software and hardware tools (SHT) in the educational process of basic school. The key idea of the study is the provision that the basis for the health-saving use of SHT in the basic school's educational process is creation of the special organizational and pedagogical conditions, and systematical and purposeful formation of the health-saving component of the students' information and communication competence (HSCICC). The main categories of research are analyzed. The psychological and pedagogical features of basic school students’ health-saving are characterized. The properties of SHT are determined in accordance with the ergonomic features of their use: the devices with external input devices (desktop PC, laptop, netbook) and monoblock devices (tablet PC, ebook reader, smartphone). The factors connected with SHT use that can cause a negative impact on physical and mental health; groups of risks of negative influence on mental and physical health and their consequences for mental and physical health of students of basic school are generalized. It was found out that the negative consequences can be avoided or minimized by observing the ergonomic and pedagogical requirements. The ergonomic and pedagogical requirements for the health-saving use of SHT in the educational process are systemized, namely: requirements for the premises arrangement (microclimate and lighting, design, placement of furniture and devices in accordance with sanitary and hygienic standards, and fire safety requirements, etc.); the user's workplace arrangement (ergonomic and adaptive elements of furniture and equipment that help to maintain the body’s correct position, depending on the SHT type used); organization of activities (observance of the recommended time rules when working with SHT, alternation of different types of activities, holding of workout and relaxation breaks). The organizational and pedagogical conditions for the health-saving use of SHT in the educational process of the basic school are substantiated, namely: formation of the students' HSCICC; interdisciplinary integration of the health-saving content of various academic subjects; pedagogically weighted selection of SHT for training; physical relaxation after working with SHT; keeping a psychologically favorable atmosphere for students by the teacher; observance of sanitary and hygienic requirements for the devices and equipment in the educational rooms for computer equipment; keeping SHT quality; ensuring the adaptability of the student’s workplace, the coordinated interaction of all educational process subjects. The model for implementing these conditions has been developed, and the subjects of the educational process (school administration, medical personnel, teaching staff, students and parents) responsible for the implementation of each condition were identified. It was found that the ability, knowledge, and skills to health-saving use of SHT should be viewed within the framework of information and communication competence (IC-competence) as one of its components – health-saving component of IC-competence (HSCICC). The health-saving component of the IC-competency of the basic school student is defined as the student’s confirmed ability to consciously carrying out a series of elaborated measures for pedagogically balanced and safe SHT use in the educational process. It is based on a combination of relevant knowledge, skills and abilities, attitudes, beliefs, motivation, aimed at preserving physical and mental health and well-being when using SHT. To form this competence, the model of the HSCICC formation for the students of basic school was developed. It represents an integral pedagogical system, and consists of five interrelated units: Purposeful, Meaningful, Processing, Diagnostic, and Resultant. In order to achieve the successful implementation of the model for the formation of the HSCICC of basic school students, it is necessary to ensure the provision of the organizational and pedagogical conditions named above. The method of forming HSCICC of basic school students was theoretically justified and developed. Training course “Health-saving use of software and hardware tools”, covering 12 academic hours, and designed for training in grades 5-9, is the basis for the author's method implementation. The tasks, the features of the course, the principles, recommended blocks, and methods are determined. The recommendations are given for arrangement of final control, namely, a group project, the implementation of which involves the application of acquired knowledge and skills in the course’s different thematic sections. The author's method for diagnosing the levels of students' HSCICC formation is suggested, as it allows to determine the level of the student’s HSCICC formation as a whole, as well as the level of formation of each compo
