SUMMARY
One of the main tasks of institutions of higher pedagogical education is the teacher training for life in the information society and for computer technology and software application in professional activity. The article reveals the conditions for choosing programming environment as a means of developing ICT competence of future primary school teachers. The analysis of Ukrainian and foreign scientists' works shows that block visual programming languages have significant advantages over the text ones at the initial stage of programming training. The groups of criteria that influence the choice of visual programming environment are defined. The availability of support for performing basic mathematical and logical operations, the possibility to write formulas in mathematical form as well as the availability and support of the basic algorithmic constructions refer to the group of criteria related to the features of the programming environment. The criteria related to the possibility of using the environment at the initial stage of programming languages training contain the simplicity and convenience of the interface, the availability of instructions and manuals, the versions of programs that can be used free of charge. The technological criteria include the following indicators: a crossover form, the support for robotic designers, the availability of mobile and online versions, a license type, the support and the development of the environment. The paper presents a comparative analysis of present-day popular visual programming environments by all criteria and indicators (Alice, Google Blockly, Kodu, Scratch, Snap!). It has been determined that according to the mentioned above criteria and indicators, the most expedient, suitable and effective visual block programming environment for the formation and the development of ICT competence of future primary school teachers, despite some certain shortcomings, is Scratch and Scratch-like environments.