Currículos que emergem de práticas cotidianas com bebês e crianças bem pequenas na creche

Abstract

The research presented here, conducted at the master’s level, is titled “Curricula Emerging from Daily Practices with Infants and Very Young Children in Daycare” and aims to analyze the curricula that emerge from daily practices with infants and young children in daycare settings. To achieve this, the following specific objectives are proposed: to identify the curricular principles that emerge from everyday practices experienced by/with infants and very young children; to identify the pedagogical intentionality that underpins the daily practices organized by teachers for/with infants and very young children; to analyze how the organization of space, time, and materials influences the production of curricula in daycare; and to highlight the manifestations/expressions of infants and very young children in relation to the daily practices experienced within the daycare curricula. The theoretical and methodological framework is based on Bogdan & Biklen (1994), Vasconcelos (2015), Nunes (2019), and Barbieri (2021). To support the section on the history of Early Childhood Education in Brazil, specifically daycare, references include Kuhlmann Jr. (2015), Vieira (2016), Sansone (2006), Martins Junior, among others. In the discussion of curricular principles, the main references are Gobatto & Barbosa (2017), Dias, Reis & Damião (2022), Trinidad (2012), Garcia, Pinazza & Barbosa (2020), and Santos (2024, 2017). To support the section discussing pedagogical intentionality in daily practices, key references include Horn (2022; 2017), Oliveira (2011), Falk (2021; 2010), and Gonzalez-Mena (2014). The section on the organization of space, time, and materials in curriculum production draws on Forneiro (1998), Bento (2012), and Goldschmied & Jackson (2006), among others. The research follows a qualitative methodology, using observation, field journal, videos, photographs, and investigative contexts as methodological tools. Participants included 11 infants and very young children, one teacher, one support staff member, and one inclusion assistant. Data analysis revealed, among other aspects, that: 1) guiding documents for Early Childhood Education, especially those concerning daycare, have progressed but still present gaps, particularly regarding infants; 2) research on daycare curricula conducted by Graduate Programs at Federal Universities in the Northeast of Brazil is still limited compared to the number of universities in the region; 3) listening to children involves not only hearing but engaging all senses; 4) daycare pedagogical principles oscillate between participatory and transmissive approaches; 5) routine is the backbone of daycare life, where the teacher embeds pedagogical intentionality in her practices; and 6) the organization of space, time, and materials significantly influences curriculum production. It is concluded that both children and the teacher are curriculum producers, that curriculum in daycare emerges through daily routine, and that the organization of space, time, and materials primarily managed by the teacher are key elements that enable children to also produce curriculum. It is recommended to expand studies on this subject and invest in ongoing training for teachers and other professionals working with infants and very young children in the municipality where the research was conducted.