Do conhecer ao compreender: o brincar que se manifesta na rotina de uma turma na Educação Infantil

Abstract

This research aimed to understand and comprehend the playful manifestations of children in an early childhood education class in Pelotas/RS. To achieve this, we investigated the different forms of play in the daily school routine of a preschool class (children aged 3 to 4 years) in a peripheral community of the city. We identified and described the children's interactions with the environment and with each other, the types of play, and the materials used, as well as interpreted the perceptions of teachers and other educational agents about these manifestations. We adopted a qualitative approach, using the ethnographic case study method as discussed by Marli André. Data collection instruments included participant observation with field diary entries, audio recordings of play activities, photographs, videos of playful episodes in the school routine, and semi structured interviews with teachers and other staff. Thematic analysis was employed to structure our understanding of the phenomenon, triangulating the data for greater robustness. Based on studies on human movement, we consider play as an inherent act of the child, spontaneous and fundamental for dialogue with the world, essential in the socio-cultural structures of childhood for the production and reproduction of peer cultures. We observed that play in the school routine transcends rituals and routine structures, manifesting in various spaces and times, leading us to analyze its dynamics in different parts of the school routine. Play was shown to be a powerful form of expression, creation, interaction, transformation, reflection, and apprehension of the world. When spontaneous, it revealed genuine means of expression and interaction. When proposed by teachers, it served as a form of welcome, stimulation of imagination and expression, and a means to develop skills, although it could conflict with the temporal logic of children's play, which is intimately related to their present. For educational agents, play is primarily seen as the main expression of the child, providing an opening to know them better. However, it is also perceived as a central pedagogical element, potentially incompatible with the current school model. We conclude that children's play coexisted and resisted institutionalization, offering possibilities to know and understand the world around them, especially with their peers.