THE CHILD CARE CENTER: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES A CURRICULAR PROPOSAL BEYOND EDUCATING AND CARING

Abstract

This paper represents a scientific work carried out in the research into Teacher Education. It aims at verifying and understanding how the pedagogical intentionality in the practice of the child care center educators and the creative and intelligent abilities of infants and toddlers’ knowledge, bound by affection, are cornerstone concepts for designing a curriculum that contemplates listening to the multiple forms of language of infants and toddlers from the following: the observation of their previous knowledge; the motor and cognitive development indicators; and the Clinical Risk Indicators in Child Development (IRDIs). We have adopted a qualitative research approach using bibliographical research and documentary analysis in the conceptual frameworks for curriculum of different authors (Oliveira, 2015; Sarmento, 2015; Guimarães, 2008; Sacristan, 1995; Kramer, 2011; Busnel, 1997) and the regulatory documents: the Federal Constitution (1988); the Child and Adolescent Statute (1990); the National Education Guidelines and Framework Law (1996); the National Curriculum Guidelines for Early Childhood Education (1999); and the third and still under discussion version of the document the National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education; the National Curriculum References for Early Childhood Education (1998a), “Everyday Practices in Early Childhood Education - Basis for Reflection on the Curriculum Guidelines” (BRASIL, 2009d); and, finally, the Pedagogical Project and the Protocol and Procedures Manual of the Estrela Child Care Center, in addition to their teachers’ portfolios and records. This research shows the identification of two paths: firstly, the prevalence of anonymity, generalization, and thus the emptiness of subjectivity; and secondly, underlined by symbolic marks and supported by a curriculum approach that favors the educational intentionality in the practice of infant-toddler educators, which takes place by articulating their rights in learning environments by being aware of the need of listening to their multiple forms of language, given that it enables to transform “everyday activities” into “moments” and their “space” into and “environment” not only geared towards coexistence, but also favorable to learning among their actors.