CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES: PATHS TOWARDS INTEGRAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the contemporary challenges faced in Early Childhood Education, with an emphasis on promoting comprehensive and inclusive education. Based on a theoretical-reflective approach grounded in a literature review, it discusses the importance of pedagogical practices that respect children's rights, considering aspects such as play, imagination, sensitive teacher mediation, active methodologies, and the conscious use of digital technologies. Authors such as Vygotsky, Piaget, Wallon, Zilma de Oliveira, Sonia Kramer, Kishimoto, Corsaro, Adriana Friedmann, and Paulo Fochi, in addition to the guidelines of the BNCC (2017), support the discussion. The results point to the need to redefine educational spaces, breaking with the logic of early schooling and homogenizing practices. It is concluded that continuous teacher training, strengthening public policies, and the balanced integration between concrete experiences and digital resources are possible paths to consolidate Early Childhood Education that embraces diversity and fosters the integral development of children.