PLAY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL NEEDS FROM TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This text addresses reflections on play as a fundamental need for children in early childhood education, which is the central theme. Play, in early childhood education, should be present at all times. It is a necessary activity for children, as it provides them with conditions for their holistic development. The locus of the research was the Padre Arrupe School, in Teresina – Piauí, a philanthropic school belonging to the Jesuit Education Network (RJE). The specific objectives were: to understand play as an essential activity for children’s development in the socio-affective, language, cognitive, and motor dimensions; and to analyze play as a necessary activity for child development in early childhood education. The study was based on theoretical contributions (Vygotsky, 1979, 2007; Brazil, 1998; Freitag, 2012; Zaia, 2008; Gil, 2008; among others). It is a qualitative approach grounded in the typological categories of formative needs proposed by Bandeira (2014). The results revealed that the teachers understand play as the child’s primary activity and as essential for their holistic development, highlighting the need for training on play as a key activity for child development and the importance of more effective mediation during free play moments. Therefore, it is essential for teachers to assume their role as mediators in the development and learning process of children in the first stage of basic education, with play becoming an important activity to be carried out in their teaching practice.