NURSERY RHYMES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: CURRICULAR REFERENCES FOR LEARNING THROUGH PLAY
Keywords:
Nursery Rhymes, Early Childhood Education, Curriculum, Popular Culture, PlayfulnessAbstract
This article analyzes the inclusion of nursery rhymes as a textual genre and pedagogical resource in the Early Childhood Education curriculum, discussing their contributions to the integral development of children and to the appreciation of popular cultural manifestations. Nursery rhymes, due to their playful, rhythmic, and repetitive nature, favor the expansion of oral language, musicality, motor coordination, and children's imagination, while preserving oral traditions and strengthening cultural ties between generations. The study, of a qualitative and bibliographical nature, is based on authors such as Dubeax and Silva (2012), Nogueiora (2000), and Tomasello (2003), as well as normative documents such as the LDB (Law No. 9.384/96), the BNCC (Brazil, 2018), and the National Curriculum Guidelines for Early Childhood Education (Brazil, 1998). The analysis shows that the pedagogical use of nursery rhymes contributes to integrating care, education, and play, linking traditional knowledge to contemporary teaching practice. It concludes that the revival of this textual genre in school practices enhances meaningful learning, brings children closer to popular culture, and reinforces the need for a curriculum more sensitive to the playful and cultural experiences of childhood.
