Quando as crianças chegam pela primeira vez à educação infantil: um olhar a partir de suas experiências

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the initial process of access and permanence of children in a public early childhood education institution in the City of Vila Velha, ES, Brazil, which serves children only over age 3. During the first stage of the investigation, which took one month, we carried out a qualitative exploratory study in order to observe and describe the initial expectations and conflicts shown through interaction among the children who attended daycare for the first time. Starting from the initial observations identified, the second stage, we carried out an ethnographic case study (ANDRÉ, 2009) until the end of the year. The subjects involved in the study were the children, the teacher and the caregiver. Data were collected using participant observation, a field journal and semi-structured interviews. We identified children’s adaptation as the predominant strategy adopted while working with these children, and we propose acceptance as a necessary practice to be taken into account during all the process of access and permanence of children in early childhood education.