INTEGRATED CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR A WELCOMING TRANSITION BETWEEN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND EARLY ELEMENTARY EDUCATION: ANALYTICAL DIMENSIONS AND INDICATORS

Abstract

This article presents and discusses an integrated conceptual model designed to guide a welcoming transition from Early Childhood Education to the first years of Primary Education in the Brazilian context. The central problem concerns how to systematize, within a coherent analytical framework, the theoretical, pedagogical, institutional, family and policy‑curricular dimensions that shape this transition. The study combines a literature review of 23 research works with a documentary analysis of 14 national regulatory documents produced between 2005 and 2025, including curriculum guidelines, plans and programmes related to early childhood and literacy. Based on this corpus, analytical categories were constructed around child development, playfulness, literacy, school organization and curriculum, family and sociocultural contexts, and public and curriculum policies. The resulting model specifies dimensions and indicators of a welcoming and pedagogical transition, highlighting the importance of continuity between Early Childhood Education and the first grade, the centrality of play, teacher education and the alignment between official documents and school practices. The article argues that this model can support empirical research, teacher education processes and policy design, while also acknowledging its limits and the need for validation in different school systems and contexts.