EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the main official documents that guide Early Childhood Education in Brazil — RCNEI, DCNEI, and BNCC — in light of their conceptions of child, education, and pedagogical practices. It starts from the understanding of the child as a subject of rights, in a continuous process of integral development, which requires pedagogical proposals that respect their singularities and potentialities. Using a qualitative and bibliographical approach, the study examines how these documents outline curricular guidelines, pedagogical principles, and purposes of the initial stage of Basic Education. Furthermore, it seeks to understand how these guidelines influence teaching practice and institutional organization, pointing out convergences and divergences between the documents. The text also discusses the challenges faced by education professionals in implementing a practice consistent with legal foundations and children's rights, considering the Brazilian educational context. It is concluded that, although the documents represent significant progress in valuing childhood, there are still gaps in the implementation of public policies that guarantee adequate conditions for a qualified and inclusive pedagogical practice.