TRADITIONAL ORAL GAMES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Abstract

This article presents data from the Institutional Teaching Initiation Scholarship Program (PIBID) – Literacy, carried out in an Early Childhood Education institution, arising from the question: In Early Childhood Education institutions, are traditional oral games prioritized in pedagogical practices? The objective is to understand whether and how traditional oral games are prioritized in pedagogical practices in Early Childhood Education. The observations took place in a Level IV class of a public institution in Natal-RN, composed of children aged 5 to 6 years. The study is grounded in authors such as Corsino (2012) and Araujo (2011, 2016, 2023, 2024), emphasizing play as a form of language, an expression of children’s playful culture, and a fundamental right to meaningful and quality Early Childhood Education. The article advocates for the rescue of traditional oral games, strengthening children’s cultural identity and stimulating language, creativity, and imagination—essential aspects of their holistic development. This qualitative research is based on ten days of observation of teaching practice. The results indicate that texts from the oral tradition are valued by the teachers and integrated into different activities in the class routine, such as attendance, circle time, and free play. The study also identified an appreciation of play as a child’s right and as an essential activity for holistic development, involving imagination, orality, listening, the body, and multiple languages.