Relevance of premature school start in early childhood: A curr iculum approach

Abstract

This text emerges from a research process that investigates the effects of early school enrolment among children under 6 years of age, due to the fact that it has become common to provide a leading role to academic processes in early childhood institutions, putting in the background the development of ordinary competencies of these early stage of life. The paper is based on a qualitative approach with an action research design, which allowed the realization of a diagnostic involving various educational actors, and contributed to the construction of strategies that would favor thinking about an appropriate curriculum for the context. The research was carried out in a kindergarten in the city of Medellin, specifically with children from pre-school level.
Results show that parents’ perceptions about schooling processes in early childhood are focused on the achievement of high cognitive competencies, associated to a first grade in primary level. In an exercise of two focus groups exposed to different methodologies, it was established that children can reach conventional reading through playful pedagogical strategies related to their chronological development, which distorts the pretension of assorting preschool students in a premature process. It was also found that hidden curriculum prevails from the interests or pressure that influence teaching beyond institutional guidelines. Finally, an intervention proposal with pedagogical strategies oriented towards the experience of successful schooling processes is suggested.