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Frogs Project
The project began when the class mascot, a frog-shaped plush toy, sparked great interest among the children. During a circle time, they were asked if they wanted to learn about frogs, and they responded with great enthusiasm. We explored their prior knowledge and what they were curious to learn. The project combined sensory activities, environmental exploration, and real materials like lily pads. We used educational tools such as frog figurines and life cycle cards. The children created artwork based on their discoveries. They showed deep curiosity and engagement, which extended beyond frogs to other animals, enriching their overall learning experience.
This project continued for several months as each new inquiry reignited the children’s interest in frogs
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Store in the Role-Play Area
In a preschool room with 4-year-old children, Henrique mentioned: "I would like to make a store." From this point, a project emerged, which, although initiated by one child, eventually involved several children in the group, with increasing engagement in both planning and execution, as well as their respective families. This case study presents the different stages of this project, whose documentation allowed us to record and reflect on the process, making visible the children's learning and development, while emphasizing the importance of active listening and the promotion of meaningful learning based on their interests. |
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Ollie’s Adventures
The 4-year-old preschool room has a mascot – Ollie – who, along with a record notebook, visits a different child’s home each week. The project "Ollie’s Adventures" aimed to strengthen the partnership between school and family by encouraging the sharing of experiences. The collected documentation, including texts, drawings and photographs, revealed the children’s emotional involvement, the active participation of families and the value placed on their lived experiences. This practice highlighted the importance of continuity between school and home contexts, reinforcing group identity and fostering a love for reading, while meaningful connections and collaborative learning between children, educators and families. |
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“Sensory Tunnels” – Exploration of Different Materials and Textures
This case study describes a sensory exploration activity conducted with 1-year-old children on November 13, 2024, involving “sensory tunnels” made from cardboard boxes lined with textured materials. With 11 children and 3 adults present, the aim was to stimulate sensory perception and curiosity through free play. Children explored textures such as fabric, sandpaper, sponges and pasta, responding verbally and physically to their discoveries. Educators observed and interacted through open-ended questions. The following day, a sensory panel was created using explored materials. Photos were shared with families, highlighting the value of sensory-rich environments in supporting expression, autonomy and sensory-motor development. |
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Exploration of Natural Materials
This case study explores an activity focused on sensory and creative exploration with natural materials by a group of 1-year-old children. Initiated outdoors through spontaneous play with leaves, soil and sticks, the educator encouraged material collection and later organized them into an accessible space. The children engaged daily in varied activities such as sorting, building and creating art with natural and mixed materials, both indoors and outdoors. Individual observations were recorded, highlighting children’s autonomy and creativity. Parental involvement grew as families contributed materials. Documentation through photos captured the learning process, revealing the value of nature-based play in early development. |
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Threading
This case study focuses on a threading activity introduced to support motor and sensory development in a one-year-old child. Conducted in a activity room setting with age-appropriate materials, the activity encouraged free exploration. Observing the child’s engagement, the educator applied the well-being scale, noting indicators such as confidence, joy and connection. Additional threading tasks, including a Family Day project using pasta and sticks, reinforced consistent involvement. Documentation included photos and videos shared with parents, offering insight into the child's emotional and developmental state. The educator reflected on the positive impact of tailored activities on early well-being and learning through play. |
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Parental Involvement in Classroom Activities
As part of the children’s growing interest in professions, a visit from Alice’s father, an architect, was organized to explore this professional role. The case focused on actively listening to children's ideas, sharing with an expert, and engaging in hands-on activities. The context fostered a participatory learning environment, with evidence collected through dialogues, constructions, and drawings. The documentation reveals reflection, creativity, and the integration of new knowledge. The activities stimulated communication, spatial reasoning, and imagination, allowing children to connect experiences and learning in a meaningful way, in collaboration with family and educator. |
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Exploring Volcanoes – A Participatory Learning Process
This case study focuses on conducting a scientific experiment simulating a volcanic eruption, which emerged from the children's spontaneous interest in natural phenomena. The activity was collaboratively built, based on a kit brought in by one of the children, and developed through a protocol created by the group. The experiment encouraged active participation, scientific thinking and observational skills. Pedagogical documentation made the process visible, highlighting the educator’s attentive listening, the children’s appropriation of concepts and the valuing of their ideas, in alignment with the principles of participatory pedagogy. |
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Building a Castle
The construction of the castle emerged spontaneously from the children's interest, as observed during weekly planning. The main objective was to create a castle to enrich the role-play area, promoting the active participation of both children and families. The focus of the case was the children's involvement in the creative and collaborative process. The context took place in a preschool setting, using recycled materials. The evidence collected included dialogues, photographs and creations made by the children with their families. The documentation reflects a participatory pedagogical approach that values active listening, creative expression and strong school-family collaboration, reinforcing the school-community bond. |
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Unstructured Materials – Exploration with Cardboard Tubes
The activity began with a large group moment, but the focus of observation and investigation centered on a one-year-old child, in an activity room context.
The starting point was the provision of cardboard tubes of different sizes, freely arranged to allow autonomous exploration, at the child’s own pace and according to individual interests.
The main goal of this approach was to stimulate sensorimotor experimentation and the spontaneous manipulation of objects.
The child began the exploration independently, using a variety of strategies such as stacking the tubes, fitting them inside one another and carrying them around the room. |
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Small Gestures, Great Discoveries
This case study aims to examine the engagement of 1- and 2-year-old children in the pretend play area. The focus is on how the gradually enriched environment – with items like dolls, a bed, kitchen utensils and accessories – supports symbolic development. The context is a nursery room during free exploration time. Evidence was gathered through continuous observation, noting behaviors such as caring for dolls, imitating daily routines and communicating with peers. The documentation highlights strong emotional, social and communicative involvement. These findings show that pretend play offers a safe and expressive space for children to represent and make sense of the world around them. |
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Bridging the Age Gap: The Developmental Journey of O.N. in a Mixed-Age Group
This case study follows the educational and developmental journey of O.N., a 1.6-year-old girl who entered a kindergarten group with children at least one year older than her. It explores how the age gap influenced her socio-emotional, cognitive, and communicative development. Over one and a half years, the developmental differences have progressively diminished. The study highlights how intentional pedagogical adaptations and daily observations supported her inclusion and individual growth, offering insight into differentiated teaching strategies for mixed-age groups. |
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The Storytelling Stick
This ‘case study’ arises from an experience tested one morning in the school garden. Some of the children were experimenting with a contact with the soil, others were searching for natural elements and were all so engrossed in these activities. When called by the teacher to go back to class, they continued in what they were doing. The teacher then began to tap one of the sticks collected by the children on the ground, thus attracting their attention. From this moment on, the stick became the means by which it was possible to attract the attention of the classmates, create silence and allow those who beat it on the ground to tell a story and be heard. |
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I TELL AND YOU LISTEN AND THEN TOGETHER
PURPOSE: To develop the ability to listen and pay attention to others as well as to enhance language and creative skills.
BACKGROUND: Heterogeneous group of 4- and 5-year-old children with listening and attention difficulties.
FOCUS: The teacher asks the children for a volunteer to read the morning story for him/her. The aim is an exchange of roles to make the children protagonists, to stimulate them to get involved and find ways to engage and capture the attention of their peers by creating curiosity and interest.
Evidence gathered: documentation was made available to the children and then sent to their families. |
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MUD STORIES
Mud stories is a path where a natural element such as mud and a single drawing, linked to others, give rise to new stories invented by children. This activity was created to strengthen fine motor skills and storytelling in the boys and girls of the section, in a context of sharing. The class group is made up of 29 children of different ages (21 boys and girls aged 5\6 and a small group of 8 aged 4\5). |
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FRUIT AND VEGETABLES: A SHOW OF COLOURS AND SHAPES
Purpose: to foster curiosity and knowledge of food through sensory exploration, asking questions and drawing answers based on their observations.
Context: heterogeneous groups in terms of age and skills.
Documentation of the processes by phases: children used the five senses to observe, describe, smell, taste and manipulate vegetables and fruit, in various and different ways: they coloured, painted, observed and described, composed animals and things, made stamps to create. The sharing of the collected material with the families (graphic works, photos, audio recordings) occurred through restitution and publication on the institutional channel Teams by Office 365. |
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Droplets on your Hands
After a trip to the garden, the children noticed that their hands were dirty with soil: from this spontaneous observation a project on hand washing was born, as a gesture of care, autonomy and hygiene. The path develops through practical activities, symbolic games, visual materials and moments of discussion, also involving families and school collaborators. The teacher documents the experience by enhancing the children's thinking and encouraging the internalization of daily routines. The project represents an example of active learning in kindergarten, where everyday life is transformed into an educational opportunity and personal awareness. |
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Sensory exploration through play with natural materials
This case study looks at how a group of kindergarten children (3-4 year olds) interact and learn through a series of sensory activities with natural materials: sand, water, shells, rocks and cones. The aim is to stimulate the senses, develop descriptive language and group cooperation. The activity was documented by observations, photographs. The analysis is based on pedagogical literature on early sensory learning and provides reflections on how pedagogical documentation supports holistic development. The study highlights the importance of the environment and children's active involvement in exploration. |
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Color Monster - exploring emotions through stories, art and play.
This case study examines the impact of using the Color Monster story in supporting children to identify, understand and express emotions. The focus is on emotional development through individual exploration, group collaboration and family involvement. The activity was carried out in a pre-school setting, using storytelling, creative art and interactive discussion. Evidence collected includes children's drawings, emotion journals, group projects and feedback from families. Observations showed an increase in emotional vocabulary and self-awareness. Reflections emphasize the effectiveness of storytelling as a narrative and visual tool and the importance of early emotional education. |
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Sensory Activity with Early Vegetables and Spring Flowers
This case study focuses on engaging preschool children (ages 3-4) through sensory activities based on forest animals. The aim is to promote sensory exploration, creative expression, and an understanding of the natural environment. Key activities include a nature walk, using flour to create animal tracks, and painting a fox. |
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Forest animals-Sensory Activities
This case study focuses on engaging preschool children (ages 3-4) through sensory activities based on forest animals. The aim is to promote sensory exploration, creative expression, and an understanding of the natural environment. Key activities include a nature walk, using flour to create animal tracks, and painting a fox. |
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