Curricular Insertions in Early Childhood Education: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Pedagogical Integration
Keywords:
curricular insertions, early childhood education, child development, curriculum integration, social-emotional learningAbstract
Curricular insertions are a strategy for incorporating learning experiences related to social, environmental, and cultural needs that require attention in children's education. In the Ecuadorian curriculum, these insertions include Civic, Ethics, and Integrity Education; Social-Emotional Education; Education for Sustainable Development; Financial Education; and Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility Education. This article examines their pedagogical foundations and their relationship to child development, drawing on recent research on social-emotional learning, sustainability, citizenship, financial socialization, and road safety risk prevention. It analyzes the teacher's role in integrating these areas into the domains of development and learning and presents a pedagogical proposal for children aged three to five. It argues that these curricular insertions should be incorporated through contextualized, play-based experiences aligned with the learning objectives for this educational level, avoiding their treatment as independent content areas or isolated activities.
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