A INSERÇÃO DE BEBÊS EM CRECHES: UM OLHAR PARA AS POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS

O presente trabalho propõe um estudo sobre a inserção de bebês em creches públicas no município de São Paulo. De acordo com Rosemberg (2010), a infância constitui fase importantíssima na formação da criança e embora a duração da primeira infância seja de curta duração, considerando-se a expectativa de vida de 70 anos, ela constitui a vida inteira dos bebês e das crianças pequenas. Nos dias atuais os bebês ingressam na creche a partir dos quatro meses de idade e lá permanecem por até dez horas. Nesse sentido, esta pesquisa buscou compreender as políticas públicas para esse atendimento, o qual, com a Constituição de 1988, foi considerado a primeira etapa da Educação Básica compondo a Educação Infantil brasileira, de oferta obrigatória e direito das crianças, garantindo, em complementação à família, o desenvolvimento integral da criança pequena. Desse contexto, alguns questionamentos foram trazidos para a discussão: quais as propostas de atendimento de bebês na creche e como funcionam as instituições que os recebem? Qual o olhar das políticas públicas para esse segmento de educação? A Constituição garante o ingresso dos bebês na creche, mas e seu desenvolvimento integral, está garantido? Recentemente atrelada à esfera educacional, a creche tem o desafio de compreender seu papel com essas crianças, desvinculando-se de práticas apenas assistencialistas e higienistas, e de construir novas concepções acerca desse atendimento. Tais concepções ficam explícitas não nas politicas públicas, mas efetivam-se na prática da creche, nas atividades desenvolvidas, nos espaços e processos pedagógicos pensados para receber o bebê. Em face do exposto, esta pesquisa possibilitou inferir que, apesar dos avanços acerca do atendimento educacional ofertado a primeira infância, falta ainda clareza por parte da sociedade em geral, sobre a importância de uma educação de qualidade para as crianças pequenas e seu impacto na formação humana. Essa lacuna merece o olhar das políticas públicas, uma vez que demanda ações nas diversas instâncias da creche, desde a formação e a valorização do professor de Educação Infantil, até a estrutura física e a escassez das vagas. Os poucos estudos que discutem tais políticas para a educação de bebês nas creches, justificam a realização deste trabalho.

A CONTRIBUIÇÃO DA FORMAÇÃO CONTINUADA PARA AS PROFESSORAS DE EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL DO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO PAULO

Esta pesquisa aborda a formação continuada das educadoras da Educação Infantil da rede pública municipal de São Paulo. A questão central a ser investigada refere-se à proposta de formação continuada oferecida pela Secretaria Municipal de Educação de São Paulo SMESP buscando pesquisar quais são as contribuições desse projeto para essas educadoras. O estudo foi desenvolvido a partir da percepção da importância da formação continuada como um caminho de ressignificação da identidade docente e um exercício reflexivo para as professoras desse segmento da educação considerando todo o seu processo de construção histórica. Tal segmento foi escolhido para esta pesquisa, pois estudos contemporâneos realizados por diversos autores tais como: Beatriz Cerisara, Patricia Prado, Zeila Demartini, Júlia Formosinho e João Oliveira-Formosinho, entre outros, consideram que essa é uma fase essencial, na qual está sempre presente a necessidade de se discutir a dicotomia entre o cuidar e o educar, e de se ressignificar a identidade das professoras enquanto profissionais de Educação Infantil. Nesse sentido, a pesquisa apresenta uma discussão teórica acerca da formação das professoras da Educação Infantil no Brasil finalizando com uma pesquisa de campo que avalia o Projeto Estratégico de Ação PEA -, como uma das propostas de formação continuada das professoras de Educação Infantil, por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com nove professoras da Educação Infantil dessa rede municipal. A pesquisa possibilitou observar a relevância do PEA para as professoras entrevistadas, no que diz respeito à formação continuada. O estudo constatou também que este projeto vem sendo alterado de forma positiva e significativa, a partir de ações direcionadas às necessidades específicas da Educação Infantil, com uma concepção sobre a criança como um sujeito de direito à voz e dotado de competências. Nesta pesquisa, como possibilidade de formação, observou-se ainda a contribuição do PEA, que em momentos coletivos, permite a troca entre os pares e a reflexão sobre suas práticas, tornando-as professoras mais autônomas em seu papel enquanto parte do processo de construção de aprendizagem pela criança.

Community-Based Study of the Association of High Myopia in Children with Ocular and Systemic Disease

Purpose. High myopia in childhood is associated with important ocular and systemic conditions. However in the UK, high myopia in early childhood is not specifically identified in current ophthalmology, optometry, or orthoptic protocols for screening, referral, or investigation. An ongoing study in the West Midlands, UK, is investigating high myopia presenting to community health care clinics with the aim of compiling guidelines for assessment and subsequent referral. Methods. Children with high myopia were identified from community optometric and orthoptic sources and invited for an ophthalmology and optometry examination to ascertain possible ocular or systemic disease. Results. High myopia with no associated ocular or systemic condition was present in 15 (56%) of the children. In seven children (25%), associated ocular problems were found including unrecognized retinal dystrophies and amblyopia. Systemic disorders associated with high myopia were found in five children (19%) and included Sticklers syndrome, Weill-Marchesani syndrome, and homocystinuria. In one child, the diagnosis made before this study was found to be incorrect, and in another child, the results were inconclusive. In two cases, the diagnosis of a systemic condition in the child led to the identification of the disease in at least one relative. Conclusions. There is a high prevalence of ocular and systemic abnormality in young children seen in the community. Optometric and ophthalmologic assessment of children less than 10 years with myopia ≥5 D is likely to identify significant ocular or systemic disease, a proportion of which will respond to medical intervention. Detection and prompt referral of these cases by community health care services may be expected to prolong vision and possibly life expectancy.

Milk feeding, solid feeding, and obesity risk:a review of the relationships between early life feeding practices and later adiposity

Childhood obesity is a major health issue with associated ill-health consequences during childhood and into later adolescence and adulthood. Given that eating behaviors are formed during early childhood, it is important to evaluate the relationships between early life feeding practices and later child adiposity. This review describes and evaluates recent literature exploring associations between child weight and the mode of milk feeding, the age of introducing solid foods and caregivers’ solid feeding practices. There are many inconsistencies in the literature linking early life feeding to later obesity risk and discrepancies may be related to inconsistent definitions, or a lack of control for confounding variables. This review summarizes the literature in this area and identifies the need for large scale longitudinal studies to effectively explore how early life feeding experiences may interact with each other and with nutritional provision during later childhood to predict obesity risk.

Readiness for school: A study of parent, teacher, and preschool provider perspectives

A possible gap exists between what parents and preschool providers know concerning children's readiness for school and what they should know when compared to teacher expectations. Students are experiencing difficulty in early schooling as a result of this gap in perspectives. This study's purpose was to describe, explain, and analyze the perspectives of parents, teachers, and preschool providers concerning school readiness. The qualitative strategy of interviewing was used with six parents, six teachers, and two preschool provider participants. Interview transcripts, field notes, member checking, and document analysis were used to interpret data and support findings. Categorization and coding organized data and aided in theory development. ^ Major findings of the study include: (a) All participant groups stress social skills, communication skills, and enthusiasm as most valuable for school readiness; (b) All participant groups agree parents have primary responsibility for readiness preparation; (c) Many participants suggest variables concerning family, economics, and home life contribute to a lack of readiness; (d) Parents place greater value on academic skills than teachers or preschool providers; (e) Preschool programs are identified as having the potential to significantly influence readiness; (f) Communicating, providing positive learning experiences, and providing preschool experience are valuable ways to prepare students for school, yet, differences were found in the types of experiences noted; (g) Participant perspectives indicate that informing parents of readiness expectations is of major importance, and they offer suggestions to accomplish this goal such as using public libraries and pediatrician offices as houses for written information and having kindergarten teachers make presentations at preschools. ^ This study concludes that parents and preschool providers do have knowledge concerning readiness for school. They may not, however, be in a position to carry out their responsibilities due to the intervening variables that inhibit the amount of time, interaction, and communication they have with the children in their care. This study discloses the beliefs of parents and preschool providers that children are ready for school, while teachers conclude that many children are not ready. Suggestions for readiness preparation and information dissemination are significant findings that offer implications for practice and future study. ^

Predictors of developmental gains in children enrolled in an early intervention setting

The purpose of this research was to determine whether initial developmental delay, site of intervention, frequency of intervention, age of the child, socio-economic status (SES), gender and ethnicity significantly predict developmental gains in a group of children enrolled in an early intervention setting. The records of 134 children enrolled in an inner-city program in Miami, Florida were reviewed for inclusion in this study. ^ Demographic variables, site placement and treatment frequencies were collected during a retrospective chart review. Level of delay was expressed using the developmental quotient and developmental gain was calculated using the mean gain on age equivalent scores or developmental tests. A multiple regression analysis was performed to determine which of the above variables significantly predicted developmental gains. Multivariate analysis compared developmental gains for all the developmental domains based on intervention site (center versus home-based) while controlling for developmental delay. ^ Children made greater developmental gains if they had higher developmental quotients and if they were younger at the time services were initiated. Frequency of intervention significantly improved developmental outcomes in children attending center-based programs. Children attending center-based programs also made significantly greater gains in gross motor skills compared to children attending home-based programs. ^ These findings emphasize the importance of early screening and referral of children with developmental delay and adjusting intervention for the child's developmental quotient. Children should receive intense treatment to maximize results. Decisions regarding program placement should be individualized according to the child's unique developmental pattern. Policy and program decisions affecting the curriculum of a child in early intervention need to reflect these multivariate considerations. ^

The relationship between prekindergarten social and emotional development and academic success among Hispanic children from low-income families

Social and emotional development has been considered an important factor in child development which has been placed at the end of the learning spectrum due to high stakes testing. Social and emotional development consists of the relationships an individual has with others, the level of self-control, and the motivation and perseverance a person has during an activity (Bandura, 1989). This study examined the relationship between Hispanic children’s prekindergarten social and emotional development and their academic success. Hispanic children from a large southeastern city whose parents were receiving subsidized child-care were followed from their prekindergarten year through third grade (N=1,978). Several hierarchical regressions were run to determine the relationship between children’s social and emotional development, during their prekindergarten year using the DECA (Devereaux Early Childhood Assessment), and the their academic success, as measured by kindergarten through third grade end of the year reading and mathematics academic grades, second grade SAT (Stanford Achievement Test) scores, and third grade FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) and NRT (Norm Referenced Test) scores. Hierarchical regressions were conducted for each grade and subject in order to control for demographics and prior achievement. The results of this study revealed that for Hispanic children from low-income families, the best predictor for academic success was the children’s prior academic achievement. Social and emotional development showed no significant predictive value for the third grade criterion variables as well as end of the year academic grades in second grade and kindergarten reading. Evidence did suggest that for first grade end of the year academic grades and kindergarten math, social and emotional development had a small predictive value. Further research must be conducted as to why social and emotional development, after controlling for demographics and previous academic achievement, bears such a small predictive value when it is clear that many professionals feel it is the most important factor for school readiness.

An investigation of parents' and children's beliefs of early literacy acquisition from a cross -cultural perspective

It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups' constituents. This study investigated parents' and children's beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) of the participants. The objectives were to determine (a) the differential patterns regarding emergent literacy and traditional skills approaches as they interact with ethnicity and SES and (b) the correspondence between parents and children's beliefs about literacy acquisition. ^ The study was conducted with 152 parents (38 low-income Hispanic, 38 middle-income Hispanic, 38 low-income African-American, and 38 middle-income African-American) and 36 of their 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old children (18 male and 18 female). ^ The parents were asked to check those items with which they agreed on a survey that consisted of an equal number of items from the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy orientations. These responses were used to determine the differences and interaction by ethnicity and SES. The children responded to open-ended questions related to the instruction of reading and writing skills. The parents' responses and children's answers were compared to ascertain the matching parent-child dyads by ethnicity and SES. ^ An item analysis was conducted to strengthen the internal reliability consistency coefficient of the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy scales as measured by the Cronbach Alpha. ^ A two-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed a significant difference in traditional skill-based beliefs for the low-income African-American and Hispanic parents. There were no significant findings for the parents' traditional skill based or emergent literacy beliefs based on ethnicity, for the interaction between ethnicity and SES, or for the relationship between parents' and children's literacy beliefs by ethnicity and SES. ^ It can be concluded that low-income African-American and Hispanic parents believe in the traditional skills approach, indicating that these parents find it necessary for children to have sufficient school readiness skills prior to learning to read or write. In addition, the parent and child dyads had a strong tendency toward emergent literacy beliefs. ^

Effects of Family, Child, and Teacher Demographics on Prekindergarten Children's Access to and Use of Numeracy and Spatial Materials in the Early Education Setting

Florida’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program (VPK) aims to ensure that all 4-year-olds are prepared to excel in K-12 mathematics. Early numeracy/spatial skills are predictive of success in K–12 mathematics. No research has examined whether VPK classrooms are equipped with the materials necessary to teach numeracy/spatial skill. The Pre-Kindergarten Numeracy and Spatial Environment Survey was created to examine the frequency of access to and use of numeracy/spatial materials in VPK classrooms. The 69-item survey was completed by the lead educator from a sample of 62 pre-kindergarten classrooms in Miami-Dade County. Regression analysis results suggest the location of the pre-kindergarten center, the sex distribution of the children in the classrooms or the number of years of experience that the educator has as a lead teacher along with the extra training courses undertaken by the teachers does not affect the access to or the use of, numeracy and spatial materials in the classrooms.

The Effects of Classroom Environmental Quality on the Early Literacy Outcomes of a Regionally Heterogeneous Population of Latino Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between classroom environmental quality and early literacy outcomes amongst a sample of Latino children from various Latin-American countries. Participants included 116 preschoolers that attended various childcare centers in Southeast Florida. Participant’s literacy knowledge was assessed using the Test of Preschool Early Literacy. Classrooms were assessed on environmental quality using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised. A regression analysis revealed that classroom environmental quality did not account for Latino children’s early literacy outcomes. However, a multiple regression analysis was significant (R2= .15, F(5, 115) = 3.86, p< .05) indicating that quality has a varying impact on children’s early literacy skills based on children’s region of origin. Findings suggest that high classroom environmental quality does not necessarily mean better literacy development for Latino children. Additionally, Latino children should not be viewed as a homogeneous group, particularly in relation to their development of literacy skills in English.

A docência na educação infantil: representações sociais dos professores cursistas do proinfantil do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte sobre o trabalho docente

The overall objective of this research is to identify and analyze social representations of (the) teachers(the) Ranciere the Initial Training Program for Teachers in Office in Early Childhood Education - PROINFANTIL - UFRN/MEC on the teaching work, seeking to identify their constituent elements and understand the dynamics of your organization. We assume that these teachers work fundamentally, in the institutions of Early Childhood Education, with knowledge of common sense and related cultural inherent to be/do professor in the design of education guardian/giving handouts to ensure the physical integrity of children, causing a rift between the caring and educating. From this general objective, we elected as specific objectives: identify the social, economic and cultural backgrounds of these (the) teachers (sa); identify what is teaching work for them (the) as well as identify which the psychosocial implications driven by RS on teaching work that point to tensions between the training and the exercise teacher as activity profissional.Como theoretical foundation we opted for Social Representations Theory of Moscovici (2003), Jodelet (2001); Specificities of the teaching Work in Early Childhood Education: Kramer (2002; 2006); OliveiraFormosinho (2007); Zilma de Oliveira (2007), Teacher Training: Ramalho, Nunez and Galthier (2003) and Tardif and Lessard (2008), content Analysis: Bardin (2004). As methodological procedure, we chose the Central Nucleus theory, developed by Jean Claude Abric (2000). Contributed to the scope of this objective the 171 teachers (the) that concluded the Proinfantil NBs to participate of TALP with justifications. The corpus arising from evocations around the words suggested by Carlos Chagas Foundation: give classrooms, teacher, pupil and added the word Child Education, were subjected to a treatment with the aid of the EVOC software (2000), identifying the central nucleus. The results indicate the words more evoked and significant: Planning, child care, educating, and play. Indicating that for these (the) teachers (the) the teaching work in Early Childhood Education must have a systematic pedagogical to educate children. These words correspond to the specificity of being/doing teaching in Early Childhood Education. However, the data shows that it is a job with different characteristics of the teaching work in other stages of education

Concepções de mulheres com deficiência física sobre a maternidade

The study aimed to understand the concept of women with physical disabilities about their ability to gestate, give birth or care a child. This is an exploratory, descriptive study with qualitative approach developed in three non-governmental organizations in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The data collection occurred in the period from April to June, 2014, through semi-structured interviews, using a script composed by sociodemographic questions and a guiding one. It was obtained a priori the permission from the association’s directors, the approval from the Research Ethics Committee, of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, CAAE nº 27442814.7.0000.5537 and the assent n° 618.045, as well as the participant’s formal authorization by signing the Informed Consent Statement. Participated in the study 12 women, selected according to the following inclusion criteria: to have physical disability, to be aged 18 to 49 years old, and to affirm the existence of limiting characteristics from early childhood (0-3 years). The information obtained in the interviews were subjected to the precepts of Content Analysis according to Bardin, under the thematic analysis technique. From this process, three categories emerged: Conceiving motherhood in front of disability; Conceiving the capacity to be mother with disability; and Conceiving the support during pregnancy and puerperium period. As the theoretical framework we adopted the principles of symbolic interactionism proposed by Blumer. The discussion was supported by literature findings on women's health care in the context of reproduction. The interviewees conceive motherhood as an accomplishment and believe in their own ability to gestate, give birth and care a child. However, the desire for the maternal role tends to be influenced by adverse feelings and limitations raised by disability, social barriers and prejudices. They also referred the importance of support from partner, family and health professionals in the care of child. Upon these findings, it is understood that although there are barriers to the realization of their desire, these barriers were not enough to make them give up on becoming a mother. Therefore, it is necessary that health professionals, highlighted the nurse, be trained to care for women with disabilities in the context of reproductive health care in order to offer adequate support to their needs

O Programa Nacional Biblioteca da Escola - PNBE: da gestão ao leitor na educação infantil de Natal-RN

This study aims to investigate the process of implementation of Programa Nacional Biblioteca da Escola, PNBE, and the reader's training on Childhood Education level in Natal. The promotion of literary reading is the opportunity of inclusion in a world that is connected to citizenship, to human rights and social justice, because the reading is the way which gives meaning to the life and, therefore, it is a right for everybody. The study is characterized as a qualitative research with evaluative approach. The methodological procedure that constitutes this corpus took place in three stages: the first one was about the analysis of laws and documents of national public policies for the reading promotion; questionnaires were applied by Managing Committee - Natal/RN to CMEIs and the available websites from MEC that provide distribution of the acquis; in the second stage, we adopted the semi-structured interview as a methodological procedure elaborated with open questions that focus on the program management and to the acquis of PNBE; and in the third step we visited the 21 centers of childhood education in Natal for interviewing and to do the exploratory observation in places of reading. The Informant actors in this research are: the advisors of SME - Natal and FNDE, managers and teachers in Municipal Childhood Education Centers who totalize 30 informants. This theoretical and methodological framework follows the studies of Amarilha (1993; 1994; 2002; 2006; 2010; 2012), Bardin (2001), Bogdan; Biklen (1994), Castro (2007; 2008; 2012), Demo (2000; 2006; 2008), Fischer (2006), Moreira; Caleffe (2008), Paiva (2008; 2012), Secchi (2010; 2012), Soares (2003; 2008) and Zilberman (2001; 2003; 2008). The analysis indicates that decentralization strategy which is adopted in public management model will transfer responsibilities and assumption of the PNBE, exempting the actors to planning actions ensuring the efficiency and efficacy implementation on reading policy to national and municipal levels. The qualified acquis that is distributed by MEC reaches every Childhood Education center and does not depend on teacher's desire or it action, only a few of them know about it and they do not have information about the PNBE, neither receive specific training in order to articulate it to the practice of reading with children from Childhood Education. The reading project implemented by private education system in Natal overlaps the PNBE, making it invisible. The reading places that are available for that schooling stage are summarized to the reading corners. In some CMEI, books remain stored in boxes or they are locked in the closet, out of use to the teachers and students. Thus, care for the acquisition, selecting acquis, and a preoccupation to the supply of the reading and books for this education level are lost into volumes of closed boxes, teachers are jettisoned to this process and children do not have any enchantment to the reading or books. In this context, this paper draws attention to how much we should still investigate in order to understanding the perspectives, stresses and challenges from public policies for the reading promotion in our country. We hope that the research will help to improve the management model of the PNBE, ensuring the reading democratization and therefore the reader's training in early Childhood Education.

O Programa Nacional Biblioteca da Escola - PNBE: da gestão ao leitor na educação infantil de Natal-RN

This study aims to investigate the process of implementation of Programa Nacional Biblioteca da Escola, PNBE, and the reader's training on Childhood Education level in Natal. The promotion of literary reading is the opportunity of inclusion in a world that is connected to citizenship, to human rights and social justice, because the reading is the way which gives meaning to the life and, therefore, it is a right for everybody. The study is characterized as a qualitative research with evaluative approach. The methodological procedure that constitutes this corpus took place in three stages: the first one was about the analysis of laws and documents of national public policies for the reading promotion; questionnaires were applied by Managing Committee - Natal/RN to CMEIs and the available websites from MEC that provide distribution of the acquis; in the second stage, we adopted the semi-structured interview as a methodological procedure elaborated with open questions that focus on the program management and to the acquis of PNBE; and in the third step we visited the 21 centers of childhood education in Natal for interviewing and to do the exploratory observation in places of reading. The Informant actors in this research are: the advisors of SME - Natal and FNDE, managers and teachers in Municipal Childhood Education Centers who totalize 30 informants. This theoretical and methodological framework follows the studies of Amarilha (1993; 1994; 2002; 2006; 2010; 2012), Bardin (2001), Bogdan; Biklen (1994), Castro (2007; 2008; 2012), Demo (2000; 2006; 2008), Fischer (2006), Moreira; Caleffe (2008), Paiva (2008; 2012), Secchi (2010; 2012), Soares (2003; 2008) and Zilberman (2001; 2003; 2008). The analysis indicates that decentralization strategy which is adopted in public management model will transfer responsibilities and assumption of the PNBE, exempting the actors to planning actions ensuring the efficiency and efficacy implementation on reading policy to national and municipal levels. The qualified acquis that is distributed by MEC reaches every Childhood Education center and does not depend on teacher's desire or it action, only a few of them know about it and they do not have information about the PNBE, neither receive specific training in order to articulate it to the practice of reading with children from Childhood Education. The reading project implemented by private education system in Natal overlaps the PNBE, making it invisible. The reading places that are available for that schooling stage are summarized to the reading corners. In some CMEI, books remain stored in boxes or they are locked in the closet, out of use to the teachers and students. Thus, care for the acquisition, selecting acquis, and a preoccupation to the supply of the reading and books for this education level are lost into volumes of closed boxes, teachers are jettisoned to this process and children do not have any enchantment to the reading or books. In this context, this paper draws attention to how much we should still investigate in order to understanding the perspectives, stresses and challenges from public policies for the reading promotion in our country. We hope that the research will help to improve the management model of the PNBE, ensuring the reading democratization and therefore the reader's training in early Childhood Education.

Da educação infantil ao ensino fundamental: o que contam as crianças sobre essa travessia na cultura de escola

From inquiries concerning the child as an individual with rights, this work takes as its object of study the perception of 5-7 years old children on their journey from kindergarten to elementary school, in a school culture. The objective of the research is, therefore, to investigate what the children tell in narratives drawn into a conversation circle about their experiences of school life in kindergarten and the first grade of elementary school. The participants were 18 children from a public school in the city of Natal (RN). Five rounds of conversation were held in which the children told a little alien, who was unaware of the school culture, what they knew about school and what they did at it. The research is linked to the project "Children's Narratives. What the children tell about childhood schools?"(Passeggi et all, 2011) and adopts epistemological principles and research methods of (auto)biographical education, taking as a working hypothesis the child's ability to reflect on their experiences and understand from their point of view, what happens to them. Analyses were organized based on the concept of school culture (Barroso, 2012). In the narratives of children, the three dimensions of school culture: the functionalist (purpose and rules), structural (structure and pedagogical organization) and the interactional (relations with others, with the spaces and with knowledge) are considered intertwined in their school perceptions and signal experienced tensions in a process of "conversion" from child to student. Children seem to realize the uniqueness of each level of education. They recognize as a characteristic of early childhood education the recreational activities, and as injunctions of the first year of elementary school the "study", "learning to read and write" to "be smart" to "change." The schooling will thus, constitute, in their eyes, as a time and a place where the children's culture gives way to school culture, and in this journey they experience that the desire to play and the duty/want to study cross the three dimensions of school. At the end of the journey, the status of children as cultural beings with rights is confirmed, whose narratives about school and about their experiences of "conversion" in a student, reveal much about the power of reflection on themselves, the school and the society in which they live, legitimizing their place in educational research and in child care policies.