ABSTRACT
This article presents the results of post-doctorate research with the objective of verifying whether the presentation of objects without a specific function articulated to the gradual removal of toys creates a circumstance in which the use of the former potentiates psychological processes in a child’s development. The theoretical framework is Historical-Cultural Psychology, more precisely D. Elkonin’s theory of playtime. The methodology is inspired by pedagogical experimentation: a similar condition to the pedagogical context is created and actions are performed in order to know its effects. Children aged between 4 and 5 years participated in the research. The results show that the removal of toys leads to the use of objects with no specific function and enhances the use of the words in situations in which the child seeks a substitute object for the missing toy. This behavior is an indication that the child is taking steps towards conceptual thinking.
Keywords:
early childhood education; play; historical-cultural psychology