Listening to the Children in Research and Quality of Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Based on the image that Childhood Pedagogy has been creating of children as rich, competent, diverse, and with rights, the article highlights their perspective on themes related to their educational experiences. Based on research studies done in Brazil, published between 2008 and 2018, which heard children, this paper presents voices expressing opinions, wishes, complaints, and fears about subjects such as discipline, play, ethnic-racial relations, and the transition to elementary school. These voices express the competence of children to evaluate the educational services meant for them and often reveal violations of rights that are guaranteed in official documents. These voices need to be heard and considered to build the quality of early childhood education.