Teaching Practices in Nursery Schools. Planning Play-Based Learning Environments for Holistic Child Development. The Experience of the Barquito de Papel Nursery School

Abstract

This article examines teaching practices in nursery schools through the analysis of the planning of play-based learning environments as a tool to promote children's holistic development. From a situated perspective, it explores the experience of the “Barquito de Papel” Nursery School (Salta), focusing on the meanings teachers assign to their pedagogical role, daily planning, and the creation of playful and artistic environments. Using a qualitative methodology based on interviews, emerging categories were identified, related to the teaching role, flexible planning, the intentionality of play, the reconfiguration of educational spaces, and professional development. The findings reveal a conception of the nursery school as an educational space nurtured by bonds, tenderness, and creativity, where play is not only recognized as the structuring axis of teaching but also as a condition for learning in early childhood. Furthermore, the value of play-based learning environments is highlighted as pedagogical devices capable of articulating planning with the cognitive, emotional, motor, aesthetic, and social dimensions of child development. Finally, the article underscores the need to expand spaces for training and collective reflection on early childhood education practices, revaluing the specificity of teaching work in contexts of care, upbringing, and education.