Body contact as a facilitator of adaptation to the Early Childhood Education classroom: a case study

Abstract

The beginning of the Early Childhood Education stage implies a break with social and family structures, which can trigger emotional stress that needs to be addressed. Authors such as Damasio (2017) explain that the bodily experience will condition the feelings triggered and these, in turn, influence the behaviors developed for that context. This case study analyzed the effects of a body contact routine between peers on integration into the infant classroom at the beginning of Early Childhood Education. This article focuses on two elements: the bodily experience of this moment in schoolchildren and how an intervention program focused on bodily contact facilitated non-traumatic adaptation to the new school stage. In the context studied, a classroom routine was applied to create a climate of relationships based on pleasant sensations of care and listening, attending to touch as a basic need (Montagu, 2004). From the data collected through visual documentation and field notes, a case study was elaborated on a child who had shown an initial response of paralysis. The case shows how her bodily attitude changed towards one that was more relaxed and open to contact with others, the beginning of a secure relationship. This circumstance opens the doors to multiple learnings that Early Childhood Education pursues.