The Puppet As An Educational Value Tool: Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Services for Children between 0 and 7 Years

Summary

In this short paper Paula Eleta explores the theme of the value of the puppet in the pedagogical field, mainly in early childhood (0-6 years), as an effective tool to improve the quality of the educational service through play. Under the direction of the educator, the puppet can become an excellent ”assistant” to build new educational contexts, able to offer all those who live in the services different accesses to a common and shared space. The puppet can help to found a more inclusive ”school”, giving voice and listening to the past, experiences, knowledge and skills of the various actors involved: children (first of all), families, educators, pedagogical coordinators and other subjects of their own territory. ”The puppet as an educational tool value” is a written text in an accessible and immediate form. Furthermore, the topics covered have been elaborated on the basis of the author`s long experience in the field. The content is therefore full of concrete and enlightening examples and, among the many proposed activities to be carried out, there is an easy and quick technique to build puppet characters: an activity that can be performed, at the various educational services, both together with families and children (with the support of adults).