CONTRIBUTIONS OF EARLY EDUCATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE OF PRESCHOOLERS

Abstract

This article aims to highlight the importance of developing
emotional intelligence in preschoolers. Issues addressed in the
concept of emotional intelligence include: expressing emotions,
understanding emotions, managing emotions and their
importance in the child's development. We also emphasize the
role of attachment in the relationship between child and
caregiver, as an essential element of education and emotionally
healthy development. The paper also indicates that caregivers
influence children's emotional development, representing for
them a model, a "coach", of preschoolers' responses and
behaviors. For educators, it is presented how they can perceive
and process in a social context, the affective manifestations, the
negotiation skills and the expectations of the children, with
whom they interact in kindergarten. Thus, the first aspect of this
paper refers to previous studies in the literature on the
development of emotional intelligence, such as expressing
emotions, understanding and managing them, the second aspect
presents the role and implications of the child-educator
relationship in the emotional development of preschoolers.
suggests strategies to promote emotional development in
preschoolers. The conclusions point out that it is important that
during early education, teachers identify children at risk of
emotional development retardation and learn to properly
recognize and manage the problems of these preschoolers in the
stages of developing emotional skills.