Jogos e atividades lúdicasnas aulas de educação física: contribuições para o desenvolvimento cognitivo da criança

Abstract

This paper aims at highlighting the contributions of games and play activities in Physical Education classes and their importance regarding the cognitive development of pre-school and first- to fourth-graders. The study focused on the historic of Physical Education in Brazil, its tendencies and perspectives, the formation and performance of the professionals of the area, and the importance of Physical Education classes at Pre-school and in the first grades of Elementary school. It has also analyzed play activities and their applications in the school setting, seeking to improve children s cognitive structures by means of a sequential work. The phases of cognive development have been investigated by approaching acquisition and concept formation; the games and play activities were seen from conceptual points of view. The methodology used in this study was field research with a sample population of 39 children aged 5 to 10, both boys and girls, enrolled from Pre-school through the fourth grade of Elementary School, more specifically a group of students at Pre-school III, a group of second-graders and another group of fourth-graders. A Physical Education teacher, three multi-disciplinary teachers, a Pre-school teacher and two monitors have also taken part in the study. A set of games and play activities with an emphasis in the cognitive structures of the children involved was designed and applied and data were collected during a period of two and a half months (10 weeks from 9/22/2004 to 12/06/2004). The main focus of the activities applied aimed at improving the cognitive aspect. Data have been analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively and showed that the games designed (with a gradual increase in complexity inserting new factors of unbalance) were compatible with the level and grades of the students involved in the process. It was also observed that the scientific view of movement, within a playing setting, can play an essential role in the child s development, not only in the cognitive aspect, but also in the psycho-motor and affective-social aspects, considering that these terms cannot be dissociated. From the observations made by the teachers in class, the research indicated significant results and signs of improvement, as well as advances in structuring cognitive development aspects.