AUTONOMY IN CHILDHOOD: EMMI PIKLER’S APPROACH AND FREE MOVEMENT

Abstract

This study investigates the development of autonomy in children aged 0 to 3 years, based on the guidelines of the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) and the theoretical contributions of Emmi Pikler and Jean Piaget. The BNCC establishes autonomy and agency as central axes of Early Childhood Education, especially in its General Competence 6, which aims at the construction of the student's identity and independence. In parallel, the approach developed by Hungarian pediatrician Emmi Pikler reinforces this perspective by valuing freedom of movement and respect for the child's biological rhythm. The methodology adopted consists of qualitative bibliographic research. The results indicate that the construction of autonomy in early childhood is not an isolated process, but the result of an environment that provides affective security and exploratory freedom. It is concluded that the dialogue between national regulations and the theories of Pikler and Piaget is essential for a pedagogical practice that recognizes the child as an active subject of their own development.