Semillas de emociones: desarrollando la inteligencia emocional en la primera infancia

Abstract

This experience systematization, entitled *Seeds of Emotions: Developing Emotional Intelligence in Early Childhood*, reconstructs and analyzes a pedagogical experience developed between 2023 and 2024 within the Family-Based Early Childhood Development Program (DIMF) of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), in different rural contexts of the municipality of Abejorral, Antioquia, Colombia. The experience arose from situations related to some children’s difficulties in recognizing and expressing their emotions, as well as caregivers’ concerns about how to appropriately accompany these emotional experiences. The purpose was to analyze how the pedagogical strategies implemented within the family-based program fostered opportunities for the development of emotional intelligence among young children in a rural context. To achieve this, significant pedagogical experiences were reconstructed and different sources of information were analyzed, including field diaries, lesson plans, activity evidence, family perspectives, and results from the “Relationship with oneself” component of the Revised Qualitative Child Development Assessment Scale (EVCDI-R). Ten significant experiences based on play, literature, art, exploration, dramatization, and dialogue with families were selected. The findings made it possible to identify opportunities for strengthening children’s recognition, expression, and emotional support, as well as skills related to communication, empathy, autonomy, and coexistence. The role of families as key actors in emotional support was also highlighted, together with the need to implement flexible strategies adapted to the characteristics of rural contexts. The EVCDI-R results showed variations between 2023 and 2024 in the “Relationship with oneself” component; however, these results were considered complementary evidence and, on their own, do not allow a causal relationship to be established between the pedagogical strategies and the observed changes. In conclusion, the experience highlighted the importance of promoting intentional, participatory, and context-sensitive emotional education, articulating the work of children, families, and educational agents.