Os impactos socioemocionais da pandemia da covid-19 na educação infantil

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed profound transformations on the routines of children and early childhood education institutions, highlighting the importance of affective and emotional dimensions for integral development. This article aims to analyze Brazilian scientific production on the socio-emotional impacts of social isolation resulting from the pandemic on children in early childhood education. This is a narrative literature review, of a qualitative and descriptive nature, based on the adapted stages of the PRISMA protocol and the PEO (Population, Exposure, and Outcome) strategy. Searches were conducted in the SciELO and CAPES Periodicals Portal databases, between 2020 and 2025, using the descriptors "COVID-19" and "child development". The content analysis of the studies revealed three emerging categories: (1) emotional and behavioral changes in children during social isolation; (2) weakening of affective bonds and challenges of pedagogical mediation; and (3) strategies for socio-emotional recovery and support in the post-pandemic period. The results indicate that confinement and the absence of school interaction caused anxiety, behavioral regressions, and emotional insecurity, compromising autonomy and play. The inadequacy of remote learning to sustain affective bonds and the overload on families in mediating learning were also evident. On the other hand, welcoming practices, collective play, and dialogue emerged as fundamental strategies for emotional and relational reconstruction upon returning to in-person classes. It is concluded that the affective bond is the structuring axis of Early Childhood Education and an essential condition for development and learning, making it urgent to consolidate a pedagogy of listening and presence that unites care, affection, and playfulness as formative principles. The study reinforces the need for public policies focused on the emotional well-being of children and teacher training sensitive to the human dimensions of education.