GAMES FROM A VYGOTSKYAN PERSPECTIVE: A CASE STUDY CONDUCTED AT THE EMEF PROFESSORA DALILA LEÃO

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the application of educational games as mediators in the teaching-learning process, through the lens of Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory. The investigation, carried out with a second-grade class at the EMEF Professora Dalila Leão elementary school, considers the classroom context and the interactions between students and the games used. The research, with a qualitative, descriptive, and bibliographical approach, is based on Lev Vygotsky's work, *The Social Formation of Mind*, Tizuko Morchida Kishimoto's ideas on playfulness in education, and Laurence Bardin's content analysis. The games used were designed to consolidate prior literacy knowledge, such as letters of the alphabet, simple syllables, and vowels. The results demonstrated that playfulness contributed significantly to the development of phonological awareness and the retention of content, strengthening autonomy and collaboration among students. This study highlights the importance of playful pedagogical practices for meaningful learning, respecting the different developmental levels of children.