La «scoperta» dell’infanzia e la valorizzazione delle pratiche educative: riflessioni sullo sviluppo epistemologico della ricerca storico-educativa sulla prima infanzia

This paper intends to go over the itinerary followed by the history of early childhood. Starting with the description of the Greek paideia up to the XX Century, this work underlines the most relevant phases of the Western pedagogical journey, throughout an overview of the educational theories and interventions. Considering these evidences and the last epistemological status, it seems necessary to implement a renovated educational and historiographical research, which must work on the evaluation of the real early childhood and on the enhancement of new resources. In fact, only after a meaningful reconsideration of the action learning theories and of the educational relationship, it will be possible to draw up new inclusive and consistent pedagogical guidelines.