Neurodidáctica aplicada a la Educación Inicial: Juego, pensamiento crítico y lenguaje oral como ejes del aprendizaje

The study examined the application of neurodidactic in Early Childhood Education, focusing on play, critical thinking and oral language as central axes of the learning process. The research was grounded in the need to transform traditional pedagogical practices through strategies informed by neuroscience, incorporating brain functioning, emotions and motivation as key factors for children’s holistic development. The main objective was to identify neurodidactic strategies that foster meaningful learning among Early Childhood Education students at the Universidad Estatal Amazónica. In particular, the study emphasized play as a didactic resource, critical thinking as an essential cognitive skill and oral language as a fundamental means for constructing meaning. The methodology that the research followed was a quantitative approach with a non-experimental, descriptive design. Data were collected through surveys administered to seventy students and six teachers of the faculty members from the Early Childhood Education career. The findings revealed a positive assessment: play was shown to enhance attention and memory; dramatization activities strengthened oral language and communicative motivation; and cognitive challenges stimulated the development of critical thinking. In conclusion, neurodidactic emerges as an innovative and feasible approach for transforming Early Childhood Education. Its key pillars, play, oral language and critical thinking, require continuous teacher training and the provision of adequate resources in order to maximize their impact on early learning.