The article presented reports a mixed evaluation strategy that addresses the use made classroom resources and materials and their effects on the learning of children attending kindergarten and prekindergarten in Chilean public and private subsidized schools. For such purposes the evaluation contains information about the availability, satisfaction and use of educational materials in a representative sample of kindergarten educators in the system (about 500 professionals), similar to the number of educational assistants for preschool education and units responsible for teaching in schools. The analysis and findings of this phase, allows us to derive a set of cases in which and, supported by ethnographic observation, we examine the pedagogical use of these resources, the factors involved in such uses, as well as the effects this has on the attitude, motivation, learning and skills of young children. The results identify three forms of use affecting the attitudes and abilities of children in very different ways : i) intended use of the development of skills for achievement of the expected learning purposes; ii ) intended use of the simple reproduction and mechanical actions and , iii ) use without a predefined order directing the handling and / or free play.

Evaluation, Pedagogical process, Educational materials, Preschool Education.