LITERACY AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND PEDAGOGICAL CHALLENGES

Abstract

Discussions on literacy and reading-writing practices have occupied a central position in contemporary educational debates, particularly in the context of Early Childhood Education, a fundamental stage for children's integral development. Although distinct in their concepts, literacy and reading-writing practices constitute complementary processes that contribute to subjects' insertion into written culture and to the construction of competencies necessary for social participation. In this context, this article aims to analyze the theoretical approximations between literacy and reading-writing practices, as well as to discuss the main pedagogical challenges related to the promotion of these practices in Early Childhood Education. Methodologically, this is a bibliographic research with a qualitative approach, based on authors who stand out in the field of studies on language, learning, and child development, such as Magda Soares, Emília Ferreiro, Ana Teberosky, Angela Kleiman, Paulo Freire, and Lev Vygotsky. The results show that Early Childhood Education plays a fundamental role in building the first experiences with written language, favoring the development of linguistic, cognitive, and social skills. It is concluded that the implementation of pedagogical practices that articulate literacy and reading-writing practices requires qualified teacher education, intentional planning, and appreciation of children's cultural experiences, enabling meaningful and contextualized learning.