Reading and Writing in Early Childhood Education: Contexts and Practices Under Debate

Abstract

The article reports an analysis of interviews and observations carried out in 27 schools by the research team in charge of project “Boas práticas de leitura e escrita na educação infantil” [Good reading and writing practices in Early Childhood Education], which encompasses 7 counties in different Brazilian regions. Good practices are the ones in which childhood and experience, education and care are creation binomials based on the Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para a Educação Infantil [National Curriculum Guidelines for Early Childhood Education] (DCNEI - 2009). The article introduces the profile of the assessed schools and analyzes the observation records according to space and materials and interaction and interlocution categories. Based on the results, it is essential to seek an identity for early childhood education based on the dialogic way teachers listen and respond to children. Ludic-symbolic practices prevail in daycare centers, whereas these practices are added with more directive practices in pre-schools, which are substantiated by contents linked to literacy.