LITERACY AND READING SKILLS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND THE PROPOSAL OF THE NATIONAL COMMON CURRICULAR BASE (BNCC)

Abstract

The early years are fundamental in a person's life. It is during this phase that the learning process occurs, as in school life, the child becomes aware of the formalization of speech, learns the signs and sounds and begins to reproduce them, representing them graphically and applying them in their daily lives, this being a common process. It is in this sense that the child develops reading and writing, which are the codes that contribute to accessing all existing information (Soares, 2021).

Subsequently, the early years of elementary school represent a school phase of discovery and learning, serving as a foundation for the educational journey and for life. It is important to note that this phase encompasses children aged 6 to 10 years old, and is marked by intense cognitive and emotional transformations and learning (Favero, 2017).

In this sense, reading and writing refer to the language that the child needs to develop in a coherent way that allows them to apply reading critically and in relation to society in general. It is related to the educational method in which the child actively participates in their formation, after all, they are being prepared (Silva, 2019).

Literacy and reading comprehension are processes that are intrinsically related. The primary aspect is understanding how it occurs and is developed in school, especially in the early years of elementary school. Understanding this process is essential so that the work developed with this group of people has significance for the individuals involved (Morais, 2020).

It is important to highlight the difference between literacy and reading comprehension, the former being understood as a technique that aims to teach reading and writing in a more coherent way, while reading comprehension refers to the ability to use reading and writing, whether at school or in general spaces, at home, in the social environment, among others (Favero, 2017). Therefore, the processes of literacy and reading comprehension are intrinsically related, and when strategically developed and well-planned by qualified educators, they can lead to a series of benefits, that is, learning according to significant and effective principles for the children (Morais, 2020).

Despite this seemingly practical approach, the reality is quite different. The literacy process in Brazil is complex, presenting a series of problems related to the Portuguese language and its biases, which is evidenced by the assessment methods used by many schools; often outdated and in need of modification to be more engaging, in other words, in a playful way, attracting the children's attention (Nóbrega; Lucena, 2020).

Over the years, several laws and guidelines have been strategically developed to contribute to Brazilian education. Among them, the Federal Constitution of 1988 and the Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education (LDB) stand out, which is based on Law No. 9,394 of 1996 and regulates Brazilian education, establishing the guidelines and bases for the educational system (Brazil, 1996).

The National Common Curricular Base (BNCC) is a document that constitutes the fundamental knowledge, competencies, and skills that all students should develop throughout basic education, the initial years of elementary school, with their own characteristics.

The BNCC (Brazilian National Common Curriculum) highlights principles that govern this stage, promoting the importance of the holistic development of students, encompassing cognitive aspects, affective, social, and ethical principles. It is worth mentioning the emphasis on playful learning situations, due to the need for attractive methods and experiences that capture the attention of this group of people (Sipavicius; Sessa, 2019).

The proposal of the aforementioned document is precisely the establishment of guidelines in the areas of knowledge that need to be developed in the early years, such as Language, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, Religious Education, in addition to the specific competencies that students need according to each area mentioned (Assunção; Silva, 2020).

However, the BNCC recognizes the specificity of literacy and reading comprehension with the proposal to relate the two parameters, with an emphasis on centering the text on work focused on social practices of reading and writing, and also the planning of activities that allow students to propose ideas and reflect on the process (Sipavicius; Sessa, 2019).

In this sense, in the early years of Elementary School, the literacy and reading comprehension process plays a fundamental role in the formation of students, being the phase in which they develop the basic skills of reading, writing, and understanding life. Thus, many students face challenges in the process, which can compromise school performance and social inclusion throughout life (Nóbrega; Lucena, 2020).

In theory, there are many challenges that need to be faced in the process, which can compromise school performance and social inclusion. However, the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), implemented as a mandatory reference in the school curriculum, presents clear guidelines in favor of literacy and reading comprehension, as well as the implementation of practical guidelines and obstacles, such as teacher training, availability of pedagogical resources, different factors, and regional realities (Assunção; Silva, 2020). The central question of this research is: How are the BNCC guidelines for literacy and reading comprehension in the early years of elementary school being implemented in Brazilian public schools, and how do they impact the development of students' reading and writing skills?

The implementation of the BNCC in the literacy and reading comprehension process in the early years of elementary school is marked by progress and challenges, with the proposal to develop reading and writing skills in an integrated way with other areas of knowledge, promoting an approach that focuses on word decoding and critical comprehension of texts.

In this sense, the implementation of the BNCC guidelines for literacy and reading comprehension in the early years of elementary school has the potential to promote quality and equitable education, despite the challenges. However, for the positive impacts to be widespread, investment in public policies is necessary to ensure the effective application of the guidelines.

The importance of addressing this topic is justified by the need to emphasize literacy and reading comprehension as fundamental pillars in the cognitive and social development of students in the early years of elementary school. It is precisely during this period that children form the foundations of understanding reading, writing, and the interpretation of educational principles and the social environment.

This work is justified by the relevance of investigating and analyzing the articulation between the BNCC proposals and pedagogical practice in literacy and reading comprehension in the early years. In theory, schools are in the process of adapting their practices, prioritizing the legal document, contributing to the understanding of the advances and obstacles of the process, providing elements for policies and practices that contribute to the integral development of children at the beginning of their educational journey.

The study is characterized as a literature review, in which the author used materials such as theses, dissertations, scientific articles, books, among others, with scientific bases as support for the development of this work, applying the criteria that will be discussed from now on.

However, the aspects were explored with the main points related to literacy and reading comprehension and the BNCC proposal, and can therefore be understood as a review, due to the use of publications that were considered and discussed regarding the state of the researched object.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied in the selection of the literary support base. The selection included articles, journals, reviews, doctrines, and other periodicals that are openly available, but only content in Portuguese published between 2010 and 2024, focusing on literacy and reading in the early years of elementary school and the BNCC (Brazilian National Common Curriculum Base) proposal, but with support from the former.

However, the exclusion criterion was materials that did not address the guiding question of the research and the theme, and were generally duplicated in the databases. Therefore, the main periodicals will be described in the following sections.

Subsequently, four main databases were used for the selection of articles and periodicals, such as Google Scholar, SciELO, and CAPES, where descriptors were applied to further refine the search, thus avoiding the inclusion of articles unrelated to the topic. The descriptors applied were: literacy, reading, early years, elementary school, BNCC.

Combining with Boolean operators such as "and" and "or," keyword combinations with Boolean operators were used to refine the results and ensure that the selected studies were directly relevant to the topic.

The research is divided into stages for a better understanding of the theme. The introduction includes a brief presentation, contextualization, the problem and justification, the proposed objectives, and the materials and methods used for the development of the study.

This research initially addresses public policies on literacy, the social function of the school, the trajectory and historical context of literacy and reading comprehension, learning theory, and pedagogical proposals. It then delves deeper into the topic, based on the principles related to literacy and reading comprehension, basic notions of learning, and the importance of references in daily life. The methodological approach used in the research is explained objectively. The research also describes literacy and reading comprehension within the BNCC (Brazilian National Common Curriculum) and its influence on pedagogical practice. Finally, it points out the concepts and practices of literacy and reading comprehension, as well as the challenges and perspectives with the BNCC proposal.

1.1 OBJECTIVES
1.1.1 General Objective

To discuss the proposal of the National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC) in the process of literacy and reading comprehension in the Early Years of Elementary School.

1.1.2 Specific Objectives
To identify the social function of the school and public policies on literacy;
To understand the stages, trajectories, and pedagogical functions of literacy in Brazil;
To define the relationship between literacy and reading comprehension;
To report on the importance of the teacher's affective role; the points and perspectives of the BNCC on literacy and reading comprehension.