THE INFLUENCE OF LITERATURE ON THE COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: A STUDY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ARAQUARI, SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

Abstract

This article examines the influence of literature on the cognitive development of children in early childhood education, based on the reorganization of a dissertation manuscript and dialogue with specialized literature. It adopts a qualitative, bibliographic and documentary approach, focusing on literary reading as a cultural practice capable of mobilizing language, imagination, memory, attention, executive functions and socio-emotional processing. The analysis shows that children's literature acts as a mediator of symbolic experiences and expands children's linguistic and interpretive repertoires, especially when articulated with school, family and reading policies. It also indicates that qualified teacher mediation, access to appropriate collections and the presence of reading practices in everyday life are factors that strengthen integral development. The article concludes that systematically integrating literature into early childhood education contributes to critical, creative and human formation, while also fostering more equitable access to cultural goods from the earliest years.