As contribuições do pensamento de Paulo Freire à alfabetização de crianças em contextos de vulnerabilidade social

Abstract

This research analyzed the contributions of the Freirean framework to children's literacy, based on specialized literature and a survey of research conducted in stricto sensu Graduate Programs in Education in Brazil. It sought to answer the following question: What are the contributions of Paulo Freire's thought to the literacy of children, especially those in situations of social vulnerability? Its objectives were: to characterize elements of the Freirean conception of critical literacy; to map the academic productions that discuss children's literacy based on the Freirean framework; and to analyze how Freirean principles are re-signified and implemented in literacy practices for children in contexts of social vulnerability, based on the selected research. The theoretical framework included contributions from Paulo Freire (1996, 2000, 2012), Sonia Kramer (1982, 2007), and Maria Helena Souza Patto (1996, 2022), among others. The investigation was part of a qualitative approach, conducted through bibliographical research. The methodological procedures included the survey, organization, and analysis of theses and dissertations, situating them within the context of current scientific production in the field of Education, based on a systematic search in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD). The research results indicate the feasibility of developing critical literacy practices with children using Paulo Freire's thought as a reference. In the context of the analyzed research, this perspective proved to be an alternative to the banking model of literacy practices hegemonically present in schools. By opposing this logic, critical literacy assumes an explicit commitment to the learning of children, especially from the popular classes, seeking to include them to ensure their permanence in school and rejecting school failure as an "almost destiny" for these students. As a whole, the findings of the investigation allow for the affirmation that Paulo Freire's thought is relevant for the critical literacy of children, particularly those in situations of social vulnerability, as it underpins a practice that: a) values popular knowledge and students' life experiences ("knowledge gained from experience"); b) promotes a humanizing education aimed at overcoming oppression and strengthening learners' autonomy; c) frames literacy as a political act, enabling children, within their cognitive and emotional possibilities, to understand the contexts of inequality in which they are inserted and to begin to see themselves as collective subjects. This emancipatory pedagogical approach to literacy allows children, while appropriating the technical aspects of reading and writing, to better understand the reality in which they live, perceiving it as susceptible to transformation. This fosters the expansion of their levels of autonomy and participation, which are fundamental elements for a democratic and civic education. It is hoped that this investigation will contribute to the field of critical literacy, encourage reflection on the potential of this perspective, especially for children in situations of social vulnerability, and inspire policies, teacher education, and literacy practices aimed at building a more just and democratic education.