FROM LITERACY TO CRITICAL LITERACY: CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING READING COMPETENCE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This study addresses the issue of non-consolidated literacy in the early years of Elementary Education and its impacts on reading competence in the later years. Reading is an essential practice for citizenship and academic success, going beyond the mere decoding of words and requiring critical interpretation. The general objective of this work is to analyze how incomplete literacy compromises the development of reading competence, affecting academic performance and citizen education. To achieve this objective, the methodology adopted was a bibliographic review of authors such as Magda Soares, also based on the analysis of data from national surveys, such as the National Indicator of Functional Literacy (INAF). The study examines factors such as insufficient teacher training, lack of teaching resources, and learning difficulties. In conclusion, it is found that literacy and literacies are inseparable processes and that the lack of consolidation in the early years generates long-lasting impacts. The importance of the teacher’s role as a mediator and of the school as a space for meaningful pedagogical practices is emphasized, and, finally, greater investment in teacher education, effective methodologies, and the integration of multiliteracies is recommended in order to develop critical, autonomous readers and participatory citizens.