“Ler e contar… é só começar!” A literatura infantil como eixo formador na educação infantil

Abstract

This work seeks to reflect on the importance of children's literature in the growth and development of children, showing how stories can be part of everyday school life. Reading and listening to stories is an act that shapes, delights, and teaches. Authors such as Cademartori (1994) already highlighted that literature opens paths of sensitivity and language, while Paulo Freire (1996) reminded us that reading the world precedes reading the word. In the same vein, Vygotsky (1998) emphasizes that symbolic interactions, such as stories, enhance cognitive and emotional development. When discussing the value of literature in education, it is also important to consider the contribution of Coelho (2000), who sees children's literature as a space for fantasy and meaning-making, and Soares (2006), who understands reading as an essential social practice in the formation of the individual. More recently, Paiva (2016) emphasizes that contact with stories contributes to the development of critical and sensitive readers from childhood. It is through stories that children dream, imagine, and begin to understand themselves and others.