THE CHILD AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF WRITING: CONTRIBUTIONS OF PSYCHOGENESIS TO LITERACY

Abstract

Literacy is one of the most important processes in Basic Education, as it enables children to enter the world of written culture and broadens their possibilities for social participation. For many years, discussions about literacy were centered on the search for teaching methods considered more effective in teaching reading and writing. However, the studies developed by Emilia Ferreiro and Ana Teberosky promoted a significant paradigm shift, moving the focus from teaching methods to the cognitive processes involved in learning written language. Based on the Psychogenesis of Written Language, the authors demonstrated that children are not passive subjects in the learning process, but active participants who formulate hypotheses, interpret information, and progressively construct knowledge about the writing system. In this context, this chapter aims to discuss the contributions of the Psychogenesis of Written Language to literacy, analyzing its theoretical foundations and pedagogical implications. Methodologically, the study is based on bibliographic research supported by classical and contemporary works on literacy, psychogenesis, and literacy practices. The chapter addresses the conceptual revolution promoted by the studies of Emilia Ferreiro and Ana Teberosky, the understanding of children as active subjects in learning, the levels of writing conceptualization, the concepts of constructive error and cognitive conflict, as well as the relationship between literacy acquisition and literacy practices. It is concluded that the contributions of the Psychogenesis of Written Language remain current and relevant for teacher education and for the development of pedagogical practices that respect children's learning processes, promoting a more meaningful, reflective, and socially contextualized literacy education.