Early Literacy: Journeys into the World of Reading and Writing

Abstract

This study depicts the central aspects that constitute initial literacy. This type of literacy is understood as the set of processes by which children gain access to the use and appropriation of reading and writing. These processes can be influenced by the children’s family and their social and school environment. Methodologically, the study has a descriptive-qualitative approach, which focuses on identifying the most relevant categories of analysis in academic production. For the consolidation of the documentary corpus, research articles published between 2015 and 2023 in the Web of Science and Scopus databases were reviewed. The obtained results were organized into three thematic axes: (1) initial literacy: conceptions and perspectives; (2) learning how to read and write: a question of methods and skills; and (3) tensions: literacy practices, teacher training, and family links. Finally, the conclusions raise questions that expand on the need to keep on investigating and reflecting on the effects of literacy in relation to the socio-cultural context in which it takes place.