Writing in Early Childhood Education and Historical-Cultural Theory: challenges and specificities

Abstract

This  article  aims  to  discuss  issues  related  to the  Early  Childhood  Education,  especially  the creation   of   the   child   expression   necessity through  writing  and  the  specificities  of  this process. Our dialogue with the reader is based on    a    bibliographical    research    that    was motivated  by  the  following  questions:  Is  the learning  of  writing  limited  by  the  technical aspects?  Does  the  learning  of  these aspects fulfill  the  reader  constitution  and  the  text producers?  Based  on  the Historical-Cultural Theory assumptions,  we  understand  writing as    an    complex    and    cultural    instrument (VIGOTSKI,   1995;   LURIA,   1989)   used   by mankind   to   communicate   and   to   express thoughts,   learning   and   ideas.   From   this perspective,  the  teaching  of  writing  in  the Early  Childhood  Education  schools  overcomes practices   consolidated   on   technical   aspects that  are  expressed  at  the  presentation  and letter reproduction as well the word formation that,  by  not  considering  the  essence  of  the process,  can  limit  and  compromise  the  child whole  development.  So  that  the  school  can contribute     for     the     child     learning     and development regarding to the written language  it  is  essential  to  consider  that  all learning the child develops at school has a pre-history.  Concerning  to  the  written  language, the pictorial drawing and the social role game are  activities  that  come  before  the  writing acquisition  by  stimulating  the  arising  of  the child  symbolical  representation.  The  studies developed by Vygotski (1995) and Luria (1989) reveal  how  important  it  is  for  the  school  to know  the  pre-history  of  the  written  language as    a    cornerstone    to    consider    in    their pedagogical  proposals  the  specificities  of  this process,  and  from  then,  to  enable  children  to live  situations  on  which  they  can  use  writing as a cultural instrument in its social function.