Abstract:

Reading in early childhood constitutes a highly complex educational device, shaped by the interplay of sensory, affective, cognitive, and socio-relational dimensions. At this stage of development, reading goes beyond the mere decoding of graphic symbols and emerges as a multimodal and situated practice in which book manipulation, image observation, and the adult’s mediating voice jointly contribute to meaning construction. Aligned with socio-cultural learning perspectives and with the view of narrative as a primary mode of organizing experience, reading aloud assumes a function of emotional co-regulation and symbolic co-construction, supporting relational literacy processes and communicative awareness. This contribution presents the outcomes of an educational project carried out in a mixed-age (3–5 years) early childhood classroom in Italy, aimed at promoting dialogic competence and respectful linguistic practices through the systematic integration of reading aloud and guided discussion. The project began with the picturebook La grande fabbrica delle parole (The Great Word Factory) by De Lestrade and Docampo, used as a catalyst to explore the ethical, affective, and relational dimensions of language. This led to the design of a visual dictionary, a narrative and metacognitive tool in which each word was examined through its signifying, semantic, and experiential components, in line with narrative pedagogy, dialogic teaching, and discursive identity-building processes. Within the pathway, the concept of “cliché” emerged as a particularly significant epistemic node. Its exploration was developed through the reading of Nessuno sa (Nobody Knows) by Arianna Papini, a text that dismantles stereotypical forms of identity attribution by highlighting poetic and unexpected traits. This stimulus enabled children to reflect on the dynamics of generalization and the importance of acknowledging individual uniqueness, generating dialogic exchanges characterized by authentic questions, personal narratives, and original inferences. The tangible outcome of the project was the visual dictionary, produced as a lapbook structured across three levels—signifier, meaning, and manipulative activity—and enhanced through the integration of Italian Sign Language (LIS), introduced to broaden expressive possibilities and foster multimodal and inclusive learning. The project revealed increased linguistic awareness, reduced dysfunctional verbal behaviors, and strengthened group belonging. The findings confirm the transformative potential of reading aloud when embedded within an intentional and situated pedagogical framework, oriented toward the creation of discursive communities that support more responsive, inclusive, and relationally meaningful educational environments.

Keywords:

Reading aloud, dialogic pedagogy, early childhood education, meaning-making, multimodal literacy, narrative pedagogy, communicative awareness.