LITERACY BOOKTUBE: AN EXPERIENCE OF READER EDUCATION IN THE EARLY YEARS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Keywords: Booktube; literary reading; Media Education; children’s authorship; Early Elementary Education.
This research investigates the contribution of literary Booktube to the formation of critical and creative readers in the early years of Elementary School, articulating reading, audiovisual language, and cultural participation practices from the perspective of Media Education. The study emerges in response to a concerning scenario: INAF (2018) and PISA (2024) reveal low levels of reading comprehension among Brazilian students; PIRLS (2021) ranked Brazil 52nd out of 57 participating countries; and the Retratos da Leitura no Brasil survey (2024) shows a significant decline in the number of active readers. These data highlight structural limitations and pedagogical challenges still marked by instrumental reading practices focused on memorization and mechanical assessment, distancing reading from its aesthetic, critical, and formative dimensions. In this context, the general objective is to investigate the contribution of literary Booktube to the process of forming critical and creative readers in the early years, examining how audiovisual practices can enhance engagement, motivation, and authorship in children's encounters with literature. The study adopts a qualitative approach supported by action research and intervention research, allowing formative processes to be followed in real contexts. The investigation takes place at the Núcleo de Educação da Infância/Colégio de Aplicação (NEI/CAp) of UFRN, an institution that integrates Media Education into its curriculum and develops systematic literary mediation practices. Initial results indicate that Booktube strengthens children’s involvement with reading by enabling them to publicly express their interpretations in creative ways, fostering protagonism, multiliteracies, and a school-based reading culture.