ESTRATÉGIAS PEDAGÓGICAS PARA RECONHECER E VALORIZAR A DIVERSIDADE FAMILIAR NA ALFABETIZAÇÃO

Abstract

Premissa. Family diversity constitutes a concrete reality in contemporary society, yet it remains under-recognised and undervalued within the school environment. This gap particularly impacts the early years of primary education, when literacy forms the foundation for the development of knowledge and social values. The fundamental premise of this research is that the effective inclusion and visibility of diverse family configurations promote a more equitable and welcoming environment for children, enhancing their self-esteem and sense of belonging. Aim. To propose pedagogical strategies to recognise and value family diversity in literacy education, by integrating educational policies, children's literature, and inclusive pedagogical practices, in order to foster a school environment that is equitable and sensitive to multiple family configurations.

CHAPTER 1 – FAMILY AND BRAZILIAN EDUCATIONAL POLICIES: Introduction. This chapter presents an overview of Brazilian educational policies that affect the recognition (or invisibilisation) of family diversity in schools. It identifies how legislation and curricular documents tend to reproduce traditional family models, limiting pedagogical practices that include alternative family configurations. Aim. To investigate how the family is depicted in laws, guidelines, and normative documents, discussing the advances, setbacks, and gaps regarding family diversity in early years of primary education. Methodology. A documental analysis was conducted on legal frameworks (Law No. 4,024/1961, Law No. 5,692/1971, Law No. 9,394/1996, National Common Curricular Base, among others) and state and municipal curricular proposals. A semiotic discourse approach, following Chizzotti (2014), was adopted to decode the values and meanings associated with the term "family.". Results and Discussion. The research found that, although there are mentions of plurality and inclusion, the approach to family diversity remains peripheral. The influence of neoconservative and neoliberal currents often shapes official documents, making it difficult to effectively integrate the topic into daily school practices. Concluding Remarks. It is concluded that the recognition of family diversity depends not only on more explicit legal frameworks but also on pedagogical strategies that promote inclusion. It is therefore essential to overcome ideological barriers and value the role of the real family – in its multiple forms – as a foundational element in basic education.

CHAPTER 2 – CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN LITERACY EDUCATION: Introduction. This chapter discusses the role of children's literature as a powerful tool in literacy education, highlighting how narratives and illustrations can either include (or, conversely, invisibilise) children from diverse family arrangements. Aim. To investigate how children's books represent various family configurations, assessing whether they recognise and value plurality or reinforce stereotypes. Methodology. A critical and interpretative analysis was conducted on children's literature available in the publishing market, mapping the presence (or absence) of homo-affective, single-parent, extended families, among others. The theoretical framework combines the views of Paulo Freire (dialogical literacy) and Henri Wallon (affectivity and integral development). Results and Discussion. A limited number of books explicitly include family diversity. Many titles reinforce the standard concept of the "nuclear family." This scarcity underscores the need for complementary and contextualised educational materials that address different family configurations in early childhood education. Concluding Remarks. It is concluded that children's literature can be a crucial ally for the affective and cognitive development of children, provided it sensitively represents multiple family realities. Ensuring this plurality is essential for building inclusive values and fostering emancipatory literacy.

CHAPTER 3 – UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS FAMILY TYPOLOGIES: Introduction. This chapter delves into the sociological and cultural concepts surrounding the family, mapping historical transformations and the emergence of more visible family arrangements in contemporary times. Aim. To list different family typologies, analysing their formative, symbolic, and affective aspects to support a pedagogical practice that recognises and values this plurality. Methodology. Based on studies investigating the evolution and diversity of family nuclei, a literature review was conducted with an emphasis on authors from family sociology and official documents that recognise the rights of different family configurations. Results and Discussion. The findings indicate that, although family typologies have been increasingly recognised legally and sociologically, the educational field still shows resistance or lack of knowledge. Consequently, certain families find themselves underrepresented in school spaces, which reinforces prejudices and inequalities. Concluding Remarks. It is necessary for schools and educators to overcome traditional conceptions and open up to the existing plurality, incorporating different family typologies into their pedagogical planning, reading practices, and daily interactions.

CHAPTER 4 – AN E-BOOK AS AN EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT: Introduction. This chapter outlines the process of creating the supplementary e-book "The Button Families", developed as the practical culmination of the professional master's research. It presents the genesis of the material, its theoretical inspirations, and the pedagogical objectives that guided it. The e-book falls within the field of educational products applied to teaching, adopting the proposal of valuing family diversity in the early years of primary education. Aim. To develop and validate an e-book intended for Year 1 primary school classes that contributes to the teaching of family diversity, integrating literacy, reading comprehension, and the recognition of multiple family configurations in the contemporary Brazilian context. Methodology. The research was qualitative and applied, grounded in participant observation (Mónico et al., 2017), with a theoretical basis anchored in Peirce's semiotics (2005), Panofsky's (1986) and Neiva's (1993a; 1993b) iconological analysis, and the principles of inclusive, critical, and intersectional education (Freire, 2019; Oliveira, 2025). The construction of the e-book involved the careful selection of stories and images, aligned with social markers such as race, gender, generation, disability, territory, and affectivity. The process was guided by dialogue with teachers and validated in a Year 1 primary school class in the public school system of Goiatuba, Goiás. Results and Discussion. The results demonstrate that the e-book addresses gaps in children's literature by encompassing plural representations of families – same-sex parented, indigenous, quilombola (Afro-Brazilian), foster, interspecies, single-parent, blended, grandparent-headed, and polyamorous. Literary mediation revealed the material's potential as a device for listening and symbolic transformation: the children broadened their understanding and showed sensitivity to the narratives, especially when mediated by educators committed to diversity. Empirical testing indicated good reception from the children, particularly for the e-book's potential to integrate curriculum components such as Portuguese Language, History, Geography, Mathematics, and Art, from an ethical, critical, and affective approach. Concluding Remarks. The development of the educational product "The Button Families" reaffirms the importance of connecting research and pedagogical practice. More than just a supplementary material, the e-book is configured as a tool for citizenship education, capable of provoking epistemological and symbolic shifts, and of contributing to a democratic, anti-discriminatory education committed to the plurality of Brazilian childhoods.

Final Reflection. This research concludes that the recognition and valuing of family diversity in the literacy process are not merely desirable pedagogical strategies, but fundamental dimensions for establishing a welcoming, formative, and genuinely democratic school environment. The analyses undertaken throughout the chapters have revealed persistent gaps in the legal frameworks, textbooks, and teacher training regarding the treatment of family plurality. However, they have also highlighted promising avenues for transforming this reality, particularly through the production and implementation of pedagogical materials committed to inclusion and social justice. The supplementary e-book "The Button Families" emerges as a concrete and sensitive response to these gaps, constituting an educational artefact that articulates theoretical foundations, an ethic of care, and teaching practices committed to the right to difference. Its development, application, and validation have demonstrated the potential to broaden children's symbolic repertoires, promote dialogic literacy, and foster the construction of civic values from the early school years. More than just favouring the mastery of reading and writing, the material contributes to the formation of critical, affective, and respectful individuals in the face of the multiple forms of family organisation that make up the complex fabric of Brazilian society. In doing so, it reaffirms that teaching literacy is also a political act of recognition – and that teaching is, above all, a gesture of hope, courage, and commitment to the dignity of all childhoods.