Literary Education in Early Childhood Education

Literary Education is a concept developed during the last decades trying to renovate literature teaching with an approach more focused on the reader and its relation with text than with memorization of works and authors. Early Childhood Education (0-6 years old) as it is a theoretically illiterate period can suggest that it is not related to literary education. In this article, I try to argue, on the one hand, the important reasons I consider vital to implement in the Early Childhood classrooms. On the other hand, I provide a holistic approach to the main foundation that holds Literary Education in Early Childhood Education. I consider using children's literature as an imperative material, reading promotion to create reading habits, and using libraries to foster both the reading habit and the literary competence of students, as the main action lines allowing a successful Literary Education in this period. This topic is approached through a qualitative methodology, involving an extensive analysis of the relevant literature in order to consolidate diverse research findings from various fields into a unified proposal. As a result of our analysis, it becomes evident that the harmonious progression of literary education during early childhood can be attained through the integration of several key components. These include a structured regimen of alternating reading aloud with storytelling and poetry recitation, encompassing both traditional and non-traditional forms. Additionally, the incorporation of picturebooks, utilization of classroom and municipal libraries, and fostering a continuous exposure to reading as a leisure pursuit all contribute significantly to this educational endeavor.