LATE LITERACY IN THE FINAL YEARS OF SCHOOLING: CHALLENGES, CAUSES, AND POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS
Keywords:
Late Literacy, Elementary Education, Learning Gap, Pedagogical PracticesAbstract
Late literacy in the final years of elementary school is a growing and alarming phenomenon that challenges the effectiveness of the Brazilian educational system. This study aimed to analyze the main challenges faced by students who are not literate in advanced grades, investigate the causes that lead to this lag, and propose effective pedagogical interventions. The qualitative research, based on a literature review, revealed that literacy outside the expected age is frequently associated with factors such as social inequality, discontinuity in teaching processes, unattractive methodologies, lack of targeted public policies, and the worsening of lags caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, difficulties related to teacher training and the lack of teaching resources adapted to the profile of these students were observed. The consequences of this reality go beyond the school aspect, directly impacting the self-esteem, autonomy, and social and professional future of these individuals. Given this, the urgent need for more inclusive, personalized, and student-centered pedagogical practices is highlighted, with the use of playful strategies, psychosocial support, and investment in teacher training. The study points to the importance of transforming the school into a space of reintegration and acceptance, which recognizes the students' trajectory and truly promotes the right to literacy at any stage of life.
