THE SPATIALIZATION OF READING AND THE NUMBERS OF PLACE

CONTRIBUTIONS OF GEOGRAPHY TO PRIMARY EDUCATION

Abstract

In this research, our objective was to mobilize the Geography of Childhood studies to contribute to the improving of the quality of Elementary Education in partner schools. We utilized studies in the field of Geography of Childhood to innovate pedagogically in elementary education. In this sense, we built partnerships with public elementary schools, which served as our research field. We used participatory qualitative research as our methodological reference, given that we wanted the methodological steps of our research to be taken together with the partner schools. The first phase of the research focused on observing the dynamics of our study field. The second phase involved the joint planning of didactic sequences, where we utilized the interdisciplinarity between Geography, Mathematics, and Language to spatialize the lesson. Playfulness was our main strategy and was present in all the activities developed. Welcoming the children was one of the main results of our strategy, indicating that it is possible to understand geographical space from the perspective and experiences of children, achieving a pleasurable learning experience that integrates the student into the educational process through their world knowledge, without disregarding the scientific essence of geography. The analytical categories of Geography are broadened when considering the children's perspective. We understand that urban spaces are also child-friendly spaces and sought to bring this understanding into our interventions, observing that these places play a role in shaping the identities of our children. Even when these spaces are not designed for them, children subvert the order and appropriate these places, giving them new meanings. In light of these findings, there is no doubt that children have spatiality, as they produce it through play and games in their daily lives.