THE RIGHT TO READING: AN ANALYSIS OF ACCESS TO THE CONDITIONS FOR READER DEVELOPMENT IN THE PEDAGOGY COURSE

Resumen

The act of reading is intrinsically linked to the literacy stage, especially in the early years of Elementary Education. At first, it involves engagement with linguistic signs and, in turn, with the understanding of graphic symbols—the alphabet. With regard to reading, its importance is widely recognized, as it represents a fundamental means of acquiring knowledge, fostering intra- and interpersonal
interaction, and engaging with the world. The present study aims to analyze the cultural repertoire of undergraduate students in the Pedagogy program at the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro with respect to their conditions of access and the development of competencies related to the promotion of reading. To support this study, the methodology adopted consisted of bibliographical research as its theoretical framework and a qualitative approach, carried out through a questionnaire containing both open- and closed-ended questions, distributed via Google Forms in the WhatsApp groups of Pedagogy classes in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th semesters. Considering the findings obtained from the questionnaire analysis, the sample demonstrated a sound understanding of the importance of reading. However, in some topics, respondents were unable to distinguish between the act of reading as the decoding of signs and critical reading, associating it instead with reading books, academic materials, and other content related to the world of stories. It is concluded that the sample analyzed has access to information and literature; however, there is not a strong reading habit. There was also an inversion of meanings, with the term “reading” being conflated with “literary reading.”