La literatura como experiencia viva: Estrategias de aprendizaje situado para la construcción de vocabulario en la primera infancia

Abstract

This research, conducted within the framework of the Tejer entre Nos otros research group, addresses the need to strengthen active vocabulary in early childhood through literature as a living and meaningful experience. At the Arcoíris de la Infancia Child Development Center in Tunja (Boyacá), limitations were identified in the verbal skills and the breadth of the lexical repertoire of 20 children aged 4 to 5, highlighting the need to implement pedagogical strategies that integrate emotion, culture, and language. The general objective was to co-create the pedagogical booklet Entre ruanas y palabras mágicas, grounded in children’s literature and in the re-signification of rural language as a situated learning strategy for linguistic and cultural enrichment. The study followed a qualitative approach and an Educational Action Research (EAR) design, using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and hermeneutic analysis to interpret the verbal interactions that emerged during literary experiences. The results showed significant progress in the accuracy and diversity of vocabulary, as well as in the children’s communicative confidence and verbal participation. Literature became consolidated as a space for symbolic and emotional experimentation, where words were connected to play, music, and local culture. Likewise, a transformation in teaching practice was evidenced, as literature was understood as a space for symbolic experimentation that integrates thought, emotion, and identity. It is concluded that children’s literature, conceived from a playful, situated, and culturally relevant approach, is established as a transformative pedagogical tool for early childhood education.