Phonological awareness in literacy

a didactic proposal based on rhymes in the early years of elementary school

Abstract

Phonological awareness plays an important role in the literacy learning process, especially when developed through pedagogical practices that connect language learning with children's experiences. In this context, this research addresses the following question: to what extent can working with rhymes contribute to literacy learning while enhancing the development of phonological awareness? The main objective is to develop a pedagogical intervention using rhymes as a resource to support the literacy learning process of first-grade elementary school students. The theoretical framework draws on the contributions of Soares (2020), Galvão, Pinheiro, and Santos (2022), and Meotti (2020), who discuss phonological awareness, written language learning, and the pedagogical possibilities of digital technologies. Methodologically, this is qualitative action research supported by bibliographic research, conducted at a municipal public school in western Paraná, Brazil, in June 2025. The intervention involved 20 students over eight lessons, including storytelling, traditional songs, poems, playful activities, and digital games, using resources such as an interactive whiteboard and Wordwall. The findings revealed increased student participation, vocabulary expansion, and progress in recognizing sound patterns in words. We conclude that combining digital and non-digital resources through playful pedagogical practices supports the development of phonological awareness, although a longer implementation period is necessary for a more in-depth analysis of the results.