La lettura ad alta voce come pratica intersoggettiva inclusiva nella prima infanzia

Abstract

Reading aloud, both within the family and in early childhood education settings, is a relational experience of high emotional intensity that goes beyond its educational and linguistic dimensions. It takes shape as an intersubjective practice in which the text becomes a vehicle for emotional attunement between adult and child. Through vocal prosody, rhythm, facial expressions, and eye contact, the adult creates a shared space of narrative and emotional co-construction. Studies by Stern (1985), Trevarthen, and Gratier (2008) highlight how this experience is rooted in the protoconversations typical of early communication, offering the child not only words but also models for recognizing, understanding, memorizing, expressing, and regulating emotions. In this way, reading aloud becomes a complex educational act that fosters empathy, self-reflection, and the development of self-awareness within the communicative exchange with caregiving figures. It deserves to be recognized as a deep cultural and relational practice, serving the holistic development of the child.