LITERARY NARRATIVE: RECEPTION IN PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (THEORETICAL STUDY)

Abstract

This study examines the reception of literary narratives among preschool and elementary school-aged children in the context of the development of children’s thinking and reading literacy. Narrative is presented as a means not only for conveying information but also for building personal experience. Literary narratives (in this specific case, fairy tales, stories, and fables) act as a mediator between cultural heritage and the child’s individual development. The relevance of the topic stems from the need to understand the mechanisms of narrative reception in early childhood and early school age—periods during which the foundations of communication, thinking, and value orientations are laid.
The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of receptive aesthetics, according to which the meaning of a literary work is realized in the process of interaction between the text and the reader.
The study analyzes the role of literary narrative in a child’s cognitive, linguistic, and emotional development. It emphasizes that in preschool age, reception is primarily emotional and imaginative and is characterized by a strong dependence on the rhythm, repetition, and clear plot structure of the text.
During the early elementary school years, a qualitative shift in literary reception occurs. Children develop the ability to follow plot structure, understand cause-and-effect relationships, and interpret the motivations of characters. This allows for the introduction of more complex genre forms such as the author’s fairy tale, the short story, and the fable.
A comparative analysis of works from a kindergarten reader and a primary school literature textbook shows that the genre diversity and structural complexity of the texts increase in accordance with children’s receptive capacities. Emphasis is placed on the role of genre as a structural mediator between the literary text and children’s perception. Genre functions as an intermediary between the literary text and children’s consciousness and plays a key role in the development of narrative competence.
The study also examines current issues related to the standardization of narrative competence assessment, the influence of the digital environment on the perception of stories, and the need to adapt methodologies for children with specific educational needs.
The conclusions drawn underscore the importance of the narrative approach in literature education as a means of developing children’s reading culture, critical thinking, and creative abilities. An appropriate selection of genres, tailored to the age-specific characteristics of children’s perception, creates the conditions for a more meaningful literary experience and the development of lasting narrative competence.