EMILIA FERREIRO: BIOGRAPHY, THEORY AND MAIN BOOKS - ECONOMÍA - 2025

Emilia Ferreiro is a pedagogue, psychologist and writer well known for her contributions to education, especially for her theory of how children learn to read. She was born in Argentina in 1937 and has published numerous works that are a reference in the psychogenesis of the writing system.

Emilia Ferreiro has worked as a professor at the University of her hometown, Buenos Aires, and was a researcher at the International Center for Genetic Epistemology of the University of Geneva. Her contributions have earned her numerous awards and recognitions, such as the Andrés Bello Order of Venezuela.

In addition, the University of Buenos Aires and the University of Rio de Janeiro named her Doctor Honoris Causa. The beginning of her work on the psychogenesis of writing was in 1979, when she published the book Writing systems in the development of the child. Ferreiro has also presented different contributions in other fields related to education.

Biography of Emilia Ferreiro

Studies

Born in Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 1937, her full name is Emilia Beatriz María Ferreiro Schavi. She completed her studies with a doctorate in genetic psychology from the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

The director of his thesis was Jean Piaget, who was also the author of the foreword to the book based on that thesis: Temporal relationships in the language of the child.

Ferreiro returned to her hometown in 1971. There she was one of the founders of a group dedicated to studying literacy, as well as teaching at the University. The Guggenheim Foundation in the United States awarded her a scholarship the following year and in 1974 she would leave her teaching work.

Exile

The coup that took place in Argentina in 1977 forced her to go into exile. Ferreiro settled in Switzerland, and later moved to Mexico. In this country, she started a study on children with learning disabilities in the city of Monterrey.

In 1979 she began to reside in Mexico City with her husband and children. There, she taught at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute.

Career path

Emilia Ferreiro has had a very rich and varied professional life. Her research on the psychogenesis of the childhood writing system certainly stands out. She began working in this field in 1974, when she was a teacher, and studied how it affected children before and during their first years at school.

At the University of Geneva she was a researcher at the International Center for Genetic Epistemology, and at the University of Buenos Aires she was a professor for several years.

Between 1995 and 1998, he was part of the commissions in charge of evaluating the National System of Researchers of Mexico. She was also a member of the Council for Scientific and Technological Research of Argentina, the WK Kellogg and Guggenheim Foundations, and UNESCO.

Despite being recognized for her research work, Ferreiro has also been involved in the social life of Latin American countries. In this area, their work to improve the literacy of the most disadvantaged in society, both in rural and urban areas, stands out.

Theory developed

The most important contribution of Emilia Ferreiro is her theory on how the ability to write is acquired. Despite the fact that many think that she invented a novel method of literacy, the truth is that her work was much more theoretical.

In this way, he investigated the evolutionary process by which children learn written language and made a series of pedagogical recommendations on this process. This field of study is called writing system psychogenesis.

Phases of literacy acquisition

Ferreiro began his work on this subject in 1974. In his theory he divides the process of acquiring literacy into five phases.

The symbolic phase

In this phase, children only do scribbles or drawings. They can make general interpretations, but are not able to make hypotheses.

Writing phase

In the writing phase, children begin to handle letters, although still in a very simple way. They combine them and try to write, more like a game than knowing one hundred percent what they are doing.

Syllabic stage

The third stage, called syllabic, represents an advance in the child's writing. During this phase she begins to work with the syllables. She is able to hypothesize and write simple and short words.

Another characteristic of this phase is that the child begins to unite what is oral with what is written. It also sees the relationship between what is written with the real object it designates.

Alphabetic syllabic transition stage

It is the fourth level in the development of writing. The child is able to relate sounds and spelling and begins to work on the alphabetical aspect.

At that time his capacity is increasing, although he is still going to make many mistakes.

Alphabetic stage

In this last stage the little one already understands all the characters. Also expand your vocabulary with words that have more syllables. You also begin to understand the use of phonemes, even if you still make mistakes.

If the child has passed through all these stages normally, from the age of five he can easily cope with the teaching of literacy in a more formal way.

Other contributions

Education

As it could not be less given her special interest on the subject, Emilia Ferreiro also made some general contributions on education. For the thinker it was essential that everyone had access to quality education. And she not only referred to the content, but also to values such as freedom, solidarity or dignity.

Ferreiro advocates in his writings for considering education as a fundamental right and recommends that all possible means be used, including new technologies.

In more theoretical terms, she proposes to overcome the old educational schemes and, as she herself affirms, to change the look in the classroom. She also says that it is necessary to avoid school failure.

Methodology and educators

Other aspects in which Ferreiro affects to improve education is in the use of different methodologies and in the preparation of teachers.

Regarding the teaching staff, Ferreiro wrote: “they must be able to make decisions that transcend the student's training; demonstrate interest and ability in educational advances that benefit the education and training of the student "

Regarding the methodology to be applied in the classroom, the pedagogue intends that various psychological theories be used to improve the transmission of knowledge. Those theories would be behaviorism, constructivism or the sociocultural approach, among others.

Main books

Children think about writing

It deals with the theory and practice of literacy processes, whether in children or adults.

Literacy, theory and practice

Reflection on writing as a representation of reality. It focuses on how children conceptualize written language and how it can be applied to teaching.

Validity of Jean Piaget

In a compilation of various texts related to the centenary of Piaget's birth.

Narrate in writing from a character. Children's approach to literature

Ferreiro takes the typical characters from stories, such as witches, princes and princesses or stepmothers. Instead of offering the classic stories, it makes children between 9 and 11 years old rewrite them by identifying with one of the protagonists and providing a new vision of them.

References

1. Research and Advanced Studies Center of the IPN Dra. Emilia Ferreiro. Retrieved from die.cinvestav.mx
2. Cabal Magazine. Emilia Ferreiro, keys for the Education to come. Obtained from revistacabal.coop
3. Otraescuelaesposible Association. Emilia Ferreiro. Obtained from otraescuelaesposible.es
4. Oliveira Mello, Márcia Cristina. The opinion of Emilia Ferreiro on literacy. Recovered from acoalfaplp.net
5. Angulo Carabalí, Nubia Rubiela. Emilia Beatriz María Ferreiro Schavi. Obtained from bioemilia.blogspot.com.es
6. Marta Kohl de Oliveira, Teresa Cristina Rego. Contributions to contemporary research of Luria's cultural-historical approach. Recovered from scielo.br
7. Paulo Freire, Donaldo Macedo, Ana Maria Araujo Freire. Daring to Dream: Toward a Pedagogy of the Unfinished. Recovered from books.google.es