Conference Program

Reading practice at school is a central activity in every student's development: encounters with texts prompt and encourage the learning of stories, the pleasure they derive, reflection, and dialogue. Middle school is a significant stage in exploring the multiplicity of literary genres; in this specific segment of the first cycle of education, the process of linguistic and literary education is mediated, in the usual teaching method, by school anthologies. These—through a careful selection of authors and texts deemed representative [1] —serve as a stimulus for the discovery of textual variety, contribute to the growth of personal skills, and foster moments of dialogue and exchange with adults and peers. By selecting and offering quality readings [2] and equipping students with appropriate linguistic and methodological tools, it is possible to make encounters with texts no longer a compulsory practice [3], but rather an opportunity to experience «an infinite possibility of inhabiting, of looking, and of being looked at»[4].

The currently anthologies highlights the presence of numerous children's classics, «written both 'for' the growing subject and unintentionally addressed to them» [5]. This literature, "youthful" by virtue of the characteristics of its audience, is an «essential resource for education, literacy development, and socialization»[6] and necessarily requires reflection on the characteristics of the subject for whom it is addressed: «a subject in the crucial years of formation, with their tastes and interests, their overall linguistic, cognitive, and experiential immaturity, their fragilities and vulnerabilities, their educational needs»[7].

The literary and linguistic complexity of the works on offer—which do not always correspond to adequate levels of proficiency[8] —calls for educational research to rethink the practices through which teaching is structured, in order to ensure equitable and inclusive learning conditions. This paper presents the initial results of a trial using Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition® (CIRC®)[9] for reading anthologies in middle school. The research aims to investigate how a cooperative approach, strongly characterized by dialogic practice, can facilitate access to literary texts, increasing oral and written comprehension and reworking skills. Using this methodology, students work on texts, clarifying less clear passages through guided discussion; they identify key information, draw conclusions, complete writing exercises, and compare and contrast ideas [10]. The teacher acts as a discreet mediator, guiding group reflection and encouraging students to engage in discussion about the text.