The reading body
Valentina Vitale
Embodied Education recognizes the body as a fundamental vehicle for learning and symbolic knowledge construction, emphasizing the intertwined nature of cognitive processes and bodily experiences. Rooted in multidisciplinary fields such as neuroscience, phenomenology, and cognitive science, this approach posits that abstract concepts are grounded in sensorimotor experiences. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) provides structured visual and linguistic tools, including pictograms, gestures, and technological aids, to facilitate communication and access to symbolic content, acting as a crucial support for diverse learners, particularly those with complex communication needs. This contribution explores the theoretical foundations and practical integration of these two powerful approaches within early childhood education. The focus is on how embodied practices, rich narrative engagement, and intentional symbolic play, systematically mediated by AAC strategies, can profoundly foster the development of abstract thinking, executive functions, and comprehensive language skills in young children. Specifically, the paper outlines a proposed integrated model — centered on narrative motor play, symbolic environments, and augmented storytelling with AAC picture books (inbook) — designed to create accessible and multisensory learning experiences. The discussion elaborates on the observed benefits in experimental contexts, such as a significant increase in emotional and cognitive engagement among all children, enhanced linguistic and narrative competence development even in those with communication difficulties, the consolidation of executive functions, and improved abstract thinking capacities through the transition from bodily action to symbolic representation. Furthermore, it highlights the paramount role of AAC picture books as multimodal mediators of inclusive learning, effectively bridging embodied experience and symbolic representation, thereby fostering a truly accessible and participatory educational environment.
Keywords
Embodied Education, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, symbolic narrative, early childhood education, inclusion.
