13 de July de 2026
In June, a partnership between Labedu and the Harvard Office in Brazil brought Professor Paola Uccelli, from Harvard University, to the country to deliver the short course “Language development, comprehension, communication and school performance: promoting reading to learn across development”.
Between the 24th and 27th, we brought together researchers and leaders from the third sector, government and the press to deepen knowledge in the area of language development, focusing on the potential of interactions both in school and in the family context.
A leading researcher in the field, Paola Uccelli collaborates with Labedu on the theoretical conceptualization of methodologies, and on the production and dissemination of evidence at the frontier of knowledge on language development. She is also part of the research group that is currently investigating the implementation of the Aprender Linguagem project, and has supported the monitoring strategies of the Aprender a Estudar Textos project.
Throughout the meetings, the foundations of reading as a tool for learning across development were addressed. Drawing on recent research, each session discussed the challenges, the beliefs that often guide school practices, and the supports needed so that children and adolescents can, in fact, learn through reading.
Topics covered included the role of classroom dialogue, mediation, and the importance of developing resources that support meaning-making from texts. In addition, in the closing session, participants were invited to discuss the implications of the reflections developed throughout the course for assessment and for pedagogical practices.
Participants were also introduced to the projects Aprender a Estudar Textos and Aprender: Dentro e Fora da Escola, currently being implemented by Labedu. This is because they share the same theoretical foundations used by the visiting professor, and respond to the language development challenges investigated by the research.
Researchers and leaders from the third sector, government and the press gathered with Professor Paola Uccelli and the Labedu team for the short course on language development
The course was featured in journalist Renata Cafardo’s weekly column in Estadão. A course participant, Renata highlighted the study that followed 42 families for ten years, and showed the importance of adults encouraging—and also listening to—the ideas of young children. Read the full article here.
Did this topic spark your curiosity? Learn more on the Aprender Linguagem platform, a complete guide for families and educators on children’s language acquisition processes between 0 and 5 years of age.