14 de July de 2026
The annual meeting of the international network of researchers ProLEER brought together approximately forty professionals and researchers in the field of language teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in early October. Among the highlights of the seminar was the study by the Zaentz Early Education Initiative that examined children’s development in their educational care environments, discussions on the expansion of educational policy led by Harvard University professor Emiliana Vegas, and on the transformation of writing policies in Chile led by professor Soledad Concha from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Beatriz Cardoso, director of Labedu, presented the Cidade das Infâncias project, which developed and distributed 140,000 kits of materials to families with children enrolled in first through third grade at São Paulo municipal schools. The initiative was highlighted alongside others from Latin America and Europe that advocate for language development through programs at different scales.
For Beatriz, ProLEER coordinator in Brazil, the meeting was an opportunity to learn more deeply about initiatives that align with Labedu’s work and broaden perspectives on the challenges faced by each country in consolidating their literacy practices in different contexts. “The annual ProLEER meeting is always a moment to refresh ideas and learn from the research and practices of colleagues from different countries,” she states.
About ProLEER
The international network of ProLEER researchers brings together specialists from nine countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, the Netherlands, and the United States—and is affiliated with Harvard University. Its objective is to improve educational practices and policies in order to strengthen the learning of children from zero to ten years old. The group’s coordination in Brazil is led by Beatriz Cardoso, director of Labedu. In addition to the in-person seminar held annually, the group also promotes thematic webinars open to the public and dialogues with different researchers, education professionals, administrators, and public policy makers who are references in the field.