Cuentos ilustrados infantiles como material de apoyo didáctico para fortalecer la educación en el nivel inicial de la Unidad Educativa “Sagrado Corazón de Jesús” en la ciudad de Latacunga

Abstract

This integrative project addresses the need for appropriate educational materials for the early childhood level at the "Sagrado Corazón de Jesús" Educational Unit in Latacunga. The objectives are to identify the pedagogical needs of the early childhood level through a literature review, on-site classroom observation, analysis of the prioritized curriculum, interviews with early childhood teachers and graphic design specialists, and surveys of parents, to design a collection of illustrated stories aligned with the institutional curriculum. The approach was mixed, with both descriptive and propositional scope, which allowed for a thorough understanding of the materials used in the classroom and the criteria to be followed for the proposal phase. Furthermore, the proposal is based on Bruce Archer's methodology for its development and was developed according to the criteria established in the research phase. A collection of illustrated children's stories was designed under the name LEOLEO, which is also the name of the graphic identity. In addition, supplementary materials, a unified publishing system, and characters were created as part of this system. The material was designed as a pedagogical tool for children aged 3 to 5, integrating graphic and editorial design with the objectives of the prioritized early childhood curriculum. It is concluded that the importance of the relationship between text and image, and the use of illustrated children's stories at an early age, significantly improves attention, story comprehension, and critical thinking in young children. This confirms that editorial design functions as a key tool for early childhood education. It is recommended to promote the use of educational publishing materials and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between early childhood education and graphic and publishing design.