Uso de pictogramas en el desarrollo de la lectoescritura en niños de 4 y 5 años en la Unidad Educativa Fiscal Isidoro Barriga, Ecuador J. Adv. Educ. Sci. Humanit. (July - December 2024) 2(2): 16-20 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14629904 ISSN: XXXX-XXXX ORIGINAL ARTICLE Pictogram use on literacy development in 4- and 5-year-old children at Isidoro Barriga Public Educational Unit, Ecuador  Katty K. Oviedo katty.oviedo@hotmail.com Received: 3 April 2024 / Accepted: 5 July 2024 / Published online: 31 July 2024 © The Author(s) 2024 Katty K. Oviedo Abstract Pictograms are visual tools that facilitate the learning of reading and writing, especially at an early age. Their implementation promotes text comprehension, idea expression, and the development of communicative skills. This research aimed to identify the level of literacy learn- ing through pictograms in 4 and 5-year-old children at the Isidoro Barriga Public Educational Unit. The research, de- scriptive with a mixed approach, allowed for determining the initial state of literacy development through theoretical methods such as analysis-synthesis, induction-deduction, and empirical methods based on the application of surveys to teachers. It was identified that 4-5-year-old children were at an intermediate stage of literacy development, indicating the need to strengthen their skills. Difficulties in communicating their ideas and understanding pictograms in class were ob- served. Keywords literacy, pictograms, teaching-learning. Resumen Los pictogramas son herramientas visuales que facilitan el aprendizaje de la lectoescritura, especialmente en edades tempranas. Su implementación fomenta la com- prensión de textos, la expresión de ideas y el desarrollo de habilidades comunicativas. En la investigación, se estableció como objetivo identificar el nivel de aprendizaje de lectoes- critura a través del uso de pictogramas en niños de 4 y 5 años en la Unidad Educativa Isidoro Barriga. La investigación, de tipo descriptivo y con un enfoque mixto, permitió determinar el estado inicial del desarrollo de la lectoescritura a través de métodos teóricos como el análisis-síntesis, inducción-de- ducción, y métodos empíricos basados en la aplicación de encuestas a docentes. Se identificó que los niños de 4-5 años se encontraban en una etapa media de desarrollo en lectoes- critura, lo que indicó la necesidad de fortalecer sus destrezas y habilidades. Se observó dificultad en la comunicación de sus ideas y comprensión de los pictogramas en clase. Palabras clave lectoescritura, pictogramas, enseñan- za-aprendizaje. How to cite Oviedo, K. K. (2024). Pictogram use on literacy development in 4- and 5-year-old children at Isidoro Barriga Public Educational Unit. Journal of Advances in Education, Sciences and Humanities, 2(2), 16-20. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14629904 Unidad Educativa Fiscal Isidoro Barriga, Puerto López, Manabí, Ecuador.

J. Adv. Educ. Sci. Humanit. (July - December 2024) 2(2): 16-20 17 Introduction Early Childhood Education, during the first five years of life, impacts the development of competencies and skills that influence children throughout their lives. This stage lays the foundation for academic and personal development. In this process, preschool educators’ preparation is essential; they must possess the necessary knowledge to effectively address the development of reading and writing (Lema et al., 2019). Psychomotor development in early childhood facilitates the acquisition of basic skills and competencies for reading and writing while promoting the personality’s integral deve- lopment in various dimensions, such as cognitive, emotional, social, and affective. According to Gutiérrez et al. (2021), reading and writing are fundamental skills for children and teachers, and the strategies implemented in the classroom and at home determine young children’s learning. In this context, reading and writing refer to the learning process of reading and writing skills, and it is considered es- sential to begin at an early age since knowledge and abilities develop more effectively during this period. Mastery of rea- ding and writing is fundamental to future academic and pro- fessional success. Starting this process in Early Childhood Education allows children to strengthen their learning style and better understand their environment (Daza et al., 2020). Pictograms have proven to be an effective tool in deve- loping reading comprehension, as they also stimulate chil- dren’s creativity, imagination, and attention. As a form of visual communication, pictograms help children better un- derstand texts and improve their pronunciation and writing (Chulli, 2019). Although initially used as an alternative communication system, pictograms have been successfully integrated into teaching reading and writing, especially for children with special educational needs. This research aimed to identify the level of literacy learning through pictograms in 4—to 5-year-old children at the Isidoro Barriga Public Educational Unit. Methodology The research design was descriptive, which allowed for the independent and joint measurement of information regar- ding the concepts and variables related to the development of reading and writing through pictograms. The study followed a mixed approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection processes. The mixed approach enables a qualitative description of the study’s elements and variables, using the observation technique to interpret reality. The research was conducted at the Isidoro Barriga Public Educational Unit in the Puerto López canton, Manabí pro- vince, Ecuador. The study population consisted of 43 chil- dren and 16 Early Childhood Education teachers. A purpo- sive sample of 29 children aged 4 to 5 years and 10 teachers from Level II of Early Childhood Education, working in the morning shift, was selected. The research employed theoretical and empirical methods, allowing for a direct understanding and detailing of events. Data were collected through a questionnaire. Ethical prin- ciples were upheld throughout all phases of the research. Participants were informed about the study’s objectives, and informed consent was obtained from the children’s parents and/or guardians and teachers. The confidentiality and anon- ymity of the collected data were strictly respected, ensuring that the results were used solely for academic and research purposes. Quantitative data were analyzed using measures of central tendency and dispersion. Results and discussion The Isidoro Barriga Public Educational Unit offers educa- tion from Early Education to high school on morning and af- ternoon shifts. The center has 34 teachers and 1,111 students. Among the deficiencies perceived by teachers in literacy development, it was noted that pictograms were not used in all important didactic activities. On the positive side, many teachers considered pictograms effective as they facilitated children’s learning. They also used various didactic resour- ces to enhance children’s reading and writing development. The children were evaluated and found to be able to ex- press their feelings and emotions, allowing them to deve- lop communication skills. However, they lacked interest in activities with pictograms and still found it challenging to communicate, interpret, and create short sentences using this teaching method. Table 1 shows the teachers’ views on the use and impact of pictograms in literacy development. Of the 10 teachers, 70% agreed that pictograms help children understand information. Meanwhile, the remaining 30% strongly agreed, considering pictograms to be very helpful in improving comprehension of the content being taught. Seventy percent of the teachers strongly agreed that picto- grams are an exceptional didactic tool for the development of literacy. The remaining 30% agreed that pictograms are important educational resources for this learning purpose. Teachers’ most commonly used educational resources to de- velop literacy were figure silhouettes (40%), stories, puzzles, and picture sheets, each accounting for 20%.

J. Adv. Educ. Sci. Humanit. (July - December 2024) 2(2): 16-20 18 Table 1. Use and impact of pictograms in the development of literacy Indicator Frequency Percentage Question 1.- Do pictograms facilitate the understanding of messages or information? Strongly agree 3 30 Agree 7 70 Disagree 0 0 Question 2.- Is the pictogram a didactic resource that facilitates children's literacy learning? Strongly agree 7 70 Agree 3 30 Disagree 0 0 Question 3.- What didactic resources do you use most frequently to develop literacy through pictograms? Story 2 20 Puzzle 2 20 Figures silhouette 4 40 Sheets 2 20 Question 4.- What teaching resource do you use for the development of writing through pictograms? Letter tracing 3 30 Drawing sheets 4 40 Tracing practice 3 30 Pregunta 5.- Do you consider that the pictogram provides an appropriate and playful environment for the child's expression? Strongly agree 7 70 Agree 3 30 Disagree 0 0 Pregunta 6.- Which activities are the most important to strengthen literacy learning through pictograms in children aged 4 to 5 years? Pictographic stories 5 50 Descriptive cards 3 30 Reading sentences 1 10 Riddles 0 0 Expression of ideas and emotions 1 10 Question 7: Will the design of a system of didactic activities through pictograms strengthen teachers' efforts to develop children's literacy? Strongly agree 5 50 Agree 5 50 Disagree 0 0 Regarding writing, 40% of teachers used drawing sheets, 30% employed letter tracing, and the remaining 30% used the didactic action of tracing over letters. Seventy percent of teachers expressed that the educational materials provide an appropriate environment for children to express themselves. An additional 30% agreed, noting that the resources create a playful and supportive environment. Fifty percent of teachers mentioned that using pictorial stories was the most important activity to strengthen litera- cy through pictograms, while 30% highlighted descriptive cards. Sentences with pictograms and expressions of ideas and emotions through pictograms were essential for 10% each. About designing a system of activities with pictograms, 50% of teachers strongly agreed that this approach benefits both the teacher and the child in their professional and lear- ning development, while another 50% agreed. These results align with previous research that emphasizes the effectiveness of pictograms in literacy learning in ear- ly childhood education. According to Morocho & Cabrera (2022), pictograms are valuable didactic resources to promo- te reading comprehension and written expression in children, helping to associate abstract concepts with concrete images, which enhances information retention. Similarly, Mendoza & Delgado (2022) concluded that pictograms contribute to children’s emotional and cognitive development, creating a playful and participatory learning environment. These fin- dings highlight the importance of pictograms not only as tools for literacy but also as key elements in children’s moti- vation and expression in the classroom. Table 2 shows the skills and abilities of children to com- municate using pictograms. It was found that 45% of chil- dren had acquired the ability to communicate and graphica- lly represent their ideas and emotions. However, 34% were in progress, and 21% were beginning to express themselves clearly due to the lack of teaching tools and lack of attention from the child. The majority (55%) of the children were still in the pro- cess of voluntarily and enthusiastically solving activities with pictograms. 24% had already acquired this skill and participated voluntarily, while 21% were still developing this ability, as they had delays in their language and difficul- ties relating images. 55% of the children were in the process of communicating easily with pictograms, while 38% faced difficulties and were at the initiation level. Only 7% commu- nicated easily using pictograms. It was determined that 55% of the children were correctly interpreting the pictograms according to the activity plan-

J. Adv. Educ. Sci. Humanit. (July - December 2024) 2(2): 16-20 19 ned by the teacher. 28% (8 children) correctly interpreted the pictograms, while 17% had difficulty doing so. It was also observed that 79% of the children were learning, while 10% were starting to develop communication skills, and the other 10% had already acquired these skills through pictograms. Table 2. Skills and abilities of the children Alternative Frequency Percentage Question 1.- Does the child clearly communicate and draw their ideas and emotions? Initiated 6 21 In process 10 34 Acquired 13 45 Question 2.- Does the child willingly and enthusiastically complete activities that involve the use of pictograms? Initiated 6 21 In process 16 55 Acquired 7 24 Question 3.- Does the child communicate easily using pictograms? Initiated 11 38 In process 16 55 Acquired 2 7 Question 4.- Does the child interpret and arrange the pictograms according to the planned activity? Initiated 5 17 In process 16 55 Acquired 8 28 Question 5.- Does the use of pictograms develop literacy skills in children? Initiated 3 10 In process 23 79 Acquired 3 10 Question 6.- Does the child create short sentences and write the vowels represented using pictograms? Initiated 9 31 In process 10 34 Acquired 10 34 Question 7.- Does the child recognize, name, and write the vowels represented in the pictogram? Initiated 2 7 In process 24 83 Acquired 3 10 Question 8.- Understand stories, riddles, and pictographic cards, increasing their literacy level Initiated 7 24 In process 22 76 Acquired 0 0 Regarding the ability to create short sentences using pic- tograms, it was noted that 34% of the children could already do this, and another 34% were in the process of achieving it. However, 31% were still in the initiation phase of this learning process. Regarding pictogram recognition, 83% of the observed children had few complications recognizing the pictograms in their environment. 10% of the children recog- nized them adequately inside and outside their environment, while 7% barely recognized them. No child had fully un- derstood the pictograms, and it was observed that 76% of the children were in the process of understanding them, while 24% were starting in this stage. These results align with previous studies that highlight the effectiveness of pictograms in developing literacy in early childhood education. Sánchez et al. (2023) concluded that pictograms are educational resources that support the tea- ching-learning process of children, contributing to literacy development. Likewise, Arellano (2021) emphasized that the application of pictograms is necessary for children to develop language skills, distinguish concepts, and improve reading comprehension. The results of this research on the use of pictograms in children’s literacy are consistent with prior studies that hi- ghlight the effectiveness of this tool in developing communi- cation and writing skills in children aged 4 to 5 years. These findings support the importance of incorporating pictograms into educational strategies to strengthen literacy in early edu- cation. Conclusions Learning literacy at early ages is based on the zone of proximal development and the use of schemas for each type of activity. This complex process allows children to approach and understand the text step by step, integrating reading and writing as a communication system. The research revealed a deficit in the literacy learning level of 4—to 5-year-old chil- dren at the Isidoro Barriga Public Educational Unit. A deficit in idea communication was observed, making it difficult for them to recognize pictograms and affecting their skills and abilities. References Arellano, E. (2021). Pictografía en el desarrollo de la lectoes- critura en los niño/a de primero de Básica de la Unidad Educativa “G.M. Jijón y Caamaño y Flores” en el año lectivo 2020-2021. Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi. http://repositorio.utc.edu.ec/bitstream/27000/7314/1/

J. Adv. Educ. Sci. Humanit. (July - December 2024) 2(2): 16-20 20 MUTC000768.pdf Chulli, N. (2019). La lectura de pictogramas en el desarrollo del lenguaje oral, en los niños de 4 años del Centro de Educación Inicial María Guerrero Vásquez, del cantón Chambo en el período septiembre 2018 - junio 2019. Universidad Nacional De Chimborazo. http://dspace. unach.edu.ec/bitstream/51000/5886/1/UNACH-FCE- HT-PI-E.PARV-2019-000015.pdf Daza, M.M., Orozco, E.J., & Urdaneta, G.A. (2020). Desa- rrollo de habilidades de comprensión de lectoescritura en estudiantes de instituciones de educación inicial. Re- vista LASIRC, 1(11), 61-74. https://bit.ly/40qbC3N Gutiérrez, D.R., Escalante, E.I., & Carazo, N.Y. (2021). Es- trategias Metodológicas que estimulenla lectoescritura en niños y niñas de III nivel de educación inicial del co- legio Brazos Abiertos, del municipio de Somoto depar- tamento de Madriz, en el II semestre del año 2020. Uni- versidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, Managua. http://repositorio.unan.edu.ni/id/eprint/16188/1/20292. pdf Lema, R.A., Tenezaca, R.E., & Aguirre, S.Y. (2019) (2019). El Aprestamiento A La Lectoescritura En La Educación Preescolar. Conrado, 15(66), 244-252. http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pi- d=S1990-86442019000100244&lng=es&tlng=es Mendoza, P., & Delgado, J. (2022). El pictograma como recurso didáctico para desarrollar la expresión oral en inicial II. MQRInvestigar, 6(3), 1071-1088. https://doi. org/10.56048/MQR20225.6.3.2022.1071-1088 Morocho, A.R., & Cabrera, L.B. (2022). Desarrollo del len- guaje oral a través de pictogramas: una experiencia con niños de 3 y 4 años de edad. Religación, 7(34), e2. http://doi.org/10.46652/rgn.v7i34.973 Sánchez, D.J., Bonilla, M.A., Herrera, M.L., & Tamami, J.W. (2023). Los pictogramas y su incidencia en el desarrollo de la lectoescritura de estudiantes de educación inicial bilingue. Magazine de las Ciencias: Revista de Inves- tigación e Innovación, 8(1), 38-49. https://revistas.utb. edu.ec/index.php/magazine/article/view/2855/2390 Conflicts of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Author contributions Katty K. Oviedo: Conceptualization, data curation, re- search, methodology, visualization, writing the original draft, writing, review and editing. Data availability statement The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Statement on the use of AI The authors acknowledge the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies to improve the readability and cla- rity of the article. Disclaimer/Editor’s note The statements, opinions, and data contained in all publi- cations are solely those of the individual authors and contri- butors and not of Journal of Advances in Education, Scien- ces and Humanities. Journal of Advances in Education, Sciences and Humani- ties and/or the editors disclaim any responsibility for any in- jury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions, or products mentioned in the content.