Literacy in National Curriculum Parameters (PCN) and National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC): what changed between 1997 and 2017

Abstract

This article, inserted in the recent history of literacy in Brazil, reflects on how literacy is currently covered in the official curriculum documents: the National Curriculum Parameters (PCN) and the National Common Curriculum Base (BNCC). It also seeks to understand the extent to which these sources differ or stay true to their literacy proposals as well as what the methodological orientations regarding permanencies, ruptures, advances or contextual updates are. Therefore, an investigation will be made into the recent Federal Government curriculum proposal, materialized as the BNCC (Brasil. MEC. CNE, [2017]), in relation to the PCN (Brazil. MEC, SEF, 1997). These official documents will be regarded as primary sources, as they guide state and municipal Curriculum References. In general, it was possible to realize that there is an alignment between the PCN and the BNCC regarding the teaching of Portuguese language. However, when dealing with literacy, the documents diverge, especially in the way they conceive, describe and visualize pedagogical and practical materialization.