Welcoming words: read-aloud practices and inclusive education. research, review, and mapping of the international literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7347/EdL-01-2025-06Keywords:
inclusion, accessibility, educational technologies, representation, educational justice, reading aloudAbstract
This article presents a systematic review and mapping of international literature on read-aloud practices as an inclusive educational strategy. Based on a corpus of peer-reviewed studies published between 1997 and 2025, the paper analyzes approaches, tools, target groups, and educational contexts, with specific attention to the themes of accessibility, representation, and participation. The findings highlight three main areas of impact: linguistic and cognitive development, building affective relationships, and enhancing inclusion through assistive technologies and participatory design. Nevertheless, several critical issues emerge, including the scarcity of longitudinal studies, the marginalization of non-dominant languages, and the lack of intersectional perspectives. In light of these findings, the article proposes reframing reading aloud as a transformative pedagogical tool capable of valuing the plurality of voices and contributing to educational justice. The paper concludes with future research directions and implications for teaching practice.
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