Media Literacy in the Primary Grades

This entry presents the main issues and problems connected to the teaching of media literacy (ML) in the primary school. Through the examples of significant experiences of film and screen education carried out between 1950 and 1990, it first highlights how the concept of literacy has formed the theoretical substrate for the subsequent development of ML, especially in the case of elementary education, where alphabetic literacy has always been considered a core objective. The entry then goes on to show how the integration of ML in elementary schools has followed several paths, both as to its place within the school organization and teaching program, and as to the principle on which the curricula have been built. For the main directions taken, concrete examples are reported. Finally, the entry looks at some trends regarding the further development of ML, research needs, teaching methods, and the issue of teacher training.