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A path of dignity, art, and freedom to awaken the power of words in every
human being
Teaching a young person or an adult
how to read and write is much more than teaching them to combine letters: it is
offering a new chance to exist with dignity, to occupy social spaces, and to
reconnect with their own life story. In this process, the Pedagogies of
Creativity and Autonomy (PCA), created by Antônio Carlos dos Santos
— educator, author, and neuroscientist — offer a transformative path. Through
three innovative methodologies — TBMB (Mané Beiçudo Puppet Theater), MAT
(Mindset, Action, and Theater), and ThM (Theater Movement) — PCA
integrates art, science, and affection to break down learning barriers, awaken
imagination, and allow each person to rediscover the joy of reading and writing
with purpose.
The first strategy is literacy
through symbolic orality, using puppets from the TBMB universe to spark
conversations, provoke reflection, and stimulate active listening. When an
adult hears a puppet like Mané Beiçudo say he “couldn’t read either,” they
identify with him, laugh, relax — and open up to learning. In a literacy circle
in Pernambuco, for example, the puppet Sabina shared her feelings of
“uselessness” from being illiterate. The discussion that followed created an
empathetic and safe environment, dismantling the fear of making mistakes — one
of the biggest barriers in late literacy.
The second strategy
involves the use of affective and autobiographical writing, based on the MAT
proposal. Each student is invited to write, with the help of the teacher, a
short story from his or her life — a simple episode, such as “the day I went to
the supermarket alone.” This text can be spoken first, then written down in
short sentences, respecting the student’s vocabulary. The approach is in line
with the most recent studies that advocate literacy based on the “mother word,”
connected to the student’s life. When the student reads his or her own story,
he or she becomes empowered — he or she sees himself or herself as a subject of
knowledge.
The third strategy is literacy
through expressive movement, rooted in the ThM approach. Learners use
gestures to represent words — walking as if they’re scared (letter M for
"medo" — fear), or lifting their arms to symbolize freedom (letter L
for "liberdade"). By embodying sounds, learners connect language with
movement. Neuroscience shows that learning is more effective when it engages
multiple sensory channels (as demonstrated by Eric Jensen and Howard Gardner).
One student who felt too shy to read aloud discovered, through gestures, that
he could “speak with his body,” and gradually found his voice.
The fourth strategy
proposes the use of improvised theater with key words from everyday life, such
as “home,” “work,” “bus,” and “hope.” Students create quick scenes in pairs or
groups, using the words as a starting point. As Antônio Carlos teaches,
“laughter, creation, and improvisation eliminate the fear of grammar and set
language in motion.” In a literacy class in São Paulo, a woman acted out a trip
to the health center using the words “pain,” “cure,” and “faith.” Then, she
asked students to write these words on the board—and learned to spell them with
emotion.
The fifth strategy is
the creative reinterpretation of adapted
literary texts, such as the children's and adult works of Antônio Carlos
dos Santos, which are charming due to their simplicity and depth. Some texts
such as “Ui Ghur” or “The boy who said no to bullying” are rewritten by
students with their own endings, new sentences and other interpretations. This
strengthens linguistic autonomy and shows that writing is lively, accessible
and multiple. A student who said he “didn't have the mind to read” wrote a new
ending for the story of the little bear Ui Ghur and asked to “see how it came
out in print”, discovering that he was the author.
The sixth strategy is
the creation of collaborative word-of-the-day murals — a simple yet
powerful dynamic. Each day, students choose a word that marked the lesson —
such as “joy,” “discovery,” or “strength” — and record it on a classroom mural
with drawings or phrases. This vocabulary becomes a living, emotional landscape
of learning. According to Lev Vygotsky, language emerges in meaningful social
contexts — and nothing is more meaningful than a word chosen from the heart. In
a night school in Bahia, the mural displayed over 80 words after one month —
each with a story told with sparkling eyes.
The seventh strategy
encourages the production of dramatized audio recordings of students' own
stories. Learners record themselves reading or performing their stories,
with music and sound effects. These recordings are played back in class as if
listening to a podcast. Hearing oneself builds phonological awareness and
boosts self-esteem. According to neuroscience studies, hearing your own voice
strengthens self-perception and enhances linguistic neural connections (see
Oliveira & Santos, 2021). A 62-year-old student recorded a reading of his
grandmother’s cake recipe and tearfully said, “Now I am the one teaching.”
The eighth strategy
involves symbolic literacy games, such as “life-word bingo,” “letter
dominoes,” and “memory with personal words.” These games, rooted in real-life
vocabulary, bring fun and meaningful learning. One example is “the lost words
game,” where students receive loose words and must form meaningful sentences.
In a youth class in Minas Gerais, a student proudly formed the sentence: “Today
I learned, tomorrow I teach.” The joy of playing and the permission to make
mistakes without shame significantly accelerates learning.
The ninth strategy is
to create a “collective class book” with texts, drawings, songs and memories
from the participants. Each student contributes something: a phrase, a memory,
a note. At the end, this book is printed and given to the authors themselves.
The emotional impact of this action is immense. A 70-year-old man took the book
home, showed it to his granddaughter and said: “Your grandfather is a writer.”
And literacy became a family legacy. As Antônio Carlos dos Santos states: “By
learning to read, each adult is, in fact, learning to rewrite his own journey –
and, in doing so, inspiring new stories.”
Lastly, the tenth
strategy is cultivating a pedagogical attitude of hope, joy, and deep
listening as the foundation for all actions. No methodology works without
affection. PCA calls on educators to be artists of sensitivity, to respect each
learner’s pace, and to celebrate every small achievement as a victory for
humanity. Literacy is more than teaching letters: it is giving back voice,
presence, and belonging to those who’ve long been left behind. And, as shown by
the results of PCA-inspired practices, there is no age limit to flourish — when
we are welcomed with respect, creativity, and love.
Access the books by Antônio Carlos dos Santos on amazon.com or amazon.com.br
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