The Diary Genre in the Teaching of Writing and Literacy in Basic Education: A Literature Review

Abstract

This article examines the theoretical foundations and pedagogical possibilities of the diary genre for teaching writing and literacy in basic education, considering student authorship, teacher mediation, and students' sociocultural experiences. It adopts a qualitative, exploratory bibliographic approach through a narrative literature review. The material comprises books, chapters, scientific articles, and curriculum documents addressing writing as a social practice, textual genres, writing about oneself, and literary reading. The analysis compares theoretical contributions and published experiences to identify convergences, pedagogical conditions, and interpretive limitations. The discussion suggests that diaries provide opportunities to record events, express ideas and feelings, organize narratives, and reflect on everyday experiences. Connecting diary writing with literary reading may broaden the themes and perspectives explored in textual production. However, student engagement and personalized materials do not independently demonstrate improvements in writing proficiency. The genre's contributions depend on defined objectives, ongoing guidance, and revision and rewriting activities that preserve students' autonomy and privacy. The article concludes that diaries offer a relevant pedagogical possibility for connecting school writing with social language practices when incorporated into contextually appropriate planning. The narrative nature of the review limits generalization and highlights the need for research that follows students' texts over time, examining both their development and the conditions under which they are produced, shared, revised, and discussed within diverse educational settings and sociocultural contexts.