MULTIMODAL LITERACY IN THE FORMATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ READING COMPETENCE

Abstract

The article examines the essence of multimodal literacy as a fundamental factor in the development of primary school students’ reading competence. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing presence of multimodal texts in the educational process and the need to update methodological approaches to teaching the Ukrainian language in primary school in accordance with the principles of competence-based education. The aim of the article is to determine the role of multimodal literacy within the structure of reading competence of younger learners and to develop a stage-based methodology for its purposeful formation in Ukrainian language lessons. The research is based on methods of theoretical analysis, synthesis, generalization, and systematization of scholarly sources. Multimodal literacy is defined as an integrated ability of students to perceive, interpret, critically evaluate, and create texts that combine various semiotic modes (verbal, visual, auditory, spatial, and digital), ensuring holistic comprehension and effective communication. It is substantiated that multimodal literacy functions as a structural component of reading competence and contributes to its development in cognitive, operational-activity, and reflective dimensions. The structure of multimodal literacy is grounded and includes perceptual-analytical, interpretative-integrative, productivecreative, and critical-reflective components. A stage-based methodology for its formation in Ukrainian language lessons is proposed, and the criteria and levels of its development are specified. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of implementing the proposed methodology in primary school educational practice and in the professional training of future teachers