REIMAGINING PRESCHOOL PEDAGOGY: AI-ENHANCED TEACHING THROUGH MULTILITERACIES-INFORMED CURRICULUM INNOVATION

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into early childhood education raises important pedagogical questions about how to design inclusive, multimodal learning experiences that nurture children’s agency and critical literacies. This paper analyzes sixty AI-enhanced teaching scenarios, developed during a national training program, through the lens of Multiliteracies and Learning by Design (LbD). Using thematic analysis, the study identifies how the four knowledge processes—Experiencing, Conceptualizing, Analyzing, and Applying—are supported or constrained by AI-enhanced multimodal activities. Rather than assessing the teachers' intentions, the study highlights the emergent pedagogical affordances and the potential of the LbD model for crafting flexible, inclusive, and socially embedded learning experiences within the Early Childhood Education (ECE) curriculum. The findings suggest that strong foundations are already in place for responsibly integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools into preschool learning environments, while affirming that a systematic, multimodal, and culturally sensitive approach fosters early critical literacy development. Keywords: multiliteracies, learning by design, artificial intelligence, early education