A Study on Writing Preparedness Levels of First Grade Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse the preparedness levels of first year primary students in writing regarding some variables. Mixed method has been used in the study. The quantitative part of the study involves the data regarding the students’ preparedness levels and their distribution according to gender, age and getting a pre school education. Whereas, the qualitative part includes the student interviews. The study has been carried out with 90 first year primary school students in the city center of Trabzon. Asdata collection tools, a personal information form prepared by the researchers, a semi-structured interview form and three assessment tools to determine the preparedness levels of the students have been used developed by Yangın (2007). Quantitative data regarding the study have been calculated the frequency, percentage and arithmetic mean. It has been analyzed by statistical methods (SPSS program) that students' level of writing preparedness differ whether according to the variables taken into consideration inthe research. The results obtained from this research indicate that about more than half of the students hold the pencil correctly while nearly half of them hold the pencil incorrectly. In the research, it is asserted that more than half of the students do not hold paper correctly and a part of them do not leave the right distance between paper and eye. Looking into the research results, it is seen that students are in “Average” level regarding the drawing lines properly and correctly; hand skills, on the other hand, are at a “satisfactory” level. It is stated in the research that students are aware of directional concepts except righ-left. While students’ levels of preparedness and sub-dimensions are influenced by gender; students’ levels of preparedness and sub-dimensions are not influenced by age. Findings of the research display that levels of writing preparedness changes according to whether the student has received a preschool education only in terms of hand skills. This research also reveals that students have positive opinions regarding writing.