The Influence of Pre-school Literacy Preparation Studies on Primary School Literacy Instruction

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of literacy preparation activities conducted during the pre-school period on primary school literacy instruction from the perspective of classroom teachers. The design of the study was determined as a case study, which is one of the qualitative research types. The research group was determined through purposive sampling. In order to ensure maximum diversity, interviews were conducted with a total of 14 teachers, consisting of one male and one female from each of Türkiye seven regions. Considering the aim of the study, it was taken into account that teachers should have experience in literacy instruction. Therefore, teachers who had conducted teaching activities in first grade elementary school classrooms for at least three times were included in the study. A semi-structured interview form was used as the data collection tool in the research. The interviews were analyzed using a data analysis software. As a result of the analyses, 4 themes, 13 categories, and 58 codes were identified. According to the findings of the study, the teachers believe that literacy preparation activities conducted during the pre-school period have a positive impact on primary school. It is also among the general opinions of those teachers that literacy preparation activities are more effective and functional in pre-school compared to previous years. The classroom teachers expressed that pre-school teachers should not deviate from the curriculum, and teaching literacy in pre-school may lead to some difficulties in primary school. Finally, the classroom teachers believe that beyond academic skills, imparting social adjustment and self-regulation skills to children during pre-school is more crucial for readiness in primary school.