The Letters-Learning Process for Children in the Introductory Period of Elementary School: Based on the Analysis of Episode Data by Observation Method (Ethnography)

Abstract

This study utilized a field survey to clarify (a) how children in the introductory period of elementary school learn kana writing through instruction and (b) the problems in the instruction process. Observers collected daily episodic data from April to December 2017 from a typical first-grade public elementary school classroom in Japan using the observational method (ethnography). Data from the episodes were collated in an Excel file, distinguishing between “facts” and “comments” in the field notes. How children acquire kana characters in individual ways was determined based on the episodic data. Episodic data analysis revealed that children faltered while acquiring phonological analysis skills and understanding notation. Further, as teachers were found to evaluate children’s acquisition of letters based only on what was written, monitoring each child’s growth became ineffective. Therefore, teachers must focus on children’s pace of learning, allowing them time to understand and grow in the introductory years of elementary school.