Literacy development and influencing factors in primary school students of grade 2 to 5 in Guangzhou / 中国学校卫生

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To understand literacy development of school-aged children of grade 2-5 and its influencing factors in Guangzhou,and to provide a reference for the reform of the teaching of Chinese subject.@*Methods@#By using cluster sampling method, 1 661 school-age children from grade 2 to grade 5 from 5 primary schools in Guangzhou were selected. The self-designed questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data of the participants. The Primary School Literacy Assessment Scale and the Pupil Rating Scale Revised Screening for Learning Disabilities was used to evaluate the literacy and the cognitive characteristics of participants.@*Results@#The average literacy of children of grade 2 to grade 5 in Guangzhou was as follows grade 2 was (1 159±295), grade 3 was (1 919±394), grade 4 was (2 599±365), grade 5 was (2 947±303), higher than the norm(P<0.01). The average literacy of grade 2 students was lower than the national curriculum requirements while students of grade 3 to grade 5 met the requirements. Univariate analysis found differences in literacy among school-age children based on gender, reading experience before age 6, and parental education background (P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that grade (β=607.04), preschool reading experience (β=109.89), father’s education (β=27.14), language factor (β=27.21), social behavior (β=16.03) was positively correlated with literacy in boys (P<0.05). Grade (β=603.53), auditory comprehension and memory (β=29.39), language factor (β=16.74) was positively correlated with the literacy of girls (P<0.05), while time and orientation judgments were negatively correlated with the literacy of both boys (β=-18.95) and girls (β=-21.93) (P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#The literacy level of school-age children in grade 2 to 5 in Guangzhou has reached the national literacy requirements with students in grade 2 being relatively lower. Literacy is related to grade, preschool reading experience, father’s education, and child’s cognitive characteristics. Factors affecting literacy in boys and girls are different. Literacy education should vary according to gender.