Gestion des traumatismes psychoaffectifs et enseignement-apprentissage de l’écrit au niveau III du primaire.

Abstract

The objective of the present research is to describe the link between malpractices related to the teaching-learning of writing-reading at nursery and the poor performance of Level 3 primary students. It also aims at justifying the substitution of explicit and intensive teaching of writing at nursery by a more supple, implicit and ludic teaching approach. The study tries to answer the main research question of understanding the persistence of difficulties faced by primary level 3 students in the practice of writing and reading in spite of the formalization of the teaching-learning of these skills at nursery. Specifically, the study seeks to elucidate the real impact of the introduction of writing and reading far back at nursery, as well as that of malpractices related to the teaching of these skills at nursery. Lastly, it seeks to show the means of remediating these traumas observed at primary level 3. The general hypothesis on which the research is based states that there is a link between writing difficulties at level 3 of primary school and the management of psychoaffective trauma related to writing in kinder garden. More specifically, it suggested that Primary level 3 students’ writing-reading difficulties have their source in the early teaching of these skills at nursery. Besides, they are caused by the teaching techniques used by teachers at the nursery. And thus, solving these difficulties at primary level 3 implies substituting explicit teaching by implicit and ludic teaching of these skills. To verify our hypotheses, we constructed a hybrid theoretical framework convoking constructivism, socio-constructivism, psychoanalysis, cognitive findings on attention and the critical period hypothesis. In reference to these theories, four studies were led, all grouped under the framework of the quantitative research protocol. These studies touched a population of 717 pupils and teachers of the two target pedagogic levels. The tools used were a reading-writing test, a questionnaire, an observation guide and an experimental guide. Though these methodological steps, the above hypotheses were validated. Evidence was produced as to the existence of psychoaffective traumas faced by primary level 3 students, namely dyslexia, dysgraphia and epistemophobia of reading and writing. It was also established that these traumas have their roots in the early introduction of intensive writing and reading right back at nursery, as well as the marked violence that characterizes the teaching-learning of writing and reading at nursery, the prematurity of these pupils, their lack of attention and the tense atmosphere of the classroom due to teachers’ feeling of obligation to produce positive results. Based on these findings, suggestions of a reduction of learning objectives related to teaching of writing and reading at nursery, as well as the recommendation of implicit and ludic teaching of these skills were advanced.