Les relations entre la lecture et l’e ́criture : Repre ́sentations d’e ́le`ves de diffe ́rents niveaux scolaires et de diffe ́rents niveaux d’habilete ́

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study is to identify how students of different grade levels and of different ability levels perceive reading-writing relationships. A questionnaire was administered to 439 Quebec students from four grade levels: Grade 3, Grade 6, Grade 9 and Grade 11. An interview was also conducted with 18 students from each of these grade levels. Students' school report scores in written comprehension and production have been used as indicators of their ability level. Result analysis reveals that students perceive more positively the effects of reading on writing than the effects of writing on reading. It also appears that Grade 3 students make more comments on reading/spelling links whereas Grade 9 and 11 students realize more how writing tales helps them to understand other texts of the same type. The study further indicates that good readers and writers perceive more links between these two language activities than the poor ones. All the results confirm the importance of making students more aware of the multiple dimensions of the reading-writing relationship.