The fundamental difficulties encountered at the primary schools within the combined classes during the primary reading -writing teaching by ?the sound founded sentence tutoring? method

The purpose of this study is to establish the fundamental difficulties encountered at the primary schools within the combined classes during the primary reading -writing teaching by ?the sound founded sentence tutoring? method.This is a descriptive study of surveillance. At the beginning of the study twenty-five teachers were interviewed. These teachers had taught within the combined classes at several primary schools in the 2005-06 academic year and furthermore they were teaching within the first year students in the 2006-07 academic year. Subsequently, the stages of the sound founded sentence tutoring were observed and followed within the classes of five teachers who had given permission for surveillance. Thus a questionnaire which was outlined in accord with the knowledge and experience gained from the surveillances and interviews was sent to all of the primary schools, in Adana, comprising combined integrated classes. Hundred and seventy-five questionnaires come back with replies.Within this study, by semi built interview and observation forms developed by the researcher, qualitative data and by the questionnaire which has been carried out with the findings formed with the interviews and observations, quantitative data have been collected. For the data formed with the interviews and observations, content analysis has been done. The frequency, percent and arithmetic average of the data formed with the questionnaire have been calculated.At the end of the study, it is found out that teachers who have taught in primary schools with combined classes find the time spent in each class, the course hours taken fort he reading-writing teaching and the guidance carried out by supervisors inefficient. Besides, teachers point out that there are locks of teaching materials and technological devices in villages? schools adding that families do not make contribution to education as expected and finally they claim that they have forgotten in villages as a result of this have a feeling of loneliness. As a summary, teachers state that the time construction faced in the first grade combined classes, lack of materials and students? low level of mentally preparation when they begin first grade are the important difficulties. Teachers bring out that students have such problems as writing a word with a missing letter, confusing sounds and having difficulty in reading continuously and meaningfully. It is found out that in the process of the first reading-writing with the sound founded sentence tutoring method, the sounds b-d, r-n (in the process of writing), ğ-y, d-t, b-p, and n-m sounds are confused. In addition, it is pointed out that although students have difficulty in learning attached italic handwriting they gain the ability of writing correctly.By taking into consideration the interviews and questionnaire surveys made with teachers the conclusions of this study are the need for supporting schools economically, transforming combined classes into independent ones and supporting teaching profession socially and economically can be registered. In order to improve students? mental preparation and enhance their word capacity, pre-school education should be re evaluated too.Key words: The ?Sound Founded Sentence Tutoring? Method, Attached Italic Hand Writing, Combined Classes, Primary Reading -Writing Teaching