The analysis of reading skills and visual perception abilities of first grade students

In this study, reading abilities of first grade students have been evaluated in terms of various variables (gender, whether they attended to preschool or not and the educational background of their parents) identifying their reading skills and visual perception levels. In addition, the relationship between reading abilities as well as their reading skills and the visual perception levels has been identified 168 first grade students studying at Public Primary School during 2013-2014 Education Year have constituted the sample of this study designed according to the survey model in Kozlu, Zonguldak. The students' reading achievement and reading skills have been determined by "Mistake/Error Analysis Inventory" and their visual perception levels have been determined by "Developmental Test of Visual Perception-2". The datas have been properly coded for SPSS 22.0. As a result of this study, the majority of student has been identified at the level of anxiety while the rest has been at the instructional level, it is also seen that there is no student at an independent level. In relation with their reading abilities, there has been a significant difference in terms of gender and educational background of their parents, while there hasn't been any significant difference depending on preschool education. It has been also determined that when their parents have higher educational level, students get better points from the reading rate and reading comprehension and so their reading mistake points decrease. Their visual perception abilities are higher than the average. It has been seen that there is a meaningful difference between the levels of visual perception and students' readings.