An evaluation of reading texts in textbooks used for teaching Turkish as a foreign language to children in terms of educational messages

The aim of this study is to examine the scope and distribution of educational messages in the reading texts of textbooks designed for teaching Turkish as a foreign language to children, and to emphasize the necessity of integrating these messages into language instruction. Educational messages are considered a fundamental component of cultural teaching, particularly for audiences under the age of eighteen. This research seeks to reveal the extent to which the reading texts in materials developed for this target group are functional not only in terms of language teaching but also in supporting cognitive, emotional, social, cultural, and scientific development. A qualitative research method was employed in the study, using document analysis and content analysis techniques. The sample consists of reading texts from two widely used textbooks: "Türkçe Öğreniyorum" by Yunus Emre Institute and "ABC Türkçe for Children" published by Kültür Sanat Publishing House. The data were analyzed through content analysis by categorizing educational messages under five main headings: personal, emotional, cultural, social-communal, and scientific/universal values. Findings indicate that cultural and social messages are the most frequently emphasized in the reading texts, whereas messages related to scientific developments and universal values are limited. While some of the educational messages were presented in an implicit form, the explicit messages were usually conveyed in an instructive language. The results suggest that the texts in Turkish language teaching materials for children aim to balance linguistic objectives with cultural education by incorporating educational messages relevant to the developmental needs of the target audience.