The Use of Smartphone and Tablet Applications for Early Reading and Writing Skills

Abstract

The aim of this study is to reveal teachers' views on smartphone and tablet applications for teaching reading and writing skills. The study was designed and conducted in the context of the phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research methods. The study group consisted of 15 volunteer primary school teachers who worked in Köşk district of Aydın province in the 2022-2023 academic year. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using the "Nvivo for Windows" software and content analysis method. In this study, teachers found the reading and writing instruction applications designed for tablets and smartphones to be supportive and facilitative. Additionally, it was found that the applications contributed to capturing students' attention, provided opportunities for students to review what they learned, increased students' motivation, and shortened the learning process. Moreover, teachers were observed to use such applications at every stage, emphasizing the importance of auditory stimulation.