Abstract:

Written speech is a well-organized form of speech. It requires children to conduct thoughtful analysis, which is a complex and deeper thinking activity. This study uses the writing samples of 1,800 elementary school students in China as a sample to analyze the causal expression characteristics of children, and to explore the development characteristics of children’s causal logical thinking. The study found that: (1) although children’s use of causal expressions increase with grades, each grade shows different characteristics. (2) Facing causal expression of different cognitive complexity, children tend to use descriptive causal expression in writing. (3) There is a “fifth grade phenomenon” in the use of causal expression, that is, fifth grade children are more sensitive to causal logic expression. Based on the above research findings, we have put forward some suggestions for the literacy education of primary school students in China.

Key words: children's writing, causal complex sentence, causal logical thinking of children, literacy education of Chinese elementary school