Textual production of children without learning difficulties

To characterize the writing skills of students, to compare the performance of students in public and private schools, and to identify enhancements in the course of the school year.

Three texts (narrative, game rules description, and a note or letter) written by 160 students from public and private schools were analyzed based on a specific protocol. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. To compare the overall performance by the protocol between school grades, the Kruskal-Wallis and Miller tests were used, and to compare results as to schools (private and public), Mann-Whitney test was used.

Median values of aesthetic aspects, coherence, clarity, and concision for game rules description among public school students remained one point below the top score. Students from private schools achieved the highest score at medians. When comparing schools, private institutions had students with better performances, with significant difference. As to grades, statistical difference was found between the fourth and sixth grades of public schools and between the fourth and fifth grades of private schools.

Most of the private school children showed consolidation of skills assessed in the different grades. However, public school children had this consolidation only at the sixth grade. Students from private schools had better performances compared to those from public schools. There is tendency to evolution from the fourth to sixth grades in public schools. However, the overall performance is similar in all grades in private schools.