Children's experiences of reading classes and reading schools in Ireland

In this article the author reports on the experiences of 20 children who attended a reading class/reading school for a placement period before returning to mainstream. While the original much larger doctoral study encompassed parents' and teachers' perspectives, this article is confined to the views of children. Their prevailing positive experiences of reading classes and schools are relayed, illustrating a snapshot of education provided in these settings, but they also provide an insight into how inclusive practices are orchestrated and function in these segregated settings. While academic and socio‐emotional gains are evident, the findings also highlight the challenges for mainstream schools in becoming more inclusive, particularly in the area of interactive approaches in addressing the needs of pupils with dyslexia.     

A review of a reading class placement for children with dyslexia,focusing on literacy attainment and pupil perspectives

This research investigated a special reading class placement for children with dyslexia in the Republic of Ireland. The study compared the literacy attainments of children before and after their reading class placement, and determined in particular children’s views regarding the placement. Participants included 16 children with dyslexia who had completed at least two years or maximum three years in a reading class for children with dyslexia, as well as 14 reading class and mainstream teachers. A case study was utilised to examine the three reading classes using a variety of data collection procedures including standardised assessment results, focus group and group interviews over a sustained period of time. Results indicated that children and teachers were very positive about the placement for children with dyslexia, with both children and teachers reporting academic, social, emotional, behavioural and attitudinal gains for the children in these classes. Findings from quantitative data demonstrated that children made progress in the areas of reading accuracy, comprehension and spelling, during their placement. Interestingly, findings from this study confirm that children who spent three years in the reading class made greater progress in the areas of reading accuracy and reading comprehension than children who spent two years in the reading class. However, there was no significant difference in the spelling achievement gains for children who attended the reading class placement for either two or three years. The qualitative findings revealed children’s increased positive disposition towards their own learning experiences during the special reading class placement and this was reported by both children and teachers alike. However, issues regarding lack of collaborative opportunities between mainstream and reading class teachers, and differentiation of curriculum content in the mainstream classroom remained throughout the placement period.     

Evaluating the teaching and learning experience for the child with dyslexia in special and mainstream settings in Ireland

This study examines and evaluates special provision for pupils with dyslexia in three different settings: reading schools, reading units and mainstream support. The research focused on the teaching and learning context for pupils with dyslexia, the support teacher, the mainstream teacher and the experience of the student. The main participants were teachers and tutors supporting pupils with dyslexia, and the parents of these children. Survey methods included questionnaires, focus group discussions, interviews and quantitative data on pupils' reading attainment. In addition, a total of six schools, two representing each model of support, were selected as case studies. This article reports part of a larger survey, which evaluated the effectiveness of three models of special provision for children with dyslexia in primary school. The study shows that there are academic and social benefits for the child with dyslexia who is enrolled in a special setting. However, placement in a reading school or reading unit per se does not guarantee that a child will ‘catch up’ with his or her peers. The findings reported a similarity in the methods and practices teachers use in both mainstream and special settings. The discussion suggests that if teachers are to ‘catch them before they fall’ there are serious questions that must be asked about how we are teaching basic literacy skills. The findings suggest an urgent need for a more balanced approach to teaching reading and writing.     

Services for children with dyslexia – the child’s experience

This study evaluates and compares special educational services for children with dyslexia in three different Irish educational settings: special schools, reading units and mainstream resource provision. The emphasis is on the child’s experience of special education. Participants were dyslexic children aged 8–13 who had been accessing special educational services for two academic years. Data collection involved individual interviews with each of the 100 children. Further data about the child’s experience were collected by parental questionnaire. Results suggested that while children overall were happy and evaluated special educational services positively across all three settings, children in special schools and reading units seemed to be happier and to have more positive experiences than children attending mainstream resource provision. The discussion considers the implications of these findings in the context of the inclusion debate in special education. It also considers the limitations of this small‐scale study and the need for further research.     

Is a cerebellar deficit the underlying cause of reading disabilities?

This study investigated whether children with dyslexia differed in their performance on reading, phonological, rapid naming, motor, and cerebellar-related tasks and automaticity measures compared to reading age (RA)-matched and chronological age (CA)-matched control groups. Participants were 51 children attending mainstream English elementary schools in Quebec. All participants completed measures of IQ, word and nonword reading fluency, elision, nonword decoding, rapid naming, bead threading, peg moving, toe tapping, postural stability, and muscle tone. Results from both group contrasts and analyses at the individual case level did not provide support for claims of motor–cerebellar involvement in either typical or atypical reading acquisition. Results were more consistent with a phonological core process account of both typical reading and reading difficulty. Phonological deficits for children with dyslexia compared to RA-matched controls were, however, only evident in group contrasts. Findings thus also have important implications for identifying at-risk readers among their same-aged peers.     

发展性阅读障碍眼动研究的进展

发展性阅读障碍一直是心理学家关注的重要领域。国外研究者基于认知和生物因素提出了关于发展性阅读障碍的语音缺陷、小脑缺陷、一般性大细胞功能障碍等理论,并考察了患者的眼动特征,提出了有效的诊治方法。汉语发展性阅读障碍研究主要局限在语音和正字法领域,也涉及局部脑区的功能缺陷,但还未从多角度测查其成因,如眼动。该文在理论梳理的基础上,系统探讨了发展性阅读障碍患者的眼动特征及机制。     

Self-concept and self-esteem in developmental dyslexia

Self-concept and self-esteem in two groups of dyslexic children (mainstream placement and SpLD unit placement, total N=63) were examined. Interviews and a questionnaire (the SDQ-1) were utilised, giving a mix of qualitative and quantitative data. Where appropriate, a control group of 57 children without learning difficulties was assimilated into the research design. The main findings were that the presence of dyslexia produced marked effects on the self-concept and self-esteem of children, although this was more apparent in the participants attending mainstream schools than those in SpLD units. The qualitative data revealed that children with dyslexia felt isolated and excluded in their schools, and that, typically, up to half were regularly teased or bullied. The findings were related to self-concept and self-esteem theory, and current educational practice. The limitations in terms of research design and analysis were also noted.     

Peer tutoring in reading in Scotland: thinking big

A large‐scale randomised‐controlled trial of reading tutoring in 80 schools in Scotland used the Paired Reading (PR) technique. On long‐term evaluation, cross‐age PR was significantly better than regular teaching, but same‐age was not. On short‐term evaluation, PR pupils did significantly better than control pupils in both years, and cross‐age and same‐age were similarly effective. Low socio‐economic pupils, lower reading ability pupils, girls and reading with maths tutoring groups did significantly better. Implementation was good in parts, but some important aspects of technique were rare. Reading gains were significantly greater for those with mistakes about every 2 minutes and those who stopped reading to talk every 5 to 7 minutes. Significant gains in self‐esteem were seen in same‐age and cross‐age groups, and for tutees and tutors, but not for controls. The relationship of achievement gain to quality of technique and socio‐emotional gains is discussed, with implications for practice.     

透明文字阅读障碍儿童阅读流畅性的实验干预研究

相比于阅读正确性,透明文字阅读障碍儿童的阅读流畅性问题更突出。本文用多基线干预性混合实验设计,考察形-音联结和重复阅读两种训练对3~5年级不同水平维吾尔文阅读障碍儿童阅读流畅性的单独和综合干预效果。结果发现:(1)基线时,不同水平阅读障碍儿童的单词阅读正确性和阅读理解成绩不存在显著差异,但在阅读流畅性测验得分上严重阅读障碍儿童显著落后于一般阅读障碍儿童;(2)形-音联结和重复阅读两种训练分别提高了阅读障碍儿童的假词和真词阅读速度,两种训练结合使用时提高了阅读理解成绩,其中严重阅读障碍儿童的阅读理解成绩提高的更明显。     

Screening for Chinese Children with Dyslexia in Hong Kong: The use of the Teachers' Behaviour Checklist

Primary school teachers rated the frequency of occurrence of 65 reading‐related behavioural characteristics in a sample of 251 Grade 1 to Grade 6 Chinese school children in Hong Kong. These behavioural characteristics were in the areas of general performance, reading, dictation, writing, mathematics, language, memory, concentration, sequential ability, motor co‐ordination, spatial orientation, and social/emotional adjustment. Of these 12 areas, 10 yielded scale scores that could distinguish children with dyslexia from those without dyslexia, identified on the basis of their performance in five domains of literacy and cognitive skills. Using a summary score derived from the 10 relevant scales, an optimal cut‐off score was suggested to arrive at a balance between high sensitivity and an acceptable rate of false positives in screening for children with dyslexia. The need for cross‐replication in screening children with dyslexia using the behaviour checklist with different samples of school students is emphasised.     

The Effects of Reciprocal Teaching on Reading Comprehension in Mainstream and Special (SLI) Education

Reading comprehension of fourth and sixth graders was promoted with reciprocal teaching in three mainstream classes, and three special classes for pupils with specific language impairment (SLI). Four cognitive strategies were used to enhance these pupils' reading comprehension skills. Six coordinated, 5‐week interventions were held during regular class sessions in the spring and autumn terms of 2003. These interventions, which varied in length from 10 to 15 lessons, were given to all students attending fourth‐grade and sixth‐grade science classes in general science and sixth‐grade history lessons. A control group/experiment group design was used. According to pre‐, post‐ and retention tests the intervention proved to be beneficial, especially to the mainstream fourth‐grade class. Some positive development could also be noticed in the SLI groups. The results of children improved mostly in expert‐designed tests on reading comprehension. According to the interviews, children and teachers were pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in the interventions and to learn a new method of improving reading comprehension.     

汉语阅读障碍儿童与普通儿童朗读错误研究

为反映汉语阅读障碍儿童朗读的特点,采用错误分析技术,对10名汉语阅读障碍儿童和10名普通儿童的朗读错误进行了系统的分析.结果发现:汉语阅读障碍儿童朗读流畅性与准确性都低于普通儿童,朗读中的替代错误、添加错误、省略错误都显著多于普通儿童.而二者在颠倒错误上的差异不显著.在替代错误中,音似、形似、语义及无关替代显著地多于普通儿童.与普通儿童相比,汉语阅读障碍儿童的朗读问题主要表现为错误数量更多,而不是表现为错误类型上的特点.最后结合研究发现对阅读障碍的诊断与干预提出了建议.     

Antecedents to reading disability: Preschool language development and literacy experiences of children from dyslexic families

In a longitudinal study of the relation between preschool development and later reading abilities, children with dyslexic parents and/or older siblings were compared to children with no family incidence of dyslexia. Many children from dyslexic families developed reading problems by the end of the second grade, and these poor readers were characterized chiefly by weaker early syntactic and phonological skills and by less frequent exposure to books during their preschool years than the preschoolers who became normal readers. Some implications of the results for etiological theories of dyslexia are discussed.     

Families’ social backgrounds matter: Socio‐economic factors,home learning and young children's language,literacy and social outcomes

Parental support with children's learning is considered to be one pathway through which socio‐economic factors influence child competencies. Utilising a national longitudinal sample from the Millennium Cohort Study, this study examined the relationship between home learning and parents’ socio‐economic status and their impact on young children's language/literacy and socio‐emotional competence. The findings consistently showed that, irrespective of socio‐economic status, parents engaged with various learning activities (except reading) roughly equally. The socio‐economic factors examined in this study, i.e., family income and maternal educational qualifications, were found to have a stronger effect on children's language/literacy than on social‐emotional competence. Socio‐economic disadvantage, lack of maternal educational qualifications in particular, remained powerful in influencing competencies in children aged three and at the start of primary school. For children in the first decade of this century in England, these findings have equity implications, especially as the socio‐economic gap in our society widens.     

Attitudes and Practices that Shape Children's Drawing Behaviour in Mainstream and Performing Arts Schools

Previous research shows that key parties involved in children's drawing perceive the value and benefits of art and drawing very differently. However such research has been restricted to the examination of children attending mainstream schooling across the UK. The present study therefore compared the views and practices of key parties involved in mainstream and performing arts educational contexts. Teachers and children were interviewed and parents completed a postal survey. Some 225 children, 115 of their teachers and 176 of their parents and carers formed the mainstream school group whilst 180 children, 42 of their teachers and 145 of their parents and carers formed the performing arts school group. Main findings indicated that pupils', parents' and teachers' views about the benefits, and how to support drawing behaviour at school and at home, varied across contrasting educational contexts. In particular, pupils attending arts‐based schools and their teachers valued expressivity over technical support, pupils reported enjoying drawing more, had higher self efficacy and foresaw engaging in the activity beyond their school years more than their mainstream counterparts. The results suggest that mainstream educational contexts could foster drawing behaviour and the related emotional benefits to a greater extent.     

Early identification and interventions for dyslexia: a contemporary view

This paper reviews current proposals concerning the definition of dyslexia and contrasts it with reading comprehension impairment. We then discuss methods for early identification and review evidence that teacher assessments and ratings may be valid screening tools. Finally, we argue that interventions should be theoretically motivated and evidence based. We conclude that early identification of children at risk of dyslexia followed by the implementation of intervention is a realistic aim for practitioners and policy‐makers.     

Listening to the voices of children: an illuminative evaluation of the teaching of early reading in the light of the phonics screening check

The phonics screening check (PSC) was introduced in England in 2012 for children in Year 1. There have been criticisms in relation to its reliability and appropriateness as an assessment tool for early reading although supporters of the PSC see it as a valuable tool in securing progress in reading. The DfE‐funded evaluation concluded, however, that it “did not find any evidence of improvements in pupils' literacy performance, or in progress, that could be clearly attributed to the introduction of the PSC”. This article reports some of the findings from a doctoral study that sought to illuminate the voices of those most affected by the PSC: children in Year 1 and their teachers. The study used an illuminative evaluation methodology (Kushner, 2017) and focused on a range of schools in a large city, selected for their diversity in relation to attainment data (PSC and reading) and socio‐economic status. The findings demonstrate the negative backwash from the assessment process which has influenced the way that phonics is taught and so raises some questions for teachers and policy‐makers about the approach to the teaching of early reading in the light of the PSC.     

Views of Schooling Held by Children Attending Schools for Pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties

There has been little research into the views of the consumers of the special education service‐‐the children themselves. Social legislation (e.g., the 1989 Children Act in the UK) has emphasised the importance of discovering the views of the child when planning provision. Similar proposals have been put forward in recent UK documents concerning educational provision (DFE, 1993). This paper reports data based on individual, semi‐structured interviews with 56 children (ages 9 to 11) attending schools for pupils with moderate learning difficulties (MLD/MlD). Interviews probed views about special and mainstream schools and pupils, and perceived reasons for transfer from mainstream to special school. Two areas (teachers as a liked aspect of special and mainstream schools, and problems handling playground relationships) point to key areas of concern for children with learning or intellectual difficulties. Overall, MLD school children were supportive of their special schools. This is discussed in relation to categorization theory.     

Reading for pleasure in paradise: paired reading in Antigua and Barbuda

Reading for pleasure is essential in the development of literacy. This paper reports on findings from a paired reading strategy introduced into primary schools in Antigua and Barbuda in order to foster children's pleasure in reading. This programme of cross‐age peer tutoring intervention began with the training of teachers in a small group of seven schools and was extended to all the schools on the islands in the following year. Qualitative research data from children and teachers showed that children were enthusiastic about the experience, with some evidence to show that their wider interest in reading was stimulated. Although for the pupils, particularly the younger ones, the main benefit of shared reading was perceived to be an improvement in reading skills, for teachers, it was the increase in children's confidence in reading that was cited as the most positive outcome. Although resource constraints in some schools did limit the scope of the programme, the paper argues that it boosted the reading development of a number of children and may have acted as a catalyst for stimulating a lasting pleasure and joy in reading.     

Children's attitudes toward their peers with Down Syndrome in schools in rural Ireland: an exploratory study

Increasingly, children with Down Syndrome are attending mainstream schools, but evidence suggests that these children are more prone to peer rejection and other problems when compared with their non‐disabled counterparts. However, relatively little is known about children's attitudes toward their peers with moderate to serious learning disabilities, including Down Syndrome. This study assessed the attitudes of non‐disabled primary school children (n = 118) in mainstream education toward their peers with Down Syndrome. A secondary aim was to assess whether exposure to audiovisual material promoting inclusion had any immediate effects on overall attitudes. A cross‐sectional, questionnaire‐based survey was administered in four rural‐based schools. The results showed that female participants over 10 were the most sociable. Overall attitudes toward inclusion were consistently and statistically significantly more negative than those toward sociability. Other factors, such as contact with peers with Down Syndrome, were not related to attitudes. Neither was there any change in overall attitudes following exposure to the promotional material. Further work is needed to identify factors underpinning the attitudes of non‐disabled children to their peers with Down Syndrome and how best to promote inclusion in mainstream schools.