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

Abstract

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.

Affective issues impacting children with dyslexia in a special school in Ireland

“…This is in line with other Irish studies, which described higher levels of self‐esteem and confidence in reading schools (Casserly and Gildea, ; Casserly, ; Nugent, ). They were more predisposed to learning, which is also mentioned in other studies (Casserly and Gildea, ; McPhilips and Shevlin, ). However, as many of the students in the group had experience of being bullied in former settings, there may be an opportunity for practitioners to reflect on this.…”

“…As already outlined, the children provided deep insights regarding confidence, self‐esteem and well‐being in relation to dyslexia. The data support the findings from previous studies, which also highlight the socio‐emotional benefits of Irish reading schools (Casserly and Gildea, : Casserly, ; McPhilips and Shevlin, ; Motherway, ; Nugent, , ). The fact that the children did not feel ‘stressed’ or ‘nervous’ offers a point of reflection for practitioners, particularly in terms of teacher understanding, classroom resources and organisation (Barton, ; Brown, ; Florian and Rouse, ; Smith, ).…”

“…Though limited research has been conducted regarding the effect of these schools, the studies which have been carried out demonstrate high levels of student satisfaction with the special setting (Casserly, ; Casserly and Gildea, ; McPhilips and Shevlin, ; Nugent, , ; O'Brien, ). It is interesting to note that these studies highlighted that students often felt that teachers in mainstream settings did not understand dyslexia and they also described the mixed experiences that they had with their teachers.…”

“…As much of the research points to the socio‐emotional benefits of special schools (Casserly and Gildea, : Casserly, ; Dyslexia Research, ; McPhilips and Shevlin, ; Motherway, ; Nugent, , ; O'Brien, ), the experiences of these children and parents could form a rich source for practitioner reflection in mainstream schools. Although most of these studies in Ireland were small scale, often involving one setting (Nugent, ; O'Brien, ), the fact that children did tend to be happier with higher self‐efficacy in these contexts is worth noting for practice in the general classroom.…”

Understanding the Socio-Emotional Impact of Dyslexia in the Inclusive Classroom

“…In other studies, it is reported that children with dyslexia in mainstream schools had significantly lower self-esteem compared with those without dyslexia and, interestingly, children with dyslexia in a special setting had higher self-esteem that those with dyslexia in a mainstream setting [10]. These findings are congruent with more recent studies ( [14,15,[17][18][19][20][21]). If socio-emotional elements are lower in mainstream settings, it can be argued that it is the contextual and environmental domains which are responsible for this and not the specific impairments associated with dyslexia.…”