The rationale for the research derives from concern about the number of
children with reading difficulties in Irish classrooms, despite the commitment to
reading instruction in the schools. The purpose of the research was to investigate how
children with reading difficulties were supported in learning to read in first class. It
was conducted on seven children, who were identified as having difficulties in
learning to read, in four primary schools. The children were observed in their learning
support and mainstream classroom settings over a period of 12 weeks. An observation
schedule was designed and coded to ensure that the observation of teaching and
learning to read was standardised across learning support and classroom settings. The
data from the schedule were triangulated with interviews of teachers, principals,
parents/guardians and children, and with the policy and planning documents of the
schools and teachers.
The research methodology was designed to capture the process of teaching
and learning to read, using a case study approach. A thematic approach was used to
analyse the research findings, which highlighted how learning support can be made
more effective for struggling readers. Reading support was dominated by a separation
between learning support and classroom instruction. The reading skills that the
children learned in learning support were not transferring to classroom reading. This
was an organisational rather than a structural issue. The main findings called for
collaborative planning between teachers, updating of policies, the use of assessment
as the driving force of reading instruction, and a more balanced approach to the
teaching of reading. The importance of schools upskilling parents/guardians to
support their children to read at home was recognised. The importance of children
being successful in learning to read in junior classes as an essential skill for later
learning and development underlies the study
Item Type:
Thesis (PhD)
Date of Award:
November 2009
Refereed:
No
Supervisor(s):
Day, Théresé and Shiel, Gerry and McPhillips, Therese