Abstract

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