Is part-time special education beneficial for children at risk for reading difficulties? An example from Estonia

This longitudinal quasi-experimental study examined the general efficiency of part-time special education for students at risk for reading difficulties in Estonian primary schools. Participants were selected from 464 students whose pre-reading and reading skills were assessed for the study at the beginning of school. Eighty-four of these children received part-time special education support throughout the first grade (treatment group). Statistical matching was used to find a control group similar to the treatment group on pre-reading skills and parental educational level but who did not receive extra help (control group; 84 children). Students' reading fluency and task persistence were assessed at the end of Grade 1 and Grade 2. Neither group differed in reading fluency nor task persistence at the end of either grade. Developmental trajectories of those treatment group children who received additional support only for reading and spelling difficulties did not differ from those who received this support for concurrent developmental disorders in addition to reading and spelling difficulties. Our findings indicate that a full-year of special education support in the form of extra lessons without a prior diagnostic assessment, frequent progress monitoring, or focused interventions might not be an effective way to support children with reading difficulties.