A descriptive study on reading instruction provided to students with intellectual disability
Rachel Sermier Dessemontet1, Anne-Laure Linder1, Catherine Martinet1
1University of Teacher Education of the State of Vaud, Switzerland.
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities : JOID
|June 16, 2021
Summary
Reading instruction for students with intellectual disability often lacks systematic phonics, despite its prevalence. Quality comprehension instruction is also infrequent, highlighting a need for improved teaching strategies.
Area of Science:
- Special Education
- Literacy Research
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Limited understanding of reading instruction quality for students with intellectual disability (ID).
- Focus on elementary students with ID who are non-readers in self-contained classrooms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the content and quality of reading instruction.
- To identify specific instructional components provided to students with ID.
Main Methods:
- Systematic classroom observations of reading lessons.
- Teacher interviews and review of teaching materials.
- Content analysis of individualized education plans (IEPs).
Main Results:
- Phonics and phonological awareness were common but systematic phonics instruction was infrequent (<50%).
- Sight-word and vocabulary instruction occurred in over half the classrooms.
- Reading comprehension instruction during read-alouds was observed in only about a third of classrooms.
Conclusions:
- While foundational reading skills are addressed, systematic implementation is lacking.
- Opportunities exist to enhance reading instruction quality for students with ID.
- Recommendations are provided to support teachers in improving reading instruction.
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