Reading instruction in schools
Evidence suggests that an integrated approach to teaching
reading and language skills might be particularly effective
for children with Down syndrome. In such a programme, a
highly-structured phonically-based reading instruction
programme that included phonological awareness training would
be combined with an oral language programme that seeks to
develop children’s oral vocabulary and narrative (story
telling and story comprehension) skills. Such a programme
should be highly beneficial to these children’s reading skills
and has the added advantage that it should directly benefit
their oral language skills, which is an area of weakness of
considerable educational importance.
Research
This study will investigate the effectiveness of this approach
to reading instruction through a randomised controlled trial
involving 50 children with Down syndrome aged 5-11 years attending mainstream
schools across 2 locations in the UK.
The children’s Learning Support Assistants will be
trained to deliver the reading programme during two 30 minute
lessons per day over a whole school year. The children will be
randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive
the training programme in the first year of the project and
the other group will receive the programme during the second
year.
This ‘waiting list’ design, with random assignment to
group, is essential to give unambiguous evidence of the
effectiveness of the programme. All children in the programme
will eventually receive the programme and they will all
receive regular assessment of reading, language and related
skills throughout both years to check on their progress.
Investigators
Partners and advisors
Location
This is a multi-centre study taking place at:
Study results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific publications. Practice
implications will be published in periodicals for families and professionals, including
Down Syndrome Research and Practice
and incorporated into freely available Down Syndrome Topics
advice and information summaries and Down Syndrome Issues
and Information books. Open Access articles and summaries will be provided
for reproduction in the newsletters and journals of associations, support groups
and professional societies. The study results will also be shared
through the Trust's training courses and its contributions to
conferences in the UK and worldwide.
Impact
- Evaluation of classroom reading instruction programme
designed for children with Down syndrome
- Improved understanding of factors influencing reading
development
- Practical guidance, including an example programme, for
reading instruction for children with Down syndrome