Understanding the reading experiences and challenges of a primary 4 pupil with dyslexia

Abstract

In mainstream schools in Singapore, dyslexia is reported to be the most prevalent diagnosis among students with special educational needs. While local studies have investigated the profile of individuals with dyslexia and interventions to support them, to date, there are limited studies examining the reading experiences and challenges of pupils with dyslexia in mainstream primary schools from the pupils’ and teachers’ perspectives. Understanding these areas would inform policy-makers, school management teams and educators on good practices of teaching reading, and how school-based support for these pupils could be improved. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the reading experiences and challenges of a Primary 4 pupil with dyslexia in a mainstream primary school. Uncovering his needs would also surface areas unmet by current school-based support and highlight the additional school-based support required. This study utilised a case study approach and obtained multiple perspectives of the pupil’s reading experiences through lesson observations and semi-structured interviews with him and his reading teachers. Standardised assessments and curriculum-based measurements were administered to determine his reading performance and reading self-perception. Thematic analysis of the interview data was conducted and triangulated with the other data sources. The findings revealed that the pupil was highly participative in both reading classes although socio-environmental factors like class size affected his reading experiences. Despite having generally good oral reading fluency, he experienced reading anxiety under certain circumstances like during examinations, and had difficulty with reading comprehension. While he could apply the taught reading strategies in the same setting, application across settings was not observed. Concerning his reading self-perception, his teachers perceived him to be a confident reader but he showed that he had a generally low reading self-perception. The results indicated that the pupil’s reading experiences were determined not just by his reading performance, but also by the interaction between his reading performance, personal traits and socio-environmental contexts. Furthermore, he required enhanced instructional support and additional socio-emotional support. Limitations of this study and recommendations for policy and practice, as well as areas for future research are addressed.