REACH: Journal of Inclusive Education in Ireland

Assessing the efficacy of Morphological Analysis Intervention (MAI) with 4th class EAL pupils experiencing language and reading difficulties

Christina Hannify — 2023-12-13

This study investigated the efficacy of a morphological analysis intervention (MAI) as a pedagogical approach for pupils learning English as an additional language (EAL) who were also experiencing language and reading difficulties. Participants were 4^th class EAL pupils (n=12), age range 9y 7m - 11y 3m, attending a large, urban, DEIS Band 2 school. Participants, equal in terms of the number of boys and girls involved, were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n=8) or comparison condition (n=4). The intervention group received MAI over a six-week period, while the comparison group received their typical guided reading instruction. Performance gains on measures of language and literacy were compared between intervention and comparison groups to evaluate the impact of MAI. Analysis of findings suggest that MAI has a positive impact on pupils’ motivation and engagement during guided reading. Although academic gains on norm-referenced assessments were not found to be statistically significant, intervention participants performed better overall on norm-referenced and researcher-designed measures of vocabulary, word-level reading accuracy, reading comprehension and spelling than comparison-group participants.

Experiencing Dyslexia Through the Prism of Difference

Keith Murphy — 2023-12-13

According to research by AHEAD (2021), students with specific learning difficulties (SLD) are accessing third level education in greater numbers than ever before. Within the body of research conducted few have focused on the overall experiences of students with dyslexia studying in third level education. The current study addresses this gap in knowledge as it provides an insight into how students with dyslexia, as an SLD, navigate third level education. Ethnography was used as the principal method of research in this project, and 17 participants, ranging in age from 20 years old to mid-40s years old, took part.

The research found that when students identify dyslexia as a limitation, it becomes a barrier to successful learning and has a negative effect on their identity, which impacts them socially and academically.

When viewing dyslexia as a difference and studying through a Neurodiverse Approach, participants in this study achieved academic success, not despite their dyslexia but in partnership with it.

Supporting the Parents of Students with Irish Literacy Difficulties in Gaeltacht Schools

Fiona MacIntyre Coyle — 2023-12-13

International research states that parental involvement in education can impact positively on a child’s academic, social, and emotional development. This study investigated the strategies in place in Gaeltacht schools to support the parents of student with early Irish literacy difficulties. This is particularly important as students in Gaeltacht schools are fully immersed in the Irish language for the first two years of their primary education (age 4-6). They do not undertake formal English literacy until first class (age 7-8). Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with four special education teachers from Gaeltacht primary schools in Ulster. The findings suggest that the home languages of students can pose difficulties in relation to parents helping their child with homework. The strategies implemented by schools and teachers to address the challenges that they face in this area are discussed. Following on from this, recommendations are made as to how parents in these schools can be supported further.

Exploring Levels of School Belonging for Traveller and Non Traveller Students through a bespoke Music Intervention in an Irish Post Primary School.

Deirdre Starr — 2023-12-13

This project, which took place in an Irish post-primary school was an intervention which involved a class of Music students. The project explored how a music intervention which included Traveller community culture and traditional music impacted on scores on measures of school belonging for members of Traveller community and their non Traveller community peers.

The music intervention was developed by the post-primary school’s assigned Educational Psychologist and the school’s Music teacher and was funded by the school. The intervention was delivered over a ten week period. During the ten weeks, six specialised musical experiences were delivered during regular timetabled Music classes. The participants , a class of twenty six pupils which included nine Traveller students attended a rural DEIS co-educational post-primary school in the South East of Ireland and attended music lessons as part of their school curriculum. The school facilitated participating pupils to complete questionnaires pre and post intervention. Data was collected using The Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale (PSSM) and The Belonging Scale (Frederickson & Baxter, 2009). Full data was gathered for nineteen of the twenty six pupils.

Results of this intervention found a positive increase in the scores on both the PSSM and The Belonging Scale for the Traveller and non Traveller students indicating a higher sense of school belonging /membership after the intervention. Discussion of the findings and issues arising as well as implications for further work in this area are presented.

The Influence of a Sensorimotor Handwriting Programme on the Emergent Handwriting Development and Motor Proficiency of Junior Infant Children

Sinéad McCauley Lambe — 2023-12-13

The focus of this paper is on the influence of a sensorimotor handwriting programme on the emergent handwriting skills and motor proficiency of junior infant children attending DEIS and non-DEIS schools, and on the practice, knowledge and perceptions of their teachers in relation to sensorimotor development.

The study incorporated a mixed methods approach with two phases of data collection. The first phase involved assessment of fine and gross motor skills of 178 children from three DEIS schools and three non-DEIS schools using the standardised BOT-2 test (Bruininks & Bruininks, 2005). Assessment results provided the rationale for, and informed the adaptation and implementation of, a sensorimotor handwriting programme across the six participating schools. During phase two, the class teachers participated in a professional development initiative, following which they implemented the sensorimotor handwriting programme with the participating children over a 16-week period. Post-implementation of the programme, children were retested using the BOT-2, and semi-structured interviews were employed to gather information relating to changes in teachers’ perceptions, knowledge and practice in relation to sensorimotor development and the sensorimotor handwriting programme.

The key findings of this study revealed that children in the DEIS schools entered junior infants with lower motor proficiency than the children in non-DEIS schools, while post-implementation of the sensorimotor handwriting programme, there was no longer a statistically significant difference. What is clear from the participating teachers’ responses is that they gained new knowledge and understanding in relation to sensorimotor development and emergent handwriting skills, and that the sensorimotor handwriting programme was positively received and regarded. All ten of the participating teachers reported that children’s enjoyment and motivation in relation to handwriting increased.

Editorial 36.2

Anna Logan — 2023-12-13