Reading Instruction for Struggling Learners

Abstract

A survey conducted among approximately 1,400 students at 63 primary schools showed that learning gains for initial reading varied significantly for students in the last 6 months of Year 3. Learning gains turned out to be much higher in classes where students had received explicit or direct instruction, where instruction had been organized efficiently, and where appropriate remedial measures for poorly performing students had been arranged in a timely manner. Learning gains turned out to be lower in classes where teachers worked with homogeneous level groups or with individual learning plans for students.