Early Identification and Prevention of Dyslexia in Primary School
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Date
2024-06-27
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Publisher
Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
Abstract
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability among schoolchildren. In Georgia, we lack epidemiological data on its prevalence in any population. According to American data, 15% of schoolchildren have learning disabilities, with the largest share (7%) being cases of dyslexia. According to English and French data, 3.5% to 7% of students are diagnosed with dyslexia (Di Folco et al., 2021). Reading skill development disorders dramatically impact not only an individual’s future but also their personality formation.
Early identification, prevention, and targeted educational intervention for reading skill disorders are crucial. In Georgia, teachers are not equipped with educational assessment tools for dyslexia, knowledge about its diverse manifestations, reading instruction models, or various strategies. Often, such students are labeled as irresponsible and lazy. If students do not exhibit behavioral problems, they may reach the basic level unnoticed, where their learning problems become sharply evident.
Globally, the Response to Intervention (RTI) model is being widely implemented. It has been developed in the USA since 2004 and has been actively tested in schools since 2008. Before this, students were integrated into the special and inclusive education system only after meeting specific formal classification criteria, including for dyslexia. Students with less pronounced learning and behavioral problems did not receive timely assistance, making their subsequent education process very difficult (Grosche, Volpe, 2013).
The Response to Intervention model is not focused on outcomes and diagnosis. It is based on a proactive conceptual framework aimed at preventing and timely identifying academic and behavioral problems in students (Fletcher, Vaughn, 2009). According to this model, all students are taught in school using evidence-based literacy instructions, strategies, and models. If a student lags in acquiring academic skills for some reason, whether or not they qualify for special or inclusive education, they are provided with additional training within the school through changes in learning strategies. If the school can no longer support them, only then are specialists from the special education system involved. In this model, the central figures are general education teachers and school special educators, who conduct timely educational screening, monitor results, and respond if they notice the student’s learning pace has fallen behind. Therefore, teachers must have appropriate competencies in modern methods and strategies for acquiring academic skills.
Description
Inclusive Education in Georgia – Achievements, Challenges and Perspectives - 2024
Joint Conference of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University.