Some Swedish schools do not identify and support students with reading difficulties efficiently enough during the first years at school. A longitudinal design was used to examine a multitiered RtI-model for identifying and supporting students at risk of reading difficulties in a Swedish school context. The results demonstrated that the RtI-model could be successfully applied. The proportion of students in need of support (i.e., below the 25th percentile) was significantly reduced after two years. Compared to students in the reference group (n  = 759), significantly fewer students in the RtI group (n  = 113) scored below the 25th percentile in word and non-word decoding and reading comprehension in a short text at the end of Grade 2. The discussion highlights the RtI-model’s original ideas.

Many studies have examined students with reading and writing difficulties. However, relatively little research has examined reading difficulties in students with intellectual disabilities (ID). The present study included 70 students, 46 with mild and 24 with moderate ID, from six different upper secondary schools for students with ID in southern Sweden. The study had the following aims: first to investigate the students’ reading ability, and second to compare students’ reading and listening abilities. The results revealed that few of the students reached the average decoding and reading comprehension levels for grade 3 students in compulsory school. Furthermore, students generally performed better on listening comprehension than reading comprehension, and this benefit was particularly prominent for students with moderate ID. These findings suggest that systematically practicing listening comprehension may help students with ID increase text assimilation. However, more research is needed to confirm this possibility.

Aim: Writing is a multifaceted skill involving planning, transcription, and revision that is challenging for students with intellectual disabilities. Some studies have examined reading abilities. However, there needs to be more research on writing proficiency in this population. Especially concerning writing with the assistance of technologies such as speech-to-text (STT). To contribute to filling the research gap, this study aimed to investigate whether tailored speech-to-text interventions enhance text production for students with intellectual disabilities.

Methods: The research utilised a single-subject design involving the participation of four students (three girls and one boy) aged 10–13 years with mild intellectual disabilities in a rural municipality in Sweden.

Results: The results of this study revealed significant improvement post-intervention for all four students in word, sentence and text qualities.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that STT offers a valuable tool for students with intellectual disabilities struggling with handwriting, providing new opportunities for self-expression. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

PurposeThe present study aimed to investigate teachers’ use and perceptions of digital technology to promote learning and participation for all young students in early reading and writing education in inclusive primary schools.

MethodsPrimary school teachers [N = 289] in Sweden were asked to complete a survey about digital technology in reading and writing education. The data were analysed statistically and with summative content analysis.

ResultsThe results showed that 82% of the teachers were interested in teaching young students to read and write using digital technology. More than 50% of the teachers included digital technology to promote students’ learning of phonological awareness, decoding skills, vocabulary, spelling, or text editing every week, and 74% used digital technology to support students with special needs every week. Those who perceived digital technology as a facilitator of all students’ participation in early reading and writing education also reported that they used digital technology to promote different reading and writing skills more frequently. Their perceived knowledge of managing digital technology was also positively related to their perception of digital technology as a facilitator of students’ participation in reading and writing education.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Teachers who are positive about digital technology perceive such technology as beneficial for all students in reading and writing education, also for those students who have special needs.
• Teachers use digital technology to compensate students with special needs in reading and writing. However, there is an unawareness of the advantages of using digital technology in inclusive education.

According to the Simple View of Reading, decoding and linguistic comprehension are essential for reaching efficient reading comprehension. Students with Swedish as a first (L1) or second language (L2) in grades 1–3 might need special support to develop reading comprehension. In order to identify needs in reading in L1 and L2 students, the current study aimed to investigate how they perform in screening tests measuring vocabulary, decoding, and reading comprehension in Swedish. The present study has a cross-sectional design and includes over 46,000 students who followed the curriculum for Swedish as a first or as a second language. Data consisted of decoding, vocabulary, and reading comprehension tests, which were statistically analysed. The results showed that L2 students in grades 1–3 had significantly weaker decoding, vocabulary, and reading comprehension than L1 students. A performance below average in the tests indicates a need for extra support in reading which a significantly higher proportion of L2 students had compared to L1 students. Therefore, screening and systematic reading instructions are crucial to promoting reading development among L1 and L2 students.

Many second language (L2) students in Sweden struggle with reading in Swedish. There needs to be more research on how L2 students with weak word decoding skills in Swedish could be individually supported. Therefore, the current study examined the impact of a systematic and intensive word decoding intervention in Swedish among individual L2 students identified as having a risk of reading difficulties in Grade 3. A multiple-baseline single-subject design study was conducted with three L2 students with Arabic or Dari as their first language. They were provided a word decoding intervention with Bravkod. All three students improved their decoding during the intervention phase. They decoded several words in a given time (NAP=0.96-1.00) and decreased their word decoding errors (NAP=0.91-0.98). The results are promising but should be replicated to be considered evidence-based and suitable for L2 students to improve their decoding in Swedish.

Many young students with Swedish as their second language need support to acquire reading ability. There is a need for evidence-based reading instruction in early reading education for students with Swedish as their first or second language. Therefore, the current study investigated whether early reading education based on a Response to Intervention (RTI) model with a focus on decoding skills can promote reading ability among young students with Swedish as their first or second language. In Grades 1 and 2, 113 students with Swedish as a first and Swedish as a second language were followed. Applying the RTI model, teachers used evidence-based reading instruction in the whole class. Besides, additional instructions were provided in small groups and individually for students with weak decoding. Results of the study showed that the additional instruction provided within the RTI model had the potential to promote decoding, but to a different extent among students with Swedish as their second language. The importance of differentiated instruction, early monitoring and support, a bilingual approach in reading education for second language students, and collaboration between teachers are discussed.

Several previous studies have shown an overrepresentation of reading and writing difficulties among patients in psychiatric clinics. However, few studies have conducted reading interventions aimed at improving patients' reading ability. The present study aimed to investigate the sustainability of a previously implemented reading intervention one year after completion. Furthermore, the purpose was to examine how patients perceived a reading intervention and how they experienced their previous schooling. Participants comprised 20 patients who had previously undergone 13 sessions of reading interventions. The results showed that the patients had maintained the same reading level they had immediately after the interventions ended. Most participants had experienced troublesome schooling. However, they perceived reading interventions as a rewarding and meaningful activity at the institutions. The results are discussed concerning social, pedagogical, and psychological aspects.