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Reading skills intervention during the Covid-19 pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Ana Sucena

    (Polytechnic Institute of Porto
    Research and Intervention Reading Centre)

  • Ana Filipa Silva

    (Polytechnic Institute of Porto
    Research and Intervention Reading Centre)

  • Cátia Marques

    (Polytechnic Institute of Porto
    Research and Intervention Reading Centre)

Abstract

This paper diagnoses the reading skills at the onset of second grade after one (final) trimester of first grade, with online schooling as a result of COVID-19. It also describes and assesses the impact of a Reading Skills Consolidating Program conducted with second graders during the first weeks of the school year. This intervention program focuses on the promotion of letter-sound, phonemic awareness, decoding and spelling. The intervention was implemented with 446-second graders (224 boys and 208 girls), preceded and followed by a reading assessment. Results were analyzed with an intra (pre- and post-test) group design. A paired sample t-test indicated the presence of statistically significant differences between the two assessment moments, with higher values at the post-test. At the pre-test, there was a significantly higher than the normally expected percentage of students with a reading level on or below the 10th percentile along with a significantly worse performance among low Socioeconomic Status (SES) students. The post-test revealed a positive impact of the training program, as indicated by (i) a decrease to about half of the number of students at or below the 10th percentile, (ii) an increase of 20% of students with reading skills at or above the 30th percentile and (iii) the difference decrease in reading skills in a result of SES.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Sucena & Ana Filipa Silva & Cátia Marques, 2022. "Reading skills intervention during the Covid-19 pandemic," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:9:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-022-01059-x
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01059-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dong, Chuanmei & Cao, Simin & Li, Hui, 2020. "Young children’s online learning during COVID-19 pandemic: Chinese parents’ beliefs and attitudes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    2. Bacher-Hicks, Andrew & Goodman, Joshua & Mulhern, Christine, 2021. "Inequality in household adaptation to schooling shocks: Covid-induced online learning engagement in real time," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    3. Xue Bao & Hang Qu & Ruixiong Zhang & Tiffany P. Hogan, 2020. "Modeling Reading Ability Gain in Kindergarten Children during COVID-19 School Closures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-13, September.
    4. repec:osf:socarx:hf32q_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Bol, Thijs, 2020. "Inequality in homeschooling during the Corona crisis in the Netherlands. First results from the LISS Panel," SocArXiv hf32q, Center for Open Science.
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    Cited by:

    1. Neranjan Senarath & Wathsala Dedunupitiya & Gayanthi Ilangarathna & Isuru Thilakasiri & Bhagya Samarakoon & Lakshitha Ramanayake & Roshan Godaliyadda & Parakrama Ekanayake & Vijitha Herath & Mallika P, 2024. "Family income does not necessarily lead to a holistic e-learning experience during COVID-19: a study in Sri Lanka," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.

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