The aim of this diploma thesis is mapping options of the use of the interactive whiteboard in the introductory part of Literature lesson called the evocation, based on formulated findings of needs and interests of the prepubescent reader summarized in the theoretical part. The practical part consists in comparison of teaching with and without the use of the interactive whiteboard, while the lesson plans are conceived in E-U-R model. The undertaken research shows that work with the interactive whiteboard in Literary lessons increase pupils'motivation to predict, makes modelling of reading literacy methods easier, improve vizualization of problematic places in the text and offers unconventional effective way of sharing pupils'ideas and artefacts. The benefit of this work is finding effective ways of the use of the interactive whiteboard in Literature lessons especially in the evocation part of lesson.

The changing of the education system holistically in South Africa as a prerequisite has impacted negatively on the child‘s ability to read and write, which also degraded the country‘s standard as compared to other countries in Africa. This is confirmed by the annual national assessment results where South African children‘s performance is far below the expected level. This investigation aims to serve as a guideline to all interested stakeholders who are willing to improve and develop our poor performing education system. Firstly, to identify a child‘s social factors that interfere with their ability to read and write; to find out how reading influences writing in the child and to develop intervention strategies on solving children‘s problems with reading and writing. The study revealed through the participants that, unavailability of social factors that are a need or prerequisite to the child‘s excellent academic performance hampered their ability to read and write. Furthermore, educator participants indicated that the child‘s inability to read influenced their writing ability. Data collected is based on individual interviews and documents analysis. The researcher chose Kedibone Primary School (pseudonym) as the sample. The participants were ten (10) learners from grade 3 to grade 7 and their five (5) educators, one from each grade, in the above mentioned school. That is each grade provided two participants, one boy and one girl. The main aim of the interviews was to identify how social factors interfere with the child‘s ability to read and write. In conclusion, this research had been a success through the participation of the Department of Education and all its related structures and to provide strategies that were stated in the research as solutions that would address and overcome the child‘s inability to read and write. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

The thesis deals with the possibilities of developing emergent literacy, especially story comprehension, with preschool children using selected methods of critical thinking. The theoretical part is devoted to the ways of developing passion for reading and reading literacy in preschool education, it pursues the possibilities of using some of the methods of the RWCT programme (Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking) in working with books in the educational process of the kindergarten. It further describes the development of chidren of preschool age and reading strategies that can already be cultivated at this age. The practical part describes the project Working with Jiří Stránský's book Tales for little Clara that is based on didactic application of its texts intended for preschoolers. The project makes use of selected methods of the RWCT programme. Research using the method of structured interview finds out how methods of critical thinking can influence story comprehension among five-year-old children. It evaluates and interprets the findings from the beginning and the end of the project implementation, compares the determined levels of story comprehension in a group of girls and in a group of boys. The outcomes of the research show a considerable improvement of comprehension following the...

Particularly in recent years, prompted by the need to gain greater independent access to a wider range of information, many persons who are blind make extensive use of screen access technology, optical character recognition devices, refreshable Braille displays and electronic notetakers in a variety of contexts. These reading and writing media have proved to be so useful and effective, raising debates in the literature on whether there is a decline in the use of Braille, or whether Braille as a reading and writing medium would become obsolete. Following a discussion on the development of tactual reading and writing media as part of an historical background to blindness, as well as an evaluation of the various reading and writing media used in South Africa by persons who are blind, this study, using a quantitative approach with a survey design, aimed to determine the impact of the various reading and writing media on the education and employment of persons who are blind. Based on the findings of the study, what emerges forcefully with regard to the preference of a medium for reading or writing is that a greater number of persons who are blind prefer Braille and computers with speech output. Notwithstanding this, there is support for the need to provide instruction in the use of the various reading and writing media, highlighting the critical value and role of the various media. Additionally, while persons who are blind appear to be convinced that computers will not replace Braille, they were, however, divided on whether there is a decline in the use of Braille, and whether computers would replace audiotapes. Finally, conclusions, based mainly on the findings of the study are drawn, and recommendations, both for future research, and for an integrated reading and writing model, are made. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Special Needs Educstion)

For several years specialists in reading have debated on how pupils should learn to read. The debate has focused on two methods of teaching reading, that is, the phonic method and the whole language method. Some researchers have identified five elements of reading instruction that are critical to achievement in reading, namely; that reading instruction should include phonics, phonemic awareness, reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. These are the components that make up what is termed a balanced literacy approach. Although there is some debate on what constitutes the balanced literacy approach, this study adopted the understanding of the approach described above. The study investigated whether the use of the balanced literacy approach could improve standard four pupils’ achievement in reading and writing in English. The targeted population consisted of twelve schools located in Zomba rural district. Pupils were tested before and after the intervention. Teachers in the experimental group were trained twice on balanced literacy approaches, first before the intervention and midway of the intervention. Observational measures revealed that teachers generally implemented the treatment. The post intervention data indicated that pupils responded very well to the activities that were presented to them. The reading and writing achievement of pupils that were present for the post-test increased more than those of the control group. The results obtained suggest that the balanced literacy approach improved the reading and writing achievement of standard four pupils in the experimental group. / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English)

Syftet med denna undersökning är att bidra med förståelse gällande vad elever på högstadiet med verifierade läs- och skrivsvårigheter, samt specialpedagoger och speciallärare, vilka är verksamma i samma årskurser, upplever vara framgångsfaktorer i undervisningspraktiken. Undersökningen utgår från en fenomenologisk teori och metod, vilket innebär att det är elevers, specialpedagogs och speciallärares upplevelser av fenomenet framgångsfaktorer som fokuseras. Fem elever, en specialpedagog och en speciallärare har intervjuats och resultatet har analyserats utifrån en fenomenologisk bearbetnings- och analysmetod. Undersökningens resultat påvisar några teman som de fem eleverna och specialpedagog och speciallärare anser vara betydelsefulla för att nå framgång. Dessa utgörs av betydelsefulla personer i och utanför skolan, motivation och självbestämmande, samt strategier och verktyg. Undervisningens betydelse belyses främst av specialpedagog och speciallärare. Betydelsefulla kunskapsbidrag är elevernas markering att de extra anpassningar och särskilt stöd som är framgångsrikt är ytterst individuellt och att detta måste utvecklas i dialog med den enskilda eleven. / Thepurpose of this survey is to provide understanding of what students in grade7-9 with verified reading and writing difficulties, also known as dyslexia, aswell as special educators and special needs teachers who work in the same gradeexperience success factors in teaching practice. The study is based on aphenomenological theory and method, which means that it is the pupils, specialeducators and special needs teachers experiences of the phenomenon of successfactors that are focused. Five students, a special educator and a special needsteacher have been interviewed and the results have been analyzed on the basisof a phenomenological method. The results of the study show some themes thatthe five students, the special educator and special needs teacher consider tobe important in order to achieve success. These consist of significant people inside and outside school, motivation and self-determination, as well as strategies and tools. The importance of teaching is primarily highlighted byspecial educator and specialist teacher. Significant knowledge contribution is the students' markthat the additional adjustments and special support that are successful areextremely individual and that this must be developed in dialogue with the individual student.

The aim of the Master's thesis was to evaluate the level of access of kindergartens in the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the development of reading literacy, and the concrete use of reader strategies by nursery teachers. In the theoretical part, I dealt with the definition of reading literacy and grammar, I referred to teacher education through a reader's continuum. I also discussed the issues of reading strategies. Then I compared the Czech and Slovak educational system as a whole and also in relation to the reader's literacy. I have added some of the programs to support reading literacy and comparing them in both of republics. In the research section, I used a mixed research design to get as much data as possible. At the beginning, I collected the data using questionnaires with closed and open questions, then I conducted in-depth interviews with two teachers from the Slovak Republic and two teachers from the Czech Republic. I followed these teachers in their pedagogical activities. On the basis of the results, I have come to the conclusion that, on the practical side, Slovak teachers of reading literacy do more than Czech ones. Although they have better theoretical abilities in the Czech Republic, and more they are devoted to the subject of reading literacy. Stimulating would be to continue...

Syftet med den här kvalitativa studien var att studera några specialpedagogers uppfattningar angående mer eller mindre väl fungerande stöd till elever i språk-, skriv- och lässvårigheter i grundskolans senare år. Datamaterialet består av semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju specialpedagoger och har i en första analys tolkats utifrån hermeneutisk metod. Därefter har resultaten i den slutgiltiga analysen förklarats utifrån en teoretisk utgångspunkt som utgörs av två perspektiv på specialpedagogisk verksamhet, enligt Bengt Perssons (2013) modell: det relationella och det kategoriska perspektivet. Resultatet visade på flera faktorer för väl fungerande stöd, där vikten av en tillitsfull relation mellan lärare och elev sticker ut, liksom kunskap om specialpedagogiskt stöd hos lärare samt tidiga insatser såsom pedagogisk kartläggning och digitala verktyg. Samarbete och goda relationer mellan specialpedagog, pedagoger och vårdnadshavare var ytterliga faktorer som bidrog till fungerande stöd medan elevens egen inre vilja och drivkraft; sk grit var en annan intressant framgångsfaktor i uppfattningarna. Faktorer som hittades för mindre väl fungerande stöd var motsatsen; nämligen brist på specialpedagogisk kunskap hos rektorer, lärare men även hos specialpedagoger själva. Värt att uppmärksamma var också avsaknad av studiehandledning på modersmålet samt försummelse att sätta in stöd till elever i avvaktan på utredningsbeslut. Sammanfattningsvis så är de viktigaste resultaten från studien om faktorer för fungerande stöd följande: a) kunskap om specialpedagogiskt stöd hos rektorer och pedagoger, b) goda relationer och samarbete mellan lärare, elever, specialpedagoger och vårdnadshavare, c) tidiga insatser samt d) elevers drivkraft; sk grit och inre vilja att lyckas. Den faktor som utkristalliserades tydligast i studien för mindre väl fungerande stöd var just bristen på specialpedagogisk kunskap hos rektorer och skolans pedagoger, vilket förstärker det omvända resultatet, att specialpedagogisk kunskap hos rektorer och pedagoger är en framgångsfaktor för fungerande stöd. De flesta uppfattningar i resultatet utgick från ett relationellt perspektiv på specialpedagogisk verksamhet. / The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of some special educators concerning more or less well functional support to students in language-, writing- and reading difficulties in secondary education. The data consists of semi structured interviews with seven special educators, which has been analyzed according to hermeneutic analysis method in the primary analysis. In order to explain the results, a theoretical framework was used in the final analysis, which proceeds from two perspectives on special education practices according to Bengt Perssons’ (2013) model: the relational and the categorical perspective. The result indicated several factors for well functional support, where the importance of a trusting relation between teacher and student stands out as well as knowledge about special educational support within teachers but also early interventions, such as pedagogical surveys and the use of digital tools. Good relations and collaboration in between special educators, teachers, students and caregivers were other important factors contributing to functional support while the student´s own will and inner urge to succeed; the so called grit was another interesting finding among the perceptions. Factors found working less well for functional support were the opposite; lack of knowledge concerning special educational support within principals, teachers but also within special educators themselves. Noticeable was lack of study guidance in the mother tongue and negligence to insert support to students in special education needs while awaiting results of inquiry. In summary; the most important results from this study concerning factors for functional support were a) knowledge about special educational support within school staff, b) good relations/collaboration between teachers, students, special educators and caregivers, c) early interventions and d) students’ grit and inner will to succeed. The most important result indicating less well functional support was the lack of knowledge about special educational support within staff, which stretches the opposite result, that knowledge about special educational support within principals and teachers is a success factor for functional support. Most perceptions in the result proceeded from a relational perspective on special education practices.

Theoretical part of this thesis comprises findings gathered by analyzing available specialized literature focused on specific learning disorders, methods of practicing of initial reading and writing, and Framework Education Program for Elementary Education. The practical part consists of research in a form of questionnaire survey, which compares both learning and writing training methods with respect to specific learning disorders as its main target. The main purpose of this research was to obtain and analyze opinions of specialists from counseling and school psychology clinics on methods of teaching reading and writing, furthermore how these methods may help avert the development of special learning disorders or which methods of teaching writing and reading might be associated with more frequent development of special learning disorders. The survey shows, that the most popular and the most suitable method for initial writing and reading practice according to inquired specialists is still the analytical-synthetic method, which sustains development of particular functions and it is coherent with child's natural phonological development. On the contrary, application of genetic method appears to be the most perilous, since pupils educated by this method seem to display more problems related to...

Att kunna uttrycka sig skriftligt är en förutsättning för delaktighet i samhället och att kunna utbilda sig inför yrkeslivet. Forskning visar att kompensatoriska hjälpmedel i form av assisterande teknik för individer med läs- och skrivsvårigheter är särskilt viktigt i inlärningssammanhang. Denna studie undersökte likheter och skillnader i elevers textkvalitet och textlängd vid skrivande med tangentbord jämfört med användning av assisterande teknik i form av tal-till-text-program. I studien deltog 41 svenska mellanstadieelever. Resultaten visade att användning av taligenkänningsprogram, varigenom elever får producera text genom att tala istället för att skriva med tangentbord, genererar både längre texter och texter av högre kvalitet. Tal-till-text-program sparade också tid jämfört med skrivande med tangentbord. Utifrån dessa resultat så kan taligenkänningsteknik medföra pedagogiska fördelar. Resultaten diskuteras utifrån tidigare forskning och metodologiska begränsningar. Mer forskning behövs bland annat i syfte att förstå hur långsiktig användning av assisterande teknik kan påverka elevers skrivförmåga. / Being able to express yourself in writing is a prerequisite for academic success and participation in society. Research shows that compensatory aids in the form of assistive technologies for individuals with reading and writing difficulties are particularly important in learning contexts. This study examined similarities and differences in students’ text quality and text length when typing with keyboard compared to when using a particular type of assistive technology in the form of a speech-to-text program. The study comprised of 41 Swedish middle school pupils. The results showed that using speech recognition software, whereby students are allowed to produce text by speaking instead of typing, generates both longer texts and higher-quality texts. Speech-to-text programs were also significantly more time efficient. Based on these results, speech recognition technology can bring educational benefits. The results are discussed based on previous research and methodological limitations. More research is needed, among other things, in order to understand how long-term use of assistant technology can affect students’ writing ability.