The effectiveness of teaching functional reading text on reading skills of slow-paced students with down syndrome

Abstract

Background: The design and development of functional learning materials should be based on individual, family, group, and social characteristics and needs, to ultimately lead an independent life.Given the problems of reading in the slow paced of students with Down syndrome, can the use of functional reading text improve their reading skills? Aims: The aim of this study was survey the effectiveness of Instruction Functional reading texts on accuracy, speed and reading comprehension skills of slow paced of students with Down syndrome. Method: This is a quasi-experimental study (pretest-posttest with one group). Six slow-paced students with Down syndrome studying in special schools in Qom were selected by convenience sampling method. The sample group participated of 81 session of 20 minutes researcher-made functional reading texts education program(2018) and sample group evaluated in the pre-test and post-test stages by the researcher-made reading test(2018).To analyze the data SPSS-19 software and paired T-TEST ere employed.Results: The results showed that Instruction Functional reading texts has led to an increase in the mean scores of the accuracy, speed and reading comprehension skills of slow-paced students with Down syndrome compared to the pre-test(p< 0/05). Conclusions: Therefore, it can be argued that Instruction Functional reading texts is an effective way to improve the reading skills of students with Down syndrome.

Keywords

• instruction functional reading texts
• reading skills
• down syndrome