Teaching Reading to Students with IDD: Proficiency and Perceptions of Teachers and Paraeducators

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 1:45 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Perceptions and Practices in Inclusive Education: Teachers' Insights (Table 10)

Abstract

This proposal presents findings from a study examining the knowledge and perceptions of special education teachers (n = 23) and paraeducators (n = 30) regarding reading instruction for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We adapted tools from previous research (e.g., Bos et al., 2001) to develop questions regarding knowledge of reading foundations and perceptions of explicit and implicit approaches to reading instruction. We report descriptive findings from these measures, differences between teacher and paraeducator responses, as well as teachers’ education and experience, demographics, and other relevant variables. We report the implications of our findings to future research and practice.

Authors

• Esther Lindström, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Kimberly McFadden, Lehigh University

• Temiloluwa Oni, University of Illinois at Chicago