Investigating the Relationship between Reading andBehaviour

Although students with emotional and behaviouraldisorders (EBD) often have concomitant academic andreading deficits, there has been little attentionpaid to effective academic instruction for thispopulation. The traditional approach to helpingstudents with behavioural difficulties is to focusinitially on behaviour; academics becomes a secondaryconcern. However, several authors have suggested thatbehavioural problems can be mitigated througheffective academic instruction and positive outcomes.This study investigates the impact of a theory- andresearch-informed reading intervention on the readingskills, behaviour, and self-perception of studentsidentified as having a behaviour exceptionality. Twomale students from a segregated Grade 5/6/7 classroomparticipated in this study. The research resultsshowed that even with a limited intervention programsuch at this, gains were made in both reading and inbehaviour. These findings show promise forinstructional strategies that focus on the academicachievement of students with EBD.

Autorentext

B.Sc., M.Sc., B.Ed., M.Ed.: Doctoral Candidate at Queen's University Kingston, Ontario. Primary area of interest: Special Education focusing on the co-morbid relationship between behavioural exceptionalities and reading disabilities.

Klappentext
Although students with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD) often have concomitant academic and reading deficits, there has been little attention paid to effective academic instruction for this population. The traditional approach to helping students with behavioural difficulties is to focus initially on behaviour; academics becomes a secondary concern. However, several authors have suggested that behavioural problems can be mitigated through effective academic instruction and positive outcomes. This study investigates the impact of a theory- and research-informed reading intervention on the reading skills, behaviour, and self-perception of students identified as having a behaviour exceptionality. Two male students from a segregated Grade 5/6/7 classroom participated in this study. The research results showed that even with a limited intervention program such at this, gains were made in both reading and in behaviour. These findings show promise for instructional strategies that focus on the academic achievement of students with EBD.