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Reading and writing for teenagers with Down syndrome (11-16 years)
Gillian Bird and Sue Buckley
Reading skills are often a strength for teenagers with Down syndrome. Teenagers can often read at a higher level than would be predicted from their general cognitive and language abilities. Those who have not achieved reading success in their primary years may make significant progress during their teenage years. Reading and writing skills are important for everyday life and for access to the world of literature. They are also powerful tools for developing the speech and language of teenagers with Down syndrome and for mediating their cognitive development. Reading and writing can support communication, enable teenagers to achieve greater independence and enrich education and academic attainments across the curriculum. This module explains how language and literacy teaching can work together to promote the development of teenagers with Down syndrome. Guidance on teaching methods, expectations and examples of teenagers' work combine to show teachers and parents how to include teenagers in literacy learning programmes, with an understanding of particular issues related to speech, language and memory development. This module should be read in conjunction with Reading and writing for individuals with Down syndrome: An overview,[DSii-07-01] as the overview provides important background information on how individuals learn to read, the adaptations that will help pupils with Down syndrome, and the benefits of being involved in reading instruction.
Bird G, Buckley SJ. Reading and writing for teenagers with Down syndrome (11-16 years). Down Syndrome Issues and Information. 2002.
doi:10.3104/9781903806128
Introduction
Most teenagers with Down syndrome will have been introduced
to reading and writing during their primary school years, but individual rates of
progress vary widely. Some teenagers will start their secondary school education
able to read and write at a typical 8-9 year level at 11 years of age.[1]
This is quite a competent level of literacy skill and they will be able to record
their work and to write short texts. Some other teenagers will be at the beginning
stages of literacy development and a number of authors have suggested that pupils
with Down syndrome may show greater aptitude and interest in learning to read during
their teenage years.[2,3]
This module, therefore, provides information and activities
that can be used to teach reading, writing, spelling and phonics from the beginning
to more advanced levels - as well as discussing a functional approach to teaching
reading skills for independence. The authors take the view that reading, like number,
is a basic skill which should continue to be taught as such in secondary school.
The activities and advice in this module are equally relevant
for teachers in mainstream or special education settings.
The reading achievements of individuals with Down syndrome
have been steadily increasing during the last 20 years.[3,4,5]
Research studies have shown that learning to read and the activity of reading accelerates
the development of memory skills and the acquisition of language knowledge for typically
developing children[6,7,8]
and for young people with Down syndrome.[9,10,11]
Reading activities can also improve the spoken language of young people with Down
syndrome.[10-13] Reading comprehension and learning
to write should always be taught and developed alongside reading instruction. The
beneficial effects of reading activities for development are significant for young
people of all reading and language abilities and all reading achievements can produce
gains in life skills and independence.
This module focuses on how to teach teenagers with Down
syndrome to develop useful and independent literacy skills. However, the authors
wish to stress that being involved in the literate community is the right of every
young person and does not depend on being able to read or write independently.[14]
Many of the benefits for knowledge and for language learning that come from being
able to read can be gained from being read to every day. This should include the
daily reading of story books and poems. It should also include the making of individual
books and project books, which are read together. Enjoying stories and participating
in story telling through acting, making picture representations of stories, and
creating poems can be group or whole class activities. An excellent resource containing
many ideas that can be used in any classroom is Literature for all.[15]