Students with Reading Difficulties
Diagnostic Testing
Reading instruction focuses on the early detection of possible disabilities in reading, such as delays in language development and dyslexia. All primary level teachers are trained in reading instruction, allowing them to recognize reading difficulties at an early age and help students overcome them. Teachers identify reading defects by listening to students read aloud and making observations during classes. Outside educational and psychological counselors or special pedagogues and psychologists from within the school investigate teachers’ findings and provide an individual remedial (re‑educational) program for each student. These programs require intensive cooperation with the student’s teacher and family.
Instruction for Children with Reading Difficulties
Students with special educational needs can be integrated into regular classes. Depending on the nature of the disability, students may attend special schools, classes, departments, or study groups using adapted educational programs for disabled students. Some schools provide dyslexic students with instruction in a separate working group. In others, dyslexic students participating in regular classes receive additional instruction from teachers outside of the classroom. With or without the cooperation of psychological experts, some teachers develop individual development programs for students with reading difficulties.
To improve instruction for students with reading difficulties, teachers can attend special seminars, lectures, and courses organized by National Institute for Further Education, faculties, or the Czech Dyslexia Association. They also can use special textbooks designed for students who have dyslexia, trouble reading with comprehension, or difficulties with proper reading technique. The most common textbook, the four-volume Reader for Dyslexic Children, helps children with reading difficulties throughout primary and secondary education.17
The online application Levebee was built by reading experts to serve as an individual or group reading coach for children with reading difficulties including dyslexia. The application focuses on reading technique, comprehension, and writing exercises.18 After a short diagnostic test, Levebee creates individual exercise sets that correspond to students’ current skills. As students improve, the application automatically modifies its level of difficulty.