Early Identification and Strengthening of Learning Difficulties
Chiara Nanni, Enrica Partesana, Daniela Rocca
The Guidelines for early detection activities (Emilia-Romagna Region, 2015) emphasize the importance of early detection and enhancement of the conditions of children with learning difficulties. This project is focused on reading and writing learning skills in the first two years of primary school. The staff of the Child Neuropsychiatry Department of the AUSL of Imola trained the teachers of the territory on conducting tests of evaluation of bed-writing for first and second grade children and on the SLB method («We simplify reading to children»). In January 748 first grade children were tested, those who were below the cut-off (70) performed the strengthening at school (SLB method or other methods). At the end of the first year, both first and second grade children were evaluated through two other different assessments. The results support the validity of the strengthening in favoring the recovery of difficulties of literacy; in diversifying the learning delay from the learning disorder, we report the low predictive value of a single trial while we confirm the greater validity of the longitudinal profile and, furthermore, we confirm the response to the intervention. We signal diversified evolutionary rhythms for reading and writing, processes that cannot be completely overlapped. The SLB method seems to work better than other early literacy methods.
Keywords
Reading and writing, Early detection, Enhancement of alphabetization, Syllabics method.