“I think people's perception that her reading is good enough. That would be a worry to me.” Mother and child perspectives of school‐related reading for children with Down syndrome

Abstract

There is growing interest in children's reading experiences, both volitional and those initiated by, or connected to, school‐related reading. However, the majority of this research focuses on the reading experiences of neurotypical children; limiting understanding and the potential to improve support for other groups of children. This study examined the school‐related reading experiences of children with Down syndrome, through semi‐structured interviews with 10 mothers and 9 children (aged 5–13, mean age 10) from the UK. Utilising an inductive approach to thematic analysis, school factors (staff and provision) were reported by mothers to be essential to support their child's reading, with specialist training, knowledge of their child, personalised reading instruction/support and high aspirations all important. Parents also discussed: the blending of mainstream (e.g. phonics) and specialist (e.g. specific reading scheme) reading instructional approaches and resources; reading within a broader picture of their child's development; and the importance of home‐school connections to support their child's reading. Meanwhile, children's experiences of reading at school varied in terms of whether they reported reading in school or not, who helped them with reading (staff, friends) and the connections between their home and school reading. Implications for supporting school‐related reading for children with Down syndrome are discussed.