Reading competence evolution indicator in special education: a proposal for an educational indicator

ABSTRACT

Introduction: reading fluency is a measure capable of objectively evaluating the performance of students in oral reading. Objective: to evaluate the use of reading fluency as an indicator of reading competence to be used in inclusive education. Methods: 121 students from the 3rd to the 5th year of elementary school participated in the study. 31 of these students from the target group of special education were in the interest group and 90 students were in the control group. A Z score was defined to allow for the individual analysis of the students’ performance and the identification of possible deficits in the tasks of fluency in reading and comprehension. The Student’s t-test was carried out to compare the groups. Results: There was variability in the performances presented by each subgroup of the target group of special education. When comparing the two groups, the results were superior for the CG in all variables. Conclusion: The diversity found within the subgroups of the target audience of special education showed that the assessment of individual reading fluency is essential for both research and pedagogical practice.

Keywords:
reading; academic performance; comprehension; special education