Perceived Improvement of Literacy Skills of Students with and Without Special Educational Needs Through Dialogic Literary Gatherings

Abstract

This study analyzes the perceived improvement in literacy skills among 2nd-grade Primary Education students, both with and without Special Educational Needs (SEN), following the implementation of Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research included 110 seven-year-old students at a school in Valencia, Spain, 11 of whom had various SEN, such as difficulties in reading, writing, mathematics, oral language, and attention, including 1 student with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Through an inclusive approach, where all students participated in the DLGs, significant improvements were observed in reading comprehension, vocabulary, reasoning, and motivation. Students with SEN, especially those with reading and attention difficulties, showed notable progress, while students without SEN also demonstrated significant advances in communication and reading skills. The results were contextualized with international standards, highlighting the effectiveness of DLGs in improving academic performance and challenging social inequalities in an inclusive environment.