Students with Learning Difficulties In Saudi Arabia: Grant Idea Proposal

In Saudi Arabia, learning difficulties are prevalent in elementary schools. An introduction of an intervention program to students with learning difficulties will improve reading skills. Currently, identification of students with learning difficulties is challenging, as there is no valid standardized tool in Arabic. Based on international standards, over two hundred and fifty thousand learners in Saudi Arabia school systems are struggling with learning disabilities. The grant ideas are to improve reading skills, enlightening parents and caregivers on learning disabilities, and development of a standardized tool to identify learning disabilities. When these skills are sharpened learning will be more effective, and the number of students with learning difficulties will be greatly reduced. 

Relationship between Reading Abilities and Learning 

One may wonder how reading affects the learning of learners. This is how they are related, the instructions and all the information to be learned is majorly in written form, thus if learners have a problem in reading then it is obvious that they can hardly comprehend the information written thus making it really difficult for them to understand the content they are learning. On the other hand, students who are really good at reading find it easier to understand the learning content they come across and in turn tackle the questions in exams fairly well because they understand exactly what the question is all about. They also enjoy reading their notes because they get a sense in what they read. Therefore, it is very necessary that the reading culture is emphasized in schools to help learners understand content that they learn and reduce the problem of learning difficulties. Being able to read also inspires confidence in learners and it will make them want to learn more, and this is exactly what this proposal aims at. 

Objectives of the Program 

The proposal is to provide a reading intervention program for students with reading difficulties dubbed “succeeding through reading.” The idea is based on scientific research that improvement in reading skills helps to reduce learning disabilities considerably. Most of the learners in our school with learning difficulties are two years behind their current grade in reading performance. A pilot program in one of the classes in grade four, learners with poor reading skills has improved considerably, raising their reading ability by one grade level . The first step will be to equip the parents, teachers and caregiver with the information for them to be able to explore and discover the science of reading disabilities. The second step then will be to understand the intent of the effective remediation. This will involve direct and intensive intervention program. This will build the required skills and by the end of this stage learners will be able to convert print to sound and develop phonological processing after which the child needs to build advanced skills. 

Thirdly, it will be essential to identify direct invention as these learners rarely catch up on their own and the earlier the problem is addressed, the better and easier it will be to be solved. This will be done through a one on one with the parent, teacher or caregiver. The fourth step will be to identify the individual weakness in the learners reading so that they can be specifically dealt with. It is the weaknesses that these learners possess that will be used to strengthen their reading skills. The aim of the project will be to work on the weaknesses to make them the learners’ strength. 

Next step would be to use the results of the evaluation done to determine the weakness to draw a plan of action. In order for the plan to be successful it will have, effective instruction, target the specific skill that needs to be achieved, to directly teach all the skills to the learners, to teach complete knowledge and skills, present the information systematically to avoid confusing the learners further, will use intensive remediation schedule and will also cater for individual tutoring as each learner has unique weaknesses. After all the above are done it will then be important that the program is explained to the learner so that they understand that it is a good thing for them, and that is going to improve their lives thus very necessary that a positive attitude is inculcated among the learners. 

Methodology 

The reading intervention is needed because the school has over 60 students with poor reading skills. The overall performance in school can be improved by enhancing reading speed, comprehension, and attention span. The program is also based on the modern research on efficient instructional methods. The goals of the program are to increase reading and comprehension speed of learners and aiding them to achieve subject classroom proficiency. The students with poor reading skills will use the reading materials and books as their peers in the current grade. The program will provide learners with access to reading aids and assistive systems; reading specialists to guide the students, and training for teachers. Assistive reading technology will be employed in the program. Kurzweil is a reading technology that uses senses to help students with reading and language difficulties. It enables students to access the national curriculum and textbooks. The software displays texts as an exact large image on a computer screen and reads out aloud in a clear voice. The learners repeat the words as the reading specialists and teachers guide them. 

The program targets 60 learners with reading and language difficulties in a school of 305 students. The target audience has low reading performance due reasons such as attention deficit disorders, dyslexia, and autism. The learners are at risk because failure to improve the performance of the students will result in truancy and drop out of school. The program will be implemented by use of innovative technology, and utilization of four available computer screens fitted with scanners. 

Execution of the Program 

The plan of action will be first to purchase the equipment by the end of August and have them tested and fixed by early September when they will be delivered in the school. The one-day training of the teachers will also take place at the same time. In order to gauge whether the teachers have mastered the technique, a sample of the students will be used. The target is to have 60 pupils out of 305 in the school being part of the pilot program up to the end of October. Evaluation will be done at this time, and the learners will be expected to have acquired the skill of changing print into sounds. The next phase will be executed in November in which all the other classes will now implement technology in instruction at this time the program will be fully implemented, and evaluations will be being carried to check on the improvement of the learners gauge the success of the program and come up with results. The results will then be reviewed in December to determine the progress of the project and come up with necessary adjustments if need be. 

Assessment of the Program‘s Effectiveness 

The success of the project will be evaluated using various matrices but majorly will be comparing the level that the learners were at the beginning of the program against where they will be at the end of the project. The academic performance of the learners will be compared from the time the project was started and afterward to determine whether the improvement in reading has an impact on learning. 

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The Budget 

The school seeks a grant to implement the “succeeding through reading” program with the aim of doubling the reading speed of the target audience within twelve months. By the end of the program, the learners should be able to learn in the least restrictive classroom with their peers. The funding amount of $30,000 is requested for the purchase of the necessary equipment, software, and staff training. The proposed budget is as follows: 

Note: The prices are subject to change based on the market fluctuations. 

The program effectiveness will be evaluated by administering standardized reading test before and after the program to determine the difference in reading speed and comprehension.