Τhe Integration of Movement in Reading: Views of Special Educational Needs (SEN) Teachers in Secondary Education

Abstract

In the last two decades, the integration of movement in teaching has been the focus of research. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the views of Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers on the inclusion of a program of motor activities in the teaching of specific punctuation points, whose adherence contributes to improved reading comprehension and leads to enhancing the academic performance of students with dyslexia. The intervention was attended by 4 Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers of Secondary Education who applied the program to the language teaching class. After the intervention, the Special Educational Needs teachers were interviewed to reflect their views on the integration of movement into their course. In the 6-week program, students were called upon to perform basic motor skills such as sit down/ stand up exercise, single leg stance, jumps, skipping and running. The data were coded using the thematic analysis method. Qualitative data analysis showed that motor activities stimulated students' interest in reading. Therefore, it is concluded that the integration of movement in teaching is a strong motivation for students with dyslexia to participate in the reading process.