Date of Award

10-16-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Chelsey Bradley

Second Advisor

William Kerns

Abstract

This qualitative interview study explored the understanding of dyslexia among K–3 elementary classroom teachers in Arkansas, using the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) definition as adopted by the Arkansas Department of Education, specifically the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. An interview protocol was used to gather information about teachers’ understanding of the full IDA definition of dyslexia. Since this definition has been formally adopted by the state of Arkansas, it has significantly influenced district policies, classroom instruction, and support services. It is essential that educators have a working knowledge of this definition to adequately support students’ reading success and provide early intervention. Research strongly supports early intervention for students at risk for dyslexia, and classroom teachers are in a key position to recognize its characteristics (Johnson & Scanlon, 2021, Tosun, Arıkan, & Babur, 2021). However, classroom teachers must be knowledgeable of the core definition, which reflects deficits in word recognition and reading fluency, spelling, writing, and the phonological component of language. Dyslexia is often reflected in students or any individual who has had access to typical classroom instruction or even access to high-quality educational opportunities. This means that it is not caused by poor instruction, lack of exposure to language, or even limited educational support such as types of literacy interventions. Dyslexia is present across various levels of intellectual abilities and is often present in individuals who reflect average to above-average intelligence. A student can be smart (intelligent), motivated, and receive quality instruction, and still struggle significantly with reading— especially if they have dyslexia, which is neurologically based and not the result of poor teaching in the classroom or lack of effort from the student (Fletcher et al., 2019). This understanding of dyslexia is sometimes in opposition to traditional IQ-discrepancy models and instead emphasizes the importance of diagnosing and supporting dyslexia based on reading difficulties alone, not by looking at an individual's intelligence. Research shows that in dyslexic individuals, reading skills and IQ scores develop independently (Ferrer et al., 2009), and IQ‑achievement discrepancy models offer limited additional value and may even delay early intervention efforts (Hoskyn & Swanson, 2000). Dyslexia can occur on a spectrum, so the degree of difficulty students experience can vary from individual to individual. Students with dyslexia need individualized support that includes structured practice with immediate feedback from a knowledgeable teacher (Denton, Fletcher, Taylor, Barth, & Vaughn, 2014). Classroom teachers that do not feel confident in their instructional practices or their understanding of dyslexia may have difficulty recognizing and noticing characteristics of dyslexia - such as deficits in phonological processing, decoding, and automatic word recognition—teachers may not readily see these important characteristics or they might mistakenly assume students reading struggles are due to something else (Knight, 2018, Ahern, 2018). Lack of confidence and/or understanding can limit proper identification and, consequently, limit the implementation of effective interventions, which can have a direct impact on student achievement (Washburn, Joshi, & Binks-Cantrell, 2011). Some teachers, unsure of best practices, may use the internet or social media for guidance. However, this can lead to misinformation and ineffective practices, especially when internet sources rely on myths or lack research-based strategies for supporting students with dyslexia (Worthy et al., 2021).

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