Meeting the well-being needs of children with literacy difficulties: a whole school appreciation of adaptive teaching strategies that prioritise the individual

Whilst much is known regarding the health and well-being of school pupils in primary schools, there is less understanding of the factors that may hinder or facilitate improvement in these areas for children with literacy difficulties. This article, based on a research study that derived data from primary school staff members via individual interviews, and from a range of school children through a series of multi-modal focus groups, provides insight into the lived experiences of practitioners and pupils, in terms of the factors that influence the well-being needs of those with literacy difficulties. The findings show that adaptive teaching strategies that place the individual child’s specific challenges at the forefront of the support for those with literacy difficulties were valued by both practitioner and pupil, and that a whole school approach that prioritised this stance produced beneficial outcomes. Implications of the findings, in terms of the nuances of adaptive teaching and the potential pitfalls to achieving a whole school approach, are discussed, and recommendations for future practice and research, that stem from these, are made.