This study explored latent profiles of motivation, attitudes toward learning, and well-being in school among high-ability Grade 6-students in Sweden and examined how these profiles relate to academic achievement and socio-cultural background. Data were drawn from a nationally representative cohort (N = 9775) in the longitudinal study Evaluation Through Follow-Up (UGU) and from Statistics Sweden. High-ability students (n = 523) were identified as the top 10% scorers on a cognitive assessment test. Latent Profile Analysis based on self-reported measures of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, attitudes toward learning, and cognitive, social, and psychological well-being identified two profiles: one profile characterized by high motivation and well-being (85.2%), and one profile characterized by lower motivation and attitudes toward learning, as well as lower cognitive well-being (14.8%). Psychological and social well-being and socio-cultural background factors were non-significant. The findings highlight the heterogeneity within the high-ability student population and underscore the importance of considering both motivational and contextual factors in supporting high-ability students. Educational implications and future research areas are discussed.

In Sweden, the PIRLS 2021 results demonstrate an increased number of poor readers. Moreover, socioeconomic background (SES) remains a strong predictor of students´ reading ability, favoring students from high SES backgrounds, as well as whether Swedish is spoken at home or not (Mullis et al., 2023). The current study adopts the Simple View of Reading  (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) as its theoretical framework. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model-Reading Framework (SEM-R) (Reis et al., 2018), was designed to strengthen reading interest and reading achievement across all reading ability levels and has been proven to increase reading comprehension and reading interest. The aim of this case study is to explore Grade 4-teachers´ experiences of the SEM-R in the Swedish middle school, and the reading ability among participating students of various reading ability levels and linguistic backgrounds before and after the intervention. Teachers (N=3) and four classes (Students N=46) were recruited from two schools located in socioeconomically different catchment areas. The classes participated in a twelve weeks SEM-R intervention employing Phase I and II in the SEM-R model. Each class received a large number of books of varying genres and levels to their respective classroom libraries to support the SEM-R implementation. Prior to the intervention, the teachers took part in a professional development session on the SEM-R. During the intervention, teachers could contact the researcher for implementation support. After the intervention, the teachers participated in a semi-structured in-depth interview, which were thematically analyzed. The students took part in pre- and post-screening tests (i.e., oral reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling) to measure reading ability before and after the intervention. The main results align with previous research (e.g., Little et al., 2014; Reis et al., 2018): 1) the model promote reading growth among struggling, average, and advanced readers, 2) the SEM-R facilitates differentiated reading instruction, and 3) its structure enable a deeper assessment of students´ use of reading strategies and reading comprehension compared to traditional reading comprehension material and screening tests. Thus, the SEM-R seems suitable to employ in diverse middle school contexts in Sweden. This approach to differentiated teaching in reading in inclusive, mixed-ability classes could be of interest to Nordic researchers. 

Gough, P. B., & Tunmer, W. E. (1986). Decoding, Reading, and Reading Disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7(1), 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193258600700104

Little, C. A., McCoach, D. B., & Reis, S. M. (2014). Effects of Differentiated Reading Instruction on Student Achievement in Middle School. Journal of Advanced Academics, 25(4), 384–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X14549250

Mullis, I. V. S., von Davier, M., Foy, P., Fishbein, B., Reynolds, K. A., & Wry, E. (2023). PIRLS 2021 International Results in Reading. TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. https://doi.org/10.6017/lse.tpisc.tr2103.kb5342

Reis, S. M., Little, C. A., Fogarty, E., Housand, B. C., Eckert, R. D., & Muller, L. M. (2018). Case Studies of Schoolwide Enrichment Model-Reading (SEM-R) Classroom Implementations of Differentiated and Enriched Reading Instruction. International Journal for Talent Development and Creativity, 6(1–2), 63–86.

The Evaluation Through Follow-up (UGU) is a large cohort-sequential research study which is used for evaluation and research about schools and education in Sweden (Härnqvist, 2000). The aim of this poster is to investigate academic achievement, attitudes toward school and learning among the share of students who demonstrate the highest cognitive abilities from cohort 10, one of these nationally representative cohorts. The sample of cohort 10 was divided into two subpopulations (i.e., students with high cognitive abilities, other students), where the division of the two groups was based on the 10 percent highest achieving on the aptitude test consisting of two verbal parts (i.e., synonyms, antonyms), one spatial, and one inductive part, carried out in Grade 6 for the UGU data collection. 523 of the students from cohort 10 were identified as students with high cognitive abilities. The students also participated in a student questionnaire about the perceptions of teacher practices, motivation, and attitudes toward school. The questionnaire items were answered on a 4- or 5-point Likert scale with different answer alternatives. The answers to a selection of questions were analyzed with descriptive statistics in IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 and visualized. The main results indicate that students with high cognitive ability in the current sample, demonstrate a strong academic performance, are motivated to learn, and that they have a strong belief in their own academic ability. 

Härnqvist, K. (2000). Evaluation through follow-up. A longitudinal program for studying education and career development. In C.-G. Janson (Ed.), Seven Swedish longitudinal studies in behavioral science (pp. 76–114). Forskningsrådsnämnden. https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/26970

Alla elever har olika språkliga resurser att tillgå och har därför varierade utgångspunkter i sin språk-, läs- och skrivutveckling. Den läs- och skrivundervisning och det stöd som fungerar för en elev behöver därför inte fungera för en annan. Grunden för en framgångsrik undervisning är gedigen kunskap väl grundad i evidensbaserad forskning om läs- och skrivutveckling, om vad som kan orsaka hinder och om vad som kan stötta fortsatt utveckling.

Denna bok belyser vad av språkliga utmaningar kan innebära, hur de kan upptäckas, och vad lärare kan göra för att planera undervisningen så att den inkluderar alla elever. I bokens kapitel diskuteras språk-, läs- och skrivutveckling utifrån olika perspektiv, bedömning och kartläggning av läs- och skrivutveckling samt en strukturerad läs- och skrivundervisning för såväl skolan som den anpassade skolan. Vidare lyfts läs- och skrivsvårigheter liksom dyslexi samt hur dessa i kombination med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar och språkstörning kan inverka på elevers läsande och skrivande samt vilka utmaningar det kan innebära för undervisningen. Innehållet belyser också hur läs- och skrivundervisningen kan stimulera och motivera till läsande och skrivande på olika sätt och hur assisterande teknik kan användas. Boken lyfter även hur språklig sårbarhet kan mötas i undervisningen samt vad Läsa-, skriva-, räknagarantin innebär för läs- och skrivundervisningen.

I denna andra upplaga har innehållet uppdaterats och ett nytt angeläget kapitel om flerspråkiga elevers läsande har tillkommit.

Boken riktar sig till studenter inom lärar-, speciallärar- och specialpedagogprogram, logopedstudenter samt yrkesverksamma som i sin profession önskar stärka sin kunskap inom området.

Bokens redaktörer är Diana von Börtzell-Szuch och Sari Vuorenpää, båda vid Stockholms universitet.

I bokens avslutande och sextonde kapitel lyfter Diana von Börtzell-Szuch och Sari Vuorenpää erfarna specialärares och specialpedagogers röster och resonemang om läs- och skrivundervisning i relation till det specialpedagogiska uppdraget - exempelvis att möta olika språkliga utmaningar och att kartlägga elevers språk-, läs- och skrivutveckling. Vidare lyfts arbetet med att utveckla specialpedagogiska förhållningssätt i den ordinarie undervisningen. 

The current scoping review mapped empirical research on advanced literacy abilities, and literacy instruction related to such abilities, in elementary and middle school. The search was conducted in three databases. 26 studies from 2010 to 2023 were included; twenty-one were conducted in North America, four in Asia, one in Oceania, and one in Europe and Asia. The majority focused on elementary school. Reading was the primary research area in favor of writing and literacy, unevenly distributed between three themes: Development and Skills, Characteristics, and Instruction. Regarding the overarching results within the area of reading, the findings 1) indicated that advanced readers develop less during the academic year compared to average and struggling readers, 2) that teachers expressed a knowledge on characteristics of advanced readers, but also expressed a lack of pedagogical knowledge on how to meet these students´ needs, 3) that there were infrequent adjustments of content, tasks, or pace in the inclusive language art classroom, and 4) implicated a need to examine provisions at both elementary and middle school level in a wider range of educational contexts, in order to meet the educational needs of students with advanced literacy skills in various educational and cultural contexts. 

Empirical research on advanced literacy skills among students in elementary and middle school,and on literacy instruction related to such skills, was reviewed to map current scientific knowledgeon the topic, and to map identification methods and terms used to describe these students.A comprehensive search in three databases was conducted. Twenty-six studies met the criteriafor inclusion. Relevant results were summarized after a data extraction and thematic analysis. Themajority of the included studies were conducted in North America on elementary school students.Five research themes were identified, where the overarching results emphasize needs fora differentiated literacy instruction, both in terms of content and tasks, explicit instruction, abilitygrouping, and enrichment to enable gifted students to develop according to their potential.Furthermore, the findings indicate the importance of teacher professional development and accessto resources such as appropriate materials and time.

Students with advanced reading literacy skills are often neglected in research and also, in elementary and middle school their educational needs are seldom met. Therefore, the study in progress will focus on teachers´ perceptions of advanced reading literacy skills in elementary and middle school students, and also on reading literacy instruction designed to provide opportunities to achieve at high levels as well as at other levels, in order to promote all students´ reading literacy development based on every student´s strengths in an inclusive school system. The research project in progress has three overarching aims. The first aim is to investigate how teachers in elementary and middle school define, identify and meet the educational needs of students with advanced literacy skills. The second aim is to investigate elementary and middle school teachers´ perceptions of a reading literacy instruction model (i.e., the Schoolwide Enrichment Model-Reading, Reis et al., 2004), adapted to a Swedish educational and inclusive school context. Finally, the third aim is to investigate the experiences of students with advanced literacy skills of the reading literacy instruction model and their perceptions of learning and development of reading literacy skills in and outside school. Preliminary, the theoretical framework of giftedness will be Ziegler´s (2005) actiotope model of giftedness. The method will be mixed, using teacher and student surveys pre and post intervention, pre and post assessment of students´ literacy skills, instruction observations, and teacher and student interviews post intervention.

Hur kan den tidiga läs- och skrivundervisningen utformas för att stödja och stimulera alla elevers läsande och skrivande? Vad kan vi göra när läs- och skrivutvecklingen inte går som vi önskar för alla elever? Hur kan lärare anpassa sin undervisning för att möta elevers varierade språkliga behov? Denna bok ger olika perspektiv på vad språkliga utmaningar kan innebära; hur de kan upptäckas, och vad lärare kan göra för att anpassa undervisningen så att den inkluderar alla elever.   Alla elever är unika och kan i någon fas behöva extra anpassningar eller särskilt stöd.  Den undervisning och det stöd som fungerar för en elev behöver dock inte fungera för en annan. Grunden för en framgångsrik läs- och skrivundervisning är gedigen kunskap om läs- och skrivutveckling, om vad som kan orsaka hinder och vad som kan stötta fortsatt utveckling. 

I bokens kapitel diskuteras bland annat flerspråkiga elevers skrivande på svenska, liksom bedömning och kartläggning av den tidiga läs- och skrivutvecklingen. Vidare lyfts hur läs- och skrivsvårigheter i kombination med neuropsykiatriska svårigheter, språkstörning, intellektuell funktionsnedsättning och dyslexi kan inverka på och synas i elevers läsande och skrivande samt vilka konsekvenser det kan få för undervisningen. Innehållet belyser också hur den tidiga läs- och skrivundervisningen kan stimulera och motivera till läsande och skrivande på olika sätt och hur assisterande teknik kan användas. Boken lyfter även hur språklig sårbarhet kan mötas i undervisningen samt vad Läsa-, skriva-, räkna-garantin innebär för läs- och skrivundervisningen.

I bokens avslutande och femtonde kapitel lyfter Diana von Börtzell-Szuchoch Sari Vuorenpää erfarna speciallärares och specialpedagoger röster och resonemang om läs- och skrivundervisning i relation till det specialpedagogiska uppdraget – exempelvis att möta olika språkliga utmaningar och att kartläggaelevers språk-, läs- och skrivutveckling. Vidare lyfts arbetet med att utveckla specialpedagogiska förhållningssätt i den ordinarie undervisningen.