Accuracy of Teachers in the Early Years of Elementary School in Indicating Children with Learning Difficulties

Abstract

 The time invested with children in the classroom can allow teachers to identify, with relative accuracy, those with learning difficulties (LD). This study investigated the accuracy of teachers in identifying children with LD, considering the possible co-occurrence of behavior problems. Participants were 253 children, from the 1st to the 5th grade of elementary school, from one public and one private school, divided into 4 groups, according to the indication of their teachers: 1) LD, 2) behavior problems, 3) LD and behavior problems, 4) typical performance. Word recognition and writing skills, linguistic comprehension, arithmetic, and intelligence were evaluated. Questionnaires for parents and teachers were used. The results indicated a pattern in which groups with LD, regardless of the co-occurrence of behavior problems, tend not to differ from each other and show lower performances in relation to the other groups. The group with behavior problems per[1]formed more similarly to the group with typical performance. The result supports an important role of teachers in the relatively reliable identification of children with LD, not being confused by the occurrence, overlapping or not, of behavior problems. The finding has an impact on the screening and consideration of the teacher in evaluation processes.