Validation of a Pedagogical Proposal to Strengthen Reading Competencies in Children with ADHD in Colombia

Abstract

Objective: To validate the efficacy of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for strengthening reading and writing competencies in neurodiverse children with ADHD in public schools in Valledupar, Colombia. Methods: Quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study with an experimental group (n=46) and a control group (n=46), involving 92 children aged 6–12 in grades 2–5. An eight-week VLE was implemented via Google Classroom and Educaplay. Instruments included the PROLEC-R battery, the MEN Todos a Aprender 2.0 reading characterization test, and an analytical exit rubric. Data were analyzed with SPSS. Results: The experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in reading speed, reading quality, and literal and inferential comprehension relative to the control group. PROLEC-R gains were observed in decoding and semantic comprehension across all three age subgroups; punctuation marks remained a persistent difficulty. Conclusions: Digitally mediated instruction grounded in neuroeducational and inclusive principles significantly improves literacy competencies in children with ADHD. The study proposes the Inclusive Neuroeducational Digital Mediation Model (MINMED) as an original theoretical contribution.