Date

8-20-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

April Small

Keywords

phonics instruction, dyslexia, special education teachers, phenomenology, qualitative research, elementary education, reading interventions

Disciplines

Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of elementary special education teachers who implemented multi-sensory, evidence-based phonics interventions for their students with dyslexia at public elementary schools in suburban Northern Virginia. The theoretical framework for this study was Bottom-Up Processing Theory. It was important to note that foundational reading skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, and fluency are necessary building blocks for comprehensive understanding, especially for students with dyslexia. These students were identified as having a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in reading with characteristics of dyslexia, based on federal and local evaluation criteria. The central research question was: What are the lived experiences of elementary special education teachers in suburban Northern Virginia who implemented multi-sensory, evidence-based phonics interventions for students with dyslexia? This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach and purposeful sampling. The sample size was 14 special education teachers who utilized the multi-sensory, evidence-based Wilson Reading System, Orton-Gillingham, or Lindamood-Bell programs regularly and had at least three years of teaching experience. The data collection consisted of semi-structured individual interviews, classroom observations, focus groups, and instructional document review. The data analysis followed Moustakas' approach to phenomenology through horizonalization, identifying the significant statements, clustering them into themes, and synthesizing a composite experience.

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