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The development of reading skills foresees fluency in reading. Prior research has shown that during periods of absence from school, students are prone to showing setbacks in their learning. However, the literature presents mixed findings, possibly explained by the families’ socioeconomic statuses. The present study aims to analyze fluctuations in learning acquisition, specifically in reading fluency, during the pandemic, when all students were absent from school for several months. Data were collected in two waves. The present study combines quantitative and qualitative data with an explanatory sequential approach. Participants were 52 3rd-graders and their teachers. The latter were enrolled in two-member check sessions. Statistically significant differences in speed (lower than expected) and prosody (higher than expected) were found between the two sessions. Considering ASE support (financial support for low-income families from the Portuguese government), data indicate that students benefiting from this support showed performances in accuracy and speed below the expected. Prosody scores were above the expected at both sessions. Findings may provide relevant insights to further understand fluctuations in students’ reading fluency during long periods of absence from school; for example, data could help prevent learning setbacks due to summer vacations.

This study describes the functionality, cognitive, and neuropsychological performance of a child with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy, and the role of the “educational diet” in his performance. Executive dysfunction is expected in Hemiplegic children, and even those with normal cognitive functioning are predisposed to show specific learning difficulties. This particular case displays a profile disparate from what is expected. Results confirmed the high functionality of the child, FA, in all domains. Moreover, a parent interview verified that the educational diet followed may be an important aspect that is contributing to the child’s divergent results.

Academic success is a complex concept comprising not only good academic performance, but also the development of competencies and the accomplishment made by the ends of learning. Among the motivational and attentional variables likely to influence academic success, extant literature reports the relevance of developing self-regulation and attentional control to foster school success. Still, little is known about how to foster attentional control competencies through training on self-regulated learning strategies. The present study aims are twofold: (i) to assess the efficacy of a program targetted to promote self-regulation strategies on attentional control, specifically in selective attention, and (ii) to explore the role of selective attention on arithmetic performance. Participants were 136 fourth grade students, aged from 8 to 11 years old. Of those, 68 were enrolled in a school-based intervention aimed to promote self-regulation. At the end of the intervention, the experimental group showed higher levels of self-regulation and selective attention that were significantly different when compared to the control group. The SR training has influenced positively participants SA with impact on their arithmetic competencies. The findings of this study can provide relevant insight to better understand these variables and to design better in-class practices.