Education expands the APPA program to 5th grade to Detect learning difficulties in 36,000 students
The Department of Education expands the APPA program to detect learning difficulties in fifth grade, reaching about 36,000 students. This measure responds to the need to identify difficulties in time and adjust pedagogical support.
Assessments will be carried out at three points in primary school, with new features that will especially affect 5th and 3rd-grade students. The program does not diagnose disorders but offers indicators to adapt teaching.
What changes with the expansion of the APPA program?
What tests will be given to fifth-grade students?
In 5th grade, students will take tests focused on three areas: reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing. Specifically, a word dictation and a linguistic creativity test are included to assess diverse skills in the communicative field.
What new features will there be in 3rd and 1st grade?
In 3rd grade, reading comprehension and the creation of pseudowords are added to detect both difficulties and high-performing students. In 1st grade, there will be no changes, and phonemic awareness, morphosyntax, phonological memory, and narrative ability will continue to be assessed.
Why is it relevant for schools and families?
How does APPA help improve education?
APPA provides pedagogical tools to schools to adjust support according to the real needs of students, without labeling medical diagnoses. This allows for more personalized and early attention.
What results have been observed so far?
The 2025-2026 school year showed that in 1st grade, seven out of ten students are at a universal level in oral communication skills and reading prerequisites. But in 3rd grade, the need for specific adjustments in reading competence has been detected.
How are the assessments carried out and what exactly do they measure?
What aspects are evaluated in the 1st-grade assessment?
At this first point, phonemic awareness, morphosyntax, phonological memory, and narrative ability are taken into account, which are the basis for subsequent reading learning.
What parameters are evaluated in 3rd and 5th grades?
In 3rd grade, fluency in word recognition and decoding, speed, prosody, and reading comprehension are measured. In 5th grade, writing tests with dictations and linguistic creativity are also incorporated to broaden the overall analysis.
| Grade | Aspects evaluated | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| 1st grade | Phonemic awareness, morphosyntax, phonological memory, narrative ability | Identify reading prerequisites |
| 3rd grade | Fluency, decoding, speed, prosody, reading comprehension, creation of pseudowords | Detect difficulties and high reading performance |
| 5th grade | Reading fluency, reading comprehension, dictation, linguistic creativity | Detection and adjustment of pedagogical support |
Article source: Editorial / Catalan News Agency
