EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL COMPETENCES AND READING PRACTICE OF POLISH ADOLESCENT STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA AND WITHOUT DYSLEXIA K. Kuracki, A. Dłużniewska The Maria Grzegorzewska University (POLAND) Abstract The paper will be present the results of pilot studies on the practice of reading and the psychosocial functioning of Polish adolescents with dyslexia (N = 33) and without dyslexia (N = 33) at the age of 14- 15. The tools used in the research were: Social Competence Questionnaire by Anna Matczak, Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire by N. S. Schutte, J. M. Malouff, L. E. Hall, D.J. Haggerty, J.T. Cooper, Ch.J. Golden, L. Dornheim in polisk adaptation of A. Jaworoswki & A. Matczak, and Questionnaire to study reading practice by K. Kuracki. The study was conducted in the correlation schema. Proposed research reports broaden important knowledge about the reading practice and psychosocial functioning of pupils in adolescence with dyslexia and without dyslexia. What's more, they can make a significant contribution to improving model solutions of therapeutic and educational work with students with special educational needs. Keywords: Emotional and social competences, reading practice, students with dyslexia, adolescence. 1 INTRODUCTION In recent years in theoretical and empirical work on specific difficulties in learning, a lot of space has been devoted to issues related to diagnosing dyslexia and developing reliable diagnostic tools [1], [2] [3] identifying effective forms of corrective-compensating works [4], [5], [6] and social and emotional functioning of students with development dyslexia [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]. In many works students with dyslexia were seen primarily through the prism of occurring in them learning difficulties [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18] and the accompanying problems in socio-emotional functioning [19], [20], [21], [22]. In these studies, it was emphasized, among others, that children at risk of dyslexia exhibit an inferior level of social competence before the start of school than children without the risk [23] and that the important factors influencing the quality of social functioning of children with specific learning difficulties are emotional control and own behavior regulation skills [24]. Over the past decade, there are also more and more works in which the topic of creative and artistic skills of pupils with specific learning difficulties is taken up [25], [26] [27], [28], as well as the issue of the importance of cultural activity, including the use of products of popular culture for the psychosocial functioning of dyslexic students [29]. Relatively few studies, however, still apply to reading practices of children and young people with specific learning difficulties, taking into account. such aspects as frequency of reading, reading preferences, factors determining the selection of specific types of books, the use of electronic media, or reading pleasure. This problem seems to be particularly important, given the significant functions of culture and literature for the development of children and youths, including students with special educational needs, which are defined at least in J. Bruner's concept of psychocultural development or concept of socio-cultural development by L. Vygotsky. The conducted so far experimental studies more often focused on the issue of the use of new technological solutions in assistance of learning skills. It was shown in them, among others, the reducing of negative emotional and behavioral consequences as well as increased motivation to learn in people with specific learning disabilities who have used audiobooks [30] and improving the quality of reading in e- book using people with dyslexia [31], [32]. Taking into account the fact that currently research highlights a significant, positive role of early reading experience in shaping the readiness for literacy (both in children developing harmoniously and from the risk groups), thereby optimizing opportunities for children to achieve an educational success [33] it seems important and justified to undertake research on the quality of students' reading practices. Of particular interest seems to be the recognition of relationships between the reading activity of older, adolescent children with dyslexia and no dyslexia and their emotional and social competences, and thus the search for answers to the question whether and which aspects of reading Proceedings of EDULEARN18 Conference 2nd-4th July 2018, Palma, Mallorca, Spain ISBN: 978-84-09-02709-5 5072