The Oral Syntactic Proficiency of Learning Disabled Students

1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Froma P. Roth ◽  
Nancy J. Spekman
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Syntactic Structures ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
Correct Usage ◽  
Direct Contrast ◽  
Post Hoc

A comprehensive analysis of syntactic complexity was performed on spontaneously generated oral stories obtained from 93 learning disabled (LD) and normally achieving (NA) students, 14 to 16 each at 8:0–9:11 (years:months), 10:0–11:11, and 12:0–13:11 age levels. Syntactic complexity was measured using a structural constituent analysis and a T-unit analysis. In direct contrast to the extant LD literature, the results revealed almost identical rates of correct usage and extremely similar patterns of usage between the LD and NA subjects on all measures. Post-hoc analyses indicated that three syntactic structures were used by a significantly greater percentage of NA subjects than LD students. The significance of these findings is discussed with respect to: (a) previous and current characterizations of syntactic abilities of LD students; and (b) the importance of differentiating between statistical and clinical significance for the meaningful interpretation of research data.

Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities on Validity Indexes of the Perception of Ability Scale for Students

1992 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Chapman ◽  
Frederic J. Boersma
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Learning Problems ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Regular Form ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Response Biases

The present study examined the performance of 78 students with learning disabilities and 71 normally achieving students in regular Form 1 (Grade 6) classes on three validity indexes of the Perception of Ability Scale for Students, a measure of academic self-concept. The three indexes assess consistency of responding, negative or positive response biases, and misrepresentation of self-perceptions in terms of unrealistic perceptions of perfection in school. Analysis showed that learning disabled students obtained significantly lower Full Scale scores than the normal students, but no significant differences appeared on the three validity indexes. Users of the test can be confident that learning disabled students respond to items in as valid a manner as other students. Having specific learning problems in school should not interfere with response patterns on this scale.

Effect of Educational Kinesiology on Static Balance of Learning Disabled Students

1988 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guruchiter Kaur Khalsa ◽  
G. S. Don Morris ◽  
Josie M. Sifft
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Static Balance ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Individual Session ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Educational Kinesiology ◽  
Movement Group ◽  
Post Hoc

Educational Kinesiology is a movement-based program designed to enhance academic performance and may also influence performance of motor skills. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Educational Kinesiology techniques of repatterning and/or integration movements affected static balance of 60 learning disabled students, ranging in age from 7 to 11 yr. Subjects were matched on age and sex and assigned to one of three groups: control, movement, or repatterned. Children in the repatterned group received a 10-min. individual session of combined arm and leg movements coordinated with eye-placements prior to the start of the 6-wk. program. Both treatment groups then participated in a movement program for 5 min. twice a day, 5 days a week for 6 wk. The control group received no exposure to these special techniques. Static balance was pretested and posttested in each group using the Modified Stork Stand test. A one-way analysis of variance indicated a significant difference between groups. A Scheffé post hoc test showed that the repatterned group improved more than the movement group, who in turn improved more than the control group.

A comparison of normally achieving, mildly retarded, and learning disabled students on a perceptually based oddity task

1993 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia S. Scott ◽  
Ruth Perou ◽  
Daryl Greenfield ◽  
Mary F. Partridge ◽  
Leslie J. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Oddity Task ◽  
Normally Achieving

Effects of Discourse Mode on the Syntactic Complexity of Learning Disabled Students' Written Expression

1984 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa K. Blair ◽  
W. Donald Crump
Keyword(s):  
Average Length ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Written Expression ◽  
Syntactic Complexity ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Density Score ◽  
Complexity Results ◽  
Two Measures

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of discourse mode on the syntactic complexity of the written expression of learning disabled students at three grade levels. A film without narration was used to elicit written language samples in each of the two discourse modes, description and argumentation. Two measures of syntactic complexity — average length of T-unit and Syntactic Density Score — were employed to determine differences between the two modes. In addition, sentence types and syntactic patterns were examined as indices of syntactic complexity. Results of the investigation and implications of these results are discussed.

The Effects of Illustrations on the Reading Performance of Learning Disabled and Normal Children

1983 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean R. Harber
Keyword(s):  
Test Score ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Reading Performance ◽  
Intelligence Test ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Normal Children ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Normally Achieving

This study examined the effect of three illustration conditions — no illustrations, complete illustrations, and partial illustrations — on the reading performance of learning disabled and normally achieving children. With the effects of chronological age and intelligence test score controlled, illustrations were found to exert a detrimental effect on the learning disabled subjects' performance but a beneficial effect on the performance of normally achieving subjects. Findings are discussed as they relate to the selection and/or adaptation of instructional materials for learning disabled students.

Correlations of Reading Achievement and Ability for Learning Disabled Students

1983 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 212-214
Author(s):  
George D. Labercane
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
School System ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Limited Sample ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
Education Class ◽  
The Relationship

5 boys and 7 girls enrolled in a special education class in a large metropolitan school system participated in a pilot study of the relationship between achievement in reading, spelling, arithmetic, and ability as measured by the WISC-R and Basic Visual-memory Association Test. The Test of Reading Comprehension was also administered. Achievement in reading, spelling, and arithmetic was significantly related to performance on all three measures. The lack of correlation of all other variables with the Test of Reading Comprehension suggests these learning disabled youngsters' inability to identify words successfully may preclude them from processing the relational aspects of meaning in longer discourse. That results were based on a very limited sample points to the need for further studies with larger samples of learning disabled and normally achieving students.

Computerized Cognitive Training with Learning Disabled Students: A Pilot Study

1992 ◽  
Vol 71 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1347-1356 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Talbot ◽  
M. Pépin ◽  
M. Loranger
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Mental Arithmetic ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Skills Development ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Disabled Students ◽  
Computerized Cognitive Training

The effects of practicing computerized exercises in class by 59 learning disabled students who received an 8-hr. training program, 30 min. per week, were evaluated. Six exercises designed to facilitate basic cognitive skills development were used. Twelve subjects were assigned to a control group without any form of intervention. Covariance analysis (pretest scores used as covariates) showed a significant effect of training on mental arithmetic. These results suggest that practicing a computerized exercise of mental arithmetic can facilitate the automatization of basic arithmetic skills (addition, subtraction, and multiplication). The nature, progress, and evaluation of such types of intervention are discussed.

Syntactic Development in the Oral Language of Learning Disabled and Normal Students at the Intermediate and Secondary Level

1983 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle B. Simms ◽  
W. Donald Crump
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Oral Language Development ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
Density Score ◽  
Crucial Component ◽  
Syntactic Development ◽  
Two Indices

Syntax is a crucial component of oral language development. Frequently, learning disabled children's oral language development is characterized by syntax problems. Hence, since deviations in oral language development may form the basis for identification of learning disabilities, adequate indices of oral language development are needed. The purpose of this study was to explore two indices of syntactic development in oral language, the T-unit and the Syntactic Density Score. Learning disabled students and a matched group of normally achieving peers were compared on these indices at four age levels. Results are reported for each measure along with a discussion and implications.

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