Erratum: Expanding vocabulary and sight word growth through guided play in a pre-primary classroom

No abstract available.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Reading and Writing Interventions for Students with Disorders of Intellectual Development

Students with disorders of intellectual development (ID) experience challenges in reading and writing, indicating the need for research-based interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of reading and writing interventions for students aged 4–19 with disorders of ID using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs (QEDs). We conducted electronic searches of relevant databases, backward and forward searches, and contacted experts in the field. Based on predefined criteria, nine studies were included in the systematic review, and seven were included in the meta-analysis. The reading interventions included decoding strategies, often combined with sight-word and supplemental instructions appropriate to the participants’ adaptive and cognitive skills. None of the studies aimed to increase writing skills. The overall mean effect size from the reading interventions for trained reading was large (g = 0.95, 95% CI = [0.51, 1.38]), for transfer reading small-to-moderate (g = 0.49, 95% CI = [0.20, 0.78]) and for transfer writing small (g = 0.04, 95% CI = [−0.36, 0.44]). Students with disorders of ID can benefit from reading interventions combining decoding strategies and sight word reading. There is a need for RCT and QED studies investigating writing interventions for students with disorders of ID only.

A descriptive study on reading instruction provided to students with intellectual disability

Little is known about the content and quality of reading instruction provided to students with intellectual disability. This study aimed to describe the reading instruction provided to students with intellectual disability who were not yet readers in self-contained elementary classrooms. The teachers of 24 classrooms participated in the study. Systematic observations of reading lessons, follow-up interviews with the teachers, review of teaching material, and content analysis of students’ individualized education plans were conducted. Findings indicate that phonics and phonological awareness were taught in most of the classrooms. However, phonics was taught systematically, as recommended in the research, in only less than half of the classes. Sight-word instruction and vocabulary instruction were observed in more than half of the classes. Comprehension instruction of texts read aloud by the teacher was observed in only about a third of the classrooms. Recommendations to support teachers in enhancing the quality of reading instruction are provided.

Computer-Based Reading Interventions with a Post-Secondary Student with Intellectual Disability: Self-Determined and Fixed Response Intervals

Working with a post-secondary student with intellectual disability, an adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare sight-word acquisition across three computer-delivered learning trial interventions: one with fixed 5-s response intervals, another with fixed 1-s response intervals, and a third with self-determined intervals. Visual analysis of session-series graphs suggest that all three interventions increased sight-word acquisition with the 5-s and self-determined interventions causing more steady and consistent learning per session than the 1-s intervention. Analysis of the time-series graph suggests that the self-determined intervention caused superior learning rates to the other interventions. From an applied perspective, the self-determined intervention is the most appropriate remedial procedure for this student because it resulted in the most rapid learning. Discussion focuses on the value of making relative-effectiveness decisions based on measures of learning as a function of time spent learning (learning speed) versus measures of learning as a function of sessions or trials.

Opposition “living – lifeless” and antique imagery in “Tales and Trials of Love” by Jeanne Flore

This article examines the previously unstudied aspects of the concept of true love in “Tales and Trials of Love” by Jeanne Flore based on the material of second novel in the compilation. The subject of this research is the ancient images, which reflect the central topics of the book – role of sensuality and dangers caused by it. A detailed analysis is conducted on the opposition “living – lifeless”, which is structured through the motifs of sight, word, kiss and image of a human-statue. Within the new concept of true love, which dictates to reciprocate the feelings of those seeking love, the danger hides not sensuality, but in resisting it. The novella in question stands out in the compilation, as it is the only “tale” which focus falls on sensorics to convey a warning. Special attention is given to the images of eyes and mouth, which mark the boundary between external and internal, and play the key role in the motif of poisoning. When does a fatal act takes place? When “lifeless" is behind the living (which can be achieved only by witchcraft), and the other way around. Using the ancient images, Jeanne Flore demonstrates how a sight and words of the heroes can be poisonous and upon contact with the Other can translate characteristics of the hero’s inner world (such as indifference, static character, lifelessness) to others, thereby "poisoning" them to death. This article is first to analyze the opposition of “living – lifeless” on the material of references to ancient mythology in “Love and Trials of Love”, which defines the scientific novelty.