The relationship between perceptual modality strengths and methods for remediating reading disabilities
Date
1974
Authors
McMurchy, Margaret Elizabeth
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Abstract
An attempt was made to ascertain whether, for boys with a specific reading disability, a word recognition task would be facilitated by a method which placed emphasis on the S's stronger perceptual modality.
On the basis of the Embedded Figures test (Spreen & Benton, 1969) and the Meikle Consonant Perception test (Meikle, 1970), 30 boys were divided into three perceptual groups (average on both tests, low on the visual test and average on the auditory, and low on the auditory and average on the visual) . Two word lists were taught to each S individually by two methods. The Visual method emphasized visual cues and the Auditory method placed emphasis on the phonetic aspects of the words. Repeated measures analyses of variance were carried out on the four measures collected: Trials to Criterion, Time to Criterion, Recall, and Words per Minute.
Results revealed that there was no Method x Group interaction. The .Visual method appeared to be more effective for all groups than the Auditory method. Possible reasons for the findings were discussed: (a) the Auditory method was seen to be more difficult than the Visual, (b) the word recognition task did not appear to be demanding enough to demonstrate Method x Group differences if these, did exist, and (c) it was felt that lack of group homogeneity on age and IQ variables may have influenced the results, although a post hoc analysis of three groups matched on Performance IQ showed the same pattern of differences as the original groups. A further post hoc analysis of two groups homogeneous for age, IQ, and severity of reading disability showed some support for the hypothesized facilitation of learning.
Recommendations for future research included the need for clarification of (a) the relevant dimensions of group homogeneity, (b) the visual and auditory components essential to the reading process, and (c) the relationship of functions tapped by perceptual tests to the reading process. The inclusion in the design of a measure of learning process in addition to the traditional measure of recall was found to be important for providing additional clarification of results.