Linguistic and Metacognitive Aspects of Normally Achieving and Learning Disabled Children's Communication Process

1983 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet L. Olsen ◽  
Bernice Y.L. Wong ◽  
Ronald W. Marx
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Board Game ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
Communication Problems ◽  
Regulatory Strategies ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Continue Research ◽  
Pragmatic Strategies

This paper reports on two experiments which examined the linguistic and metacognitive aspects of the communication process in normally achieving and learning disabled children. In the first experiment, 15 normally achieving and 30 learning disabled children were individually taught a board game. Results showed that in communicating with a partner, learning disabled children were less aware of sociolinguistic strategy and used fewer planfulness strategies than their normally achieving peers. Moreover, they used substantially fewer tag questions, adverbs, and prepositional phrases. These results confirmed previous research findings on learning disabled children's communication problems. In the second experiment, 15 of the learning disabled children were trained to use sociolinguistic strategies of planfulness for one half hour a day for three days. The remaining 15 LD subjects engaged in an irrelevant task. Posttests followed training. To test for maintenance and generalization of learned skills, the trained group was asked to teach the board game and another game to a peer and a first grader four days after the posttest. Results indicated that training increased learning disabled children's sociolinguistic awareness and their use of sociolinguistic strategies of planfulness. Interestingly, the trained group's language increased in complexity after training. While use of pragmatic strategies was maintained, generalization of the trained skills and of the changes in linguistic complexity was not observed. Results suggest the need to continue research on learning disabled children's language problems and the importance of incorporating self-regulatory strategies in training programs designed to improve learning disabled children's communication skills.

Effects of Illustrations on Reading Performance: Implications for Further LD Research

1980 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean R. Harber
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Word Recognition ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Reading Performance ◽  
Beginning Readers ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Printed Word ◽  
Low Ability

This article reviews available research findings on the influence of illustrations on the reading performance (i.e., word recognition and reading comprehension) of beginning readers in general and in specific subgroups of beginning readers (e.g., poor achievers, low-ability students). Findings suggest that the presence of illustrations interferes with poorly achieving and low-ability children's performance on word recognition tasks and that illustrations are of questionable value to such children's performance on reading comprehension tasks. The possibility that illustrations serve to distract the poor reader's attention from the printed word is discussed. The inability to filter out extraneous stimuli and focus selectively on a task frequently seen in learning disabled children is presented in terms of selective attention theory. Suggestions are offered for further research on the effect of illustrations on learning disabled youngsters' reading performance.

Free Recall and Subjective Organization in Performance of Learning Disabled Children

1977 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry J. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Free Recall ◽  
Elementary School Children ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Recall Task ◽  
Subjective Organization ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
Free Recall Task ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
Categorical Clustering ◽  
Learning Trials

16 learning disabled elementary school children were compared with 16 normally achieving classmates on a 12-item free-recall task administered over 12 learning trials. Learning disabled children were expected to exhibit deficit in recall and deficient organization of the material. A slight deficit in recall was noted with virtually identical scores on subjective organization. Results are inconsistent with previous research using categorical clustering as an index of organization.

Concurrent Verbal and Emotion Laterality Effects Exhibited by Normally Achieving and Learning Disabled Children

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Obrzut ◽  
M.P. Bryden ◽  
Patricia Lange ◽  
M. Barbara Bulman-Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
Normally Achieving

Dyadic Verbal Communication Abilities of Learning Disabled and Normally Achieving Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Boys

1981 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Spekman
Keyword(s):  
Information Content ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
5Th Grade ◽  
And Training

This study examined the dyadic verbal communication skills of learning disabled and normally achieving 4th- and 5th-grade boys. The performances of 12 learning disabled children paired with 12 normally achieving children were compared with those of 12 dyads composed only of normally achieving children. The children exchanged information regarding a pattern of blocks under conditions varying the channels available for communication and feedback. All children performed the tasks in both Speaker and Listener roles. A measure of dyadic success was determined. In addition, the language used by the children was examined to obtain information on such variables as information content, response to questions, questions asked, and amount and efficiency of interactions. Dyads involving learning disabled children were found to be less successful and less efficient than those consisting of only normally achieving children. Further, the learning disabled children performed less successfully in certain aspects of the Speaker and Listener roles. Implications for assessment, class performance, and training are discussed.

Activating the Inactive Learner: Use of Questions/Prompts to Enhance Comprehension and Retention of Implied Information in Learning Disabled Children

1980 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernice Y. L. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Sixth Graders ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
Educational Implications

This article reports the findings of two studies involving comprehension and retention of implied information in learning disabled and normally achieving second and sixth graders. In the first study, evidence was obtained of inadequate processing of implied information in learning disabled children in both grades. In the second study, a simple questions/prompts procedure brought about improved/adequate processing of implied information in new, comparable groups of learning disabled second and sixth graders. The results were interpreted to support Torgesen's conceptualization of the learning disabled child as an inactive learner. Lastly, educational implications of the results were discussed.

Locus of Control and Learning Disabilities: A Review and Discussion

1982 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 503-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis C. Dudley-Marling ◽  
Vicki Snider ◽  
Sara G. Tarver
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Learned Helplessness ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Learning Disabled ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
External Locus ◽  
Normally Achieving ◽  
External Locus Of Control ◽  
The Relationship

It has been widely reported that an external locus of control is associated with children who experience failure. A review of the relevant literature indicates that learning disabled children, like other groups of children who have experienced failure, are more likely to exhibit an external locus of control than their normally achieving peers. In particular, learning disabled children have been found to be more likely than normally achieving students to attribute their successes, but not their failures, to external factors. The relationship of the locus of control construct to the field of learning disabilities is discussed in terms of four questions: (1) what is the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement?, (2) how is locus of control related to learned helplessness?, (3) is a change in locus of control orientation desirable?, and (4) what is the utility of locus of control for the education of learning disabled children? It is concluded that, in the course of remediation, attention should be devoted to the entire syndrome of characteristics associated with failure but within the context of academic intervention.

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