Facilitating Learning Disabled Students' Acquisition of Science Classifications

Thirty-six learning disabled junior-high school students were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions to learn three dichotomous classifications for each of eight minerals: hardness level (hard-soft), color (pale-dark), and common use (home-industry). In the direct-instruction condition, students were taught the mineral classifications according to the principles of direct instruction (i.e., student participation with repeated practice and reinforcement). In the mnemonic-instruction condition, students were shown thematic illustrations that integrated each of the minerals and its symbolized attribute classifications. Finally, in the free-study condition, students were instructed to learn the eight minerals using whichever method they chose. Results showed that students who learned via mnemonic instruction outperformed those who were allowed free study. The latter group, in turn, outperformed the direct-instruction subjects. Implications for classroom instruction are drawn.