Comparison of Academic and Cognitive Programs for Young Handicapped Children

Dale, P.; Cole, K.

Abstract:

This study examined two contrasting early education curriculum models for kindergarten and preschool students with mild handicaps. Eighty-one students participated in the study with 61 in the preschool program and 22 in the kindergarten program. Students were randomly assigned to either a Direct Instruction or Mediated Learning (ML) classroom. Multiple measures were administered throughout the year to examine changes in student achievement. Results indicated students in both programs had growth in skills, but each program had differing effects according to the different testing materials. The students in the ML program demonstrated greater achievement on the Mean Length of Utterance test and the McCarthy Verbal and Memory Scales tests. The students in the Direct Instruction program demonstrated greater achievement on the Basic Language Concepts test and the Test of Early Language Development. Additionally, the kindergarten students in the Direct Instruction program demonstrated greater achievement than their peers in the ML program. (Copyright © 2011, National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI). All rights reserved).

Research areas:

• Project Follow Through

Year:

1988

Main publication type:

Program Effectiveness

Subtype:

Article

Keywords:

Reading; language; students with learning disabilities; Mediated Learning; early education

Source:

Exceptional Children

Volume:

54

Number:

5

Pages:

439-447

Design type:

Pretest-posttest control group with random assignment design

Fidelity monitored:

Yes

Students included:

Preschool students, kindergarten students, students with mild handicaps, students with learning disabilities, Caucasian students, African American students, Asian students, Pacific Islander students, Hispanic students, Native American students

Other tags:

Students with learning disabilities, early education, language, reading, Mediated Learning, McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), Test of Early Language Development (TELD), Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), Basic Language Concepts (BLC), Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA), Test of Early Mathematics Ability (TEMA), Stanford Early School Achievement Test (SESAT)

Location/Setting:

Seattle metropolitan area, public schools