A study of the effect of multisensory writing instruction on the written expression of the dyslexic elementary child
Dyslexic students struggle to read and write at a level commensurate with their intellectual ability. This study examines the impact of remedial instruction on reading and writing progress of six fourth grade students chosen from three different schools within one school district. These six students, all males, had been previously identified as having characteristics of dyslexia as defined by the protocol in their school district. The remedial instruction for these students was provided in a pullout setting by one itinerant teacher. The instruction was administered in two forty-minute sessions over a period of thirteen weeks. Project Read Written Expression was the program used for this instruction. Every effort was made to maintain as much consistency in the remedial instruction of these students as was possible. There were, however, variables which could not be eliminated. The students' classroom teachers had varying degrees of training and experience in administering instruction based upon a multisensory structured language program. The actual physical setting provided for the instruction varied from school to school, affecting the consistency of instructional time. The willingness and desire to participate, as well as the degree to which each student was supported and encouraged by his teacher and parents, was inconsistent. Reading progress (skill in decoding and comprehension) was assessed via pre- and post-testing using the Gray Oral Reading Test-4 (GORT-4). Progress in written language skills was assessed via pre- and post-testing using the Test of Written Language-3 (TOWL-3). Writing samples were collected at each lesson. Testing revealed that some students made progress in reading comprehension. Subtests of the TOWL-3 also indicated some progress in writing skills.
multisensory structured language, dyslexia
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