Date Approved

4-20-1998

Embargo Period

8-12-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Learning Disabilities

Department

Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Urban, Stanley

Subject(s)

Children with mental disabilities--Education (Elementary); Reading (Kindergarten)

Disciplines

Disability and Equity in Education

Abstract

This study is an evaluation of the development of pre-reading skills in kindergarten children in a Multiply Handicapped program. Phonemic awareness activities from the Project ASSIST Kindergarten Curriculum were used to supplement traditional kindergarten instruction in the experimental group. Two kindergarten classrooms for children with Multiple Handicaps comprised the sample (N = 13). The control group had five students, while the experimental group had eight. Instruction in phonemic awareness was delivered to the experimental group for a period of approximately four months. A variety of multi-sensory activities were used daily in the classroom in addition to the kindergarten curriculum. The control group utilized only the traditional kindergarten curriculum during the same period of instruction. Four subtests of the Slosson Test of Reading Readiness were used to measure growth in pre-reading skills. Growth was determined by the difference of the post and pre test scores for the subtests and the whole. Due to the small sample size and the varied needs of the population studied, conclusions from this study must be made cautiously. The results of this small group indicate the probability that greater progress in reading readiness skills is attained with the use of this kind of stimulation.

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