Date Approved

5-22-2018

Embargo Period

5-23-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA Learning Disabilities

Department

Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Accardo, Amy

Committee Member 1

Kuder, Sydney J.

Committee Member 2

Xin, Joy

Keywords

Mnemonics, Vocabulary Instruction

Subject(s)

Learning disabled teenagers--Education; Language arts--Correlation with content subjects

Disciplines

Language and Literacy Education | Special Education and Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mnemonic devices on the acquisition and retention of social studies vocabulary by high school students with learning disabilities. Six students, four male and two female, from a pull-out U.S. history I resource class participated in the study. The research was conducted using a single-subject ABAB design. During baseline, students were evaluated on their acquisition of vocabulary taught using traditional methods. During intervention, students were evaluated on their retention of vocabulary taught using teacher created mnemonic devices. Results show that the use of mnemonic devices increased the acquisition and retention of vocabulary. A student survey given after instruction showed a satisfactory rating in ease and enjoyment of using mnemonics. Further research is needed to examine possible long-term benefits of mnemonic strategies for students with learning disabilities.

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