Thesis (Ph. D.)--Lehigh University, 2005. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-123).

Thesis--University of Florida. / Description based on print version record. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-116).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-75).

Few studies have investigated the differences between poor readers/poor spellers (SRD) and good readers who demonstrate unexpectedly poor spelling skills (SSD). Those that have done so have been mainly concerned with searching for psycholinguistic similarities and differences. This dissertation project is believed to be the first comparison of the two disorders on a task that did not involve the use of alphanumeric stimuli. From a review of neuropsychological and language arts research into reading and spelling failure, it was hypothesized that both SSD and SRD might be differentiated from good reader/superior spellers (GRS) by their responses to a line orientation task which had been proven to be a valid indicator of right hemisphere function. A previous study had found that this task, presented concurrently with right or left hand tapping, discriminated between good and poor Native Indian readers (Stellern, Collins, Cossairt & Gutierrez, 1986). The theoretical underpinning of the current study suggested that these results may have been more closely related to spelling than reading ability. Empirical support for this hypothesis was sought by comparing the performance of SSD, SRD and GRS early adolescents on the concurrent tapping-line orientation judgement task. The data supported this hypothesis in that the SSD and SRD groups differed from the GRS group in demonstrating significantly more tapping interference in the right hand condition. Unexpectedly, however, all three groups performed similarly with respect to rate and accuracy in judging line orientation. As these results were ambiguous as to whether the right hand tapping interference experienced by the poor spellers was the result of differences in hemisphere processing of spatial stimuli, other possible explanations are considered in the discussion. / Graduate

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The research literature has substantiated that many children diagnosed as having oral language impairments demonstrate reading problems at school-age. Few studies, however, have investigated the achievement of language-impaired children on individual reading skills, or the relationship between type of language deficit and type of reading disability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of children with receptive language impairments (Receptives), children with expressive language impairments (Expressives), and children with no identified language or learning problems (Controls) on the reading skills of word attack, word recognition, vocabulary and comprehension. The subjects, ages 10-0 to 12-11, were 29 children enrolled in self-contained classes for the severely language impaired (SLI), and 37 normal children. The SLI subjects were categorized as Receptives (n = 24) or Expressives (n = 5) based on their performance on the Test of Language Development-Intermediate (TOLD-I). Reading scores were obtained for four subtests of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised (WRMT-R) and for two subtests of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). Results of univariate analyses demonstrated Controls performed significantly (p < .05) better on all of the reading subtests than did either of the language-impaired groups. No difference was found between the Receptives and the Expressives on any subtest, possibly due to the small number of Expressive subjects. Because no differences were found between the language-impaired groups, they were combined to form a single group. Results of correlational analyses demonstrated correlations above .45 among all reading subtests for the Controls, indicating they measure similar abilities. For the SLI group, the subtests of the WRMT-R were highly correlated with each other (r < .65), but shared moderate correlations (.27 to .49) with the ITBS subtests. For the SLI group, the two ITBS subtests shared a low (.24) correlation. The Control group demonstrated reading achievement within normal limits, whereas the SLI group scored at least 2.4 years below the Controls on all subtests. For each group, profiles of subtest performance were flat, indicating that neither group demonstrates particular reading strengths or weaknesses.

Learning disabled students have been described as "inactive" learners. They have difficulty organizing their learning environment and seem to lack the awareness of a need to develop methods or strategies to help themselves in accomplishing tasks. Research suggests that learning disabled students are able to learn strategies. In examining the academic area where most of these students have the greatest difficulty, it was found that reading comprehension is the predominate area of need for remediation. The major purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using a questioning strategy with learning disabled students to increase discussion participation and to increase reading comprehension. The study had a dual research focus: a teacher training component and a student component. Twenty randomly selected resource teachers were chosen to participate. One-half of these teachers were involved in a five weekend workshop course on questioning strategies where teachers learned how to ask higher cognitive level questions. The other half of the teachers received no training during the study. The 60 students were all learning disabled fifth and sixth graders having difficulty with reading, but reading at least on a third grade level. The data collection instrument TICOR, a mini-computer, was used to collect observational data reflecting student-teacher interaction (discussion) following the reading of a narrative story. The techniques taught to the students focused on the oral discussion. Written comprehension tests were administered before and after the workshops as well as one month later. It was found that there were significant differences between the two groups; the teachers in the workshops asked significantly higher cognitive level questions. As this group asked higher level questions, the students would respond with higher level answers. It was also found that there was no difference between the two groups in their performance on the written comprehension tests. Because of the emphasis on the oral discussion skills, this finding seems to demonstrate that learning disabled students have difficulty using strategies acquired through incidential learning and also have difficulty transferring oral skills to written tasks.