The present study investigated the effects of two computer programs, developed to enhance decoding ability, on the long-term reading performance of learning-disabled students. Fourteen students selected for their slow, laborious reading style received 15 minutes daily of computer-guided practice with the Hint and Hunt and Construct A Word programs designed by DLM. A matched control group received the same amount of computer time over a full school year in areas other than reading. Pre and post measures of reading included speed and accuracy on a computer based task of individual word reading and a sentence verification task. In addition, standardized measures of reading such as the Gilmore Oral Reading Test and the reading subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational battery were employed. Although substantial reading gains were made over the course of the year by both groups, differential gains favoring the treatment group were detected only for the speed and accuracy measures on the individual word reading task. Thus, the computer-guided practice led to significant gains in decoding accuracy and efficiency but these gains did not translate into broader enhancement of reading performance. These data are interpreted as supporting the weak version of the verbal efficiency theory, rather than the strong version. That is, this study supports the notion that efficient decoding may be a necessary but not sufficient component of skilled reading. Recommendations for the use of computers in special education classrooms are offered. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-07, Section: A, page: 2014. / Major Professor: Joseph K. Torgesen. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78032 |
| Contributors | Greenstein, Jonathan Jay., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 84 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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