This study contains a theoretical article and an empirical article to investigate and
discuss an intervention programme for dyslectic learners with regard to their reading
and spelling problems. The following discussion also serves as summary of the findings
and conclusions reached by the researcher in each article.
The literature study focuses on the causes of dyslexia by referring to neurological,
genetic, teratogenic, and environmental and educational causes. In the discussion of the
identification and assessment of dyslexia, the IQ discrepancy theory is discussed. The
discussion of the cognitive, academic and behavioural characteristics of dyslectic
learners illuminates the identification of these learners for the sake of using the correct
intervention strategies.
From the literature study, it is clear that dyslectic learners do not benefit by current
teaching programmes following the phonological method. Neuro-imaging techniques
have shown that dyslectic learners activate the right hemisphere of the brain (which is
normally not suitable for language use) to execute phonological instructions. Therefore,
better results are obtained when dyslectic learners' strong point, namely their
visualisation ability, is used during language exercises. An overview is given of the
various kinds of dyslexia, where it has been found in the literature study that a large
majority of dyslectic learners have a strong visualisation ability.
Researchers differ about the way in which dyslectic learners should be taught, however,
and a variety of intervention programmes found in the literature are discussed. This
study focuses on the Ron Davis program as an intervention programme, because the
programme focuses on the learning preference of the dyslectic learner. It is a multisensory
programme that focuses on visual, kinaesthetic and cognitive strategies. In the empirical article, the development and implementation of a remedial intervention
programme, which is based on the Ron Davis program, for intermediate Afrikaansspeaking
dyslectic learners is investigated and discussed.
The research study has been completed at a school for learners with learning disabilities
in the Motheo district in the Free State. Dyslectic learners in the experimental group (N
= 18) were exposed to the remediation intervention programme that is based on the Ron
Davis program, while dyslectic learners in the control group (N = 18) were receiving
their normal remedial teaching.
Research results in this empirical investigation have demonstrated that the reading and
spelling achievements of Afrikaans-speaking intermediate dyslectic learners
(experimental group) were significantly better after exposure to the remedial
intervention programme that is based on the Ron Davis program than the reading and
spelling achievements of the Afrikaans-speaking intermediate dyslectic learners (control
group, N =18) that were not exposed to this programme.
The conclusion the researcher reached after completing the study is that the word
recognition and spelling achievements of Afrikaans-speaking intermediate dyslectic
learners can improve significantly by exposing these dyslectic learners to a remedial
intervention programme that is based on the Ron Davis program.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-09182009-131416 |
| Date | 18 September 2009 |
| Creators | Tolmie, SJ |
| Contributors | Dr MG Badenhorst, Dr A van Staden |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-09182009-131416/restricted/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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