ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of computer-assisted practice on reading and spelling in children with learning disabilities (LD). We compared three practice conditions, one with reading and two with spelling, in order to test whether computer-based reading and spelling practice has an influence on the development of reading and spelling ability in children with LD. A sample was selected of 85 children with LD, with age range between 8 years and 10 years (age, M=111.02, SD=9.6), whose spelling performance was two years below grade level. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) Copy the target word from the computer screen (n=22), 2) Memorize the target word and write it from memory (n=21), 3) Word reading (n=21), and 4) the untrained control group (n=21). We administered measures of pseudoword reading, phonological awareness, phonological word decoding and orthographical word decoding tasks. We examined the learning effects and transfer effects on words classified as a function of length, consistency, and complexity of syllable structure. Overall, the results showed that reading training did not improve spelling; however, the children who participated in the copy training condition improved their spelling skills.
Subject(s)
Computer-Assisted Instruction , Learning Disabilities/rehabilitation , Reading , Writing , Articulation Disorders/psychology , Articulation Disorders/rehabilitation , Child , Feedback, Psychological , Female , Humans , Intelligence Tests , Learning Disabilities/psychology , Male , Memory , Memory Disorders/psychology , Memory Disorders/rehabilitation , Phonetics , Software , Verbal LearningABSTRACT
El objetivo de esta investigación consistió en analizar los efectos de la práctica asistida a través de ordenador en la lectura y ortografía de niños con dificultades de aprendizaje en escritura (DAE) en lengua española. Comparamos tres condiciones de práctica, una con lectura y las otras dos con escritura. Para ello se utilizó un diseño de grupo control pretest-postest. Participaron un total de 85 sujetos con DAE, entre 8 y 10 años de edad (M= 111.02; DT= 9.6). Los sujetos presentaban un retraso en escritura de dos años y se asignaron al azar a cuatro grupos experimentales: un grupo de tratamiento copiaba la palabra directamente de la pantalla del ordenador (n= 22), un grupo de tratamiento escribía la palabra de memoria (n= 21), un grupo de tratamiento solo leía la palabra en voz alta (n= 21) y un grupo control que no recibía tratamiento (n= 21). Se analizaron los efectos directos y de transferencia del tratamiento sobre la escritura de palabras que difieren en longitud, consistencia ortográfica y estructura silábica. Los resultados mostraron que la lectura no mejora la ortografía, y que la condición de copia ayudó a los niños con DAE a mejorar sus habilidades ortográficas (AU)
The main purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of computer-assisted practice on reading and spelling in children with learning disabilities (LD). We compared three practice conditions, one with reading and two with spelling, in order to test whether computer-based reading and spelling practice has an influence on the development of reading and spelling ability in children with LD. A sample was selected of 85 children with LD, with age range between 8 years and 10 years (age, M= 111.02, SD= 9.6), whose spelling performance was two years below grade level. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) Copy the target word from the computer screen (n= 22), 2) Memorize the target word and write it from memory (n= 21), 3) Word reading (n= 21), and 4) the untrained control group (n= 21). We administered measures of pseudoword reading, phonological awareness, phonological word decoding and orthographical word decoding tasks. We examined the learning effects and transfer effects on words classified as a function of length, consistency, and complexity of syllable structure. Overall, the results showed that reading training did not improve spelling; however, the children who participated in the copy training condition improved their spelling skills (AU)
