Biomaterial Database

Enhancing the spelling performance of learning disabled students. Task variation does not increase the efficacy of directed rehearsal. 1991

N N Singh, and S Farquhar, and A E Hewett

We investigated whether the efficacy of directed rehearsal could be enhanced by increasing a student's motivation through task variation. The efficacy of three conditions (directed rehearsal, directed rehearsal combined with task variation, and no-training control) on the spelling performance of four students with learning disabilities was compared in an alternating treatments design. Following each spelling error during the directed rehearsal condition, the teacher pronounced the word, the student pronounced the word, the teacher said aloud each letter of the word, and the student said aloud each letter of the word as he wrote the word correctly. This sequence was repeated five times. The same procedure was used during directed rehearsal plus task variation, except that previously learned words were alternately presented with new words. Results showed that although the two training conditions were more effective than no training, there was no difference between the two training procedures in terms of the cumulative number of words learned to criterion. This study showed that the addition of task variation to directed rehearsal does not increase the spelling proficiency of learning disabled students.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007859	Learning Disabilities	Conditions characterized by a significant discrepancy between an individual's perceived level of intellect and their ability to acquire new language and other cognitive skills. These may result from organic or psychological conditions. Relatively common subtypes include DYSLEXIA, DYSCALCULIA, and DYSGRAPHIA.	Adolescent Learning Disabilities,Adult Learning Disabilities,Child Learning Disabilities,Developmental Academic Disability,Developmental Academic Disorder,Developmental Disabilities of Scholastic Skills,Learning Disabilities, Adolescent,Learning Disabilities, Child,Learning Disorders,Academic Disorder, Developmental,Adult Learning Disorders,Developmental Disorders of Scholastic Skills,Learning Disorders, Adult,Learning Disturbance,Scholastic Skills Development Disorders,Academic Disabilities, Developmental,Academic Disability, Developmental,Academic Disorders, Developmental,Adolescent Learning Disability,Adult Learning Disability,Adult Learning Disorder,Child Learning Disability,Developmental Academic Disabilities,Developmental Academic Disorders,Disabilities, Adolescent Learning,Disabilities, Adult Learning,Disabilities, Child Learning,Disabilities, Developmental Academic,Disabilities, Learning,Disability, Adolescent Learning,Disability, Adult Learning,Disability, Child Learning,Disability, Developmental Academic,Disability, Learning,Disorder, Learning,Disorders, Adult Learning,Disorders, Learning,Disturbance, Learning,Disturbances, Learning,Learning Disabilities, Adult,Learning Disability,Learning Disability, Adolescent,Learning Disability, Adult,Learning Disability, Child,Learning Disorder,Learning Disorder, Adult,Learning Disturbances
D008297	Male		Males
D010700	Phonetics	The science or study of speech sounds and their production, transmission, and reception, and their analysis, classification, and transcription. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	Speech Sounds,Sound, Speech,Sounds, Speech,Speech Sound
D011214	Practice, Psychological	Performance of an act one or more times, with a view to its fixation or improvement; any performance of an act or behavior that leads to learning.	Practice (Psychology),Practice, Psychology,Practicing, Psychological,Practicing, Psychology,Psychological Practice,Psychological Practicing,Psychology Practice,Psychology Practicing
D011939	Mental Recall	The process whereby a representation of past experience is elicited.	Recall, Mental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D001288	Attention	Focusing on certain aspects of current experience to the exclusion of others. It is the act of heeding or taking notice or concentrating.	Focus of Attention,Selective Attention,Social Attention,Attention Focus,Attention, Selective,Attention, Social,Selective Attentions
D014706	Verbal Learning	Learning to respond verbally to a verbal stimulus cue.	Learning, Verbal,Learnings, Verbal,Verbal Learnings