Learning Modality and Word Recognition of First Grade Children

Abstract

This study investigated the relationships between learning modalities and word recognition of first-grade children. The learning modality—auditory, visual, or kinesthetic—of 106 children was identified. Subjects within each modality were then randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups and a control group. The treatment groups were presented with word recognition tasks that were differentiated by modality emphasis. Each of the four treatment groups differed significantly from the control group on the criterion word recognition meausre but not significantly from each other. There were no significant differences among the groups when the subjects were categorized by modality preference; and there was no significant difference between the like treatment-modality preference group and the unlike treatment-modality preference group. Results of this study, which were not conclusive, did indicate that learning modalities can be differentiated and that further research in matching prescriptive teaching to diagnostic findings is needed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bateman, B. : The efficacy of an auditory and a visual method of first grade reading instruction with auditory and visual learners. In: H. K. Smith (Ed.), Perception and Reading. Proceedings of the Internat. Reading Assn., 1968, 12, 105–112.

Blanton, B. : Modalities and reading. Reading Teacher, 1971, 25, 210–212.

Bursuk, L. : Sensory mode and lesson presentation as a factor in the reading comprehension improvement of adolescent retarded readers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, New York Univ., 1968.

Dechant, E. : Why an eclectic approach in reading? In: J. A. Figurel (Ed.), Vistas in Reading. Proceedings of the Internat. Reading Assn., 1966, 10, 28–32.

de Hirsch, K. , Jansky, J. , Langford, W. S. : Predicting Reading Failure. New York: Harper and Row, 1966.

Harris, A. J. : Individualizing first-grade reading according to specific learning aptitudes. Office of Research and Evaluation, Div. of Teacher Education, City Univ. of New York, 1965, mimeographed.

Morency, A. : Auditory modality, research and practice. In: H. K. Smith (Ed.), Perception and Reading. Proceedings of the Internat. Reading Assn., 1968, 12, 17–21.

Robinson, H. : Visual and auditory modalities related to two methods for beginning reading. Univ. of Chicago, 1967, mimeographed.

Smith, I. L. , Ringler, L. H. , Cullinan, B. E. : New York University Modality Test. New York: New York Univ., 1968.