The Effect of Focusing on the Cognitive Processes of Learning Disabled Children

Abstract

This research studied the effect of focused or preorganized instruction on the mental operations of learning disabled children. Subjects were 64 learning disabled children divided randomly into experimental and control groups. Two folk tales were read on separate occasions to each child. The experimental group was focused periodically to watch for certain information, while the control group heard the stories uninterrupted. Following the reading each child was asked to retell the story and was questioned about the content. Replies were recorded and the language sample coded according to a hierarchy of cognitive responses. Results indicated focused instruction had a positive effect on cognitive functioning. Findings suggest possibilities for the use of a language sample to assess children's mental processes and support for the efficacy of focused presentation of material to learning disabled children.

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