The Effects of Directed Study on the Spelling Performance of Two Subgroups of Learning Disabled Students

Abstract

This study investigated the response of two different subgroups of learning disabled children to variations in study conditions as they prepared for a spelling test. The study conditions were: (a) free study, in which the children studied lists of words in any manner they chose; and (b) directed study, in which all children were required to engage in the same number of repetitive spellings of the word lists. The three groups of eight subjects each included a normal control group, a group of LD children with severe short-term memory problems, and a group of LD children with normal short-term memory performance. The directed study condition was found to have a significant effect on the spelling performance only of the LD children without short-term memory deficits. While the results illustrate that some LD children's spelling performance may be improved by simply altering the way they approach tasks, the findings also suggest that other LD children may need a different kind of educational support.

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