Rachel Sermier Dessemontet1, Anne-Françoise de Chambrier2, Catherine Martinet3, Natalina Meuli4, Anne-Laure Linder5. 1. University of Teacher Education of the State of Vaud, Special Needs Education Unit, Av. de Cour 33, 1014, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: rachel.sermier@hepl.ch. 2. University of Teacher Education of the State of Vaud, Special Needs Education Unit, Av. de Cour 33, 1014, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: anne-francoise.de-chambrier@hepl.ch. 3. University of Teacher Education of the State of Vaud, Special Needs Education Unit, Av. de Cour 33, 1014, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: catherine.martinet@hepl.ch. 4. University of Teacher Education of the State of Vaud, Special Needs Education Unit, Av. de Cour 33, 1014, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: natalina.meuli@hepl.ch. 5. University of Teacher Education of the State of Vaud, Special Needs Education Unit, Av. de Cour 33, 1014, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: anne-laure.linder@hepl.ch.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To date, only a few studies with randomized controlled trials have been published on the effectiveness of phonics-based reading interventions to teach decoding and spelling skills to students with intellectual disability. AIMS: This study evaluated the effects of a phonics-based reading intervention program on the progress of French-speaking elementary students with intellectual disability. METHODS: A total of 48 non decoding elementary students with intellectual disability were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group. Most of the participants (75 %) had nonverbal IQs below 55. The reading intervention program was implemented for seven months by the students' teachers and mainly in a small-group format (two to four students). RESULTS: Students from the treatment group made significantly more progress in word and nonword reading measured by a researcher-designed test with a medium effect size. An almost significant difference was also found on spelling (p = .058) and on word and nonword reading measured with a standardized test (p = .060) with medium effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that students with ID benefit from phonics-based programs integrating research-based approaches and techniques.
BACKGROUND: To date, only a few studies with randomized controlled trials have been published on the effectiveness of phonics-based reading interventions to teach decoding and spelling skills to students with intellectual disability. AIMS: This study evaluated the effects of a phonics-based reading intervention program on the progress of French-speaking elementary students with intellectual disability. METHODS: A total of 48 non decoding elementary students with intellectual disability were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group. Most of the participants (75 %) had nonverbal IQs below 55. The reading intervention program was implemented for seven months by the students' teachers and mainly in a small-group format (two to four students). RESULTS: Students from the treatment group made significantly more progress in word and nonword reading measured by a researcher-designed test with a medium effect size. An almost significant difference was also found on spelling (p = .058) and on word and nonword reading measured with a standardized test (p = .060) with medium effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that students with ID benefit from phonics-based programs integrating research-based approaches and techniques.