A Pictorial Approach for Improving Literacy Skills in Students With Disabilities: An Exploratory Research Study
By Slater, Jean M., SLP; Journal of Special Education Technology, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 58-62Publication Date: Summer 2002
Study conducted to determine if adding pictures to text increases reading and literacy skills among students with disabilities, and if children with disabilities can improve their silent reading comprehension when picture symbols are added to text. Twelve students with significant language and reading delays participated in the study. The participants ranged in age from 6.8 to 12 years at the beginning of the study, which saw the participants utilize Picture It software from Slater Software, Incorporated on a daily basis for 2 years. Picture It was created to facilitate language, reading, and comprehension skills, as it allows students to match pictures with words. The Basic Reading Inventory was used as an assessment tool to determine the participants’ rate of improvement. The results indicated that picture-supported text is a valid intervention for increasing the reading skills of students with learning disabilities. Implications for future research are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: PICTURE IT
Published by: Exceptional Innovations (Website:http://www.exinn.net)
Technology and Media Division (TAM) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) (Web Site: http://www.tamcec.org )
