Teaching the LD Child to Read Through Visual Imagery

Abstract

Those of us who have worked with learning-disabled children over a period of years know of children whom we cannot seem to teach no matter how motivated they (and we!) are. Barry was such a child. He was referred to our Florida learning laboratory in January, 1972. At that time he was twelve years, nine months old and was failing the sixth grade in all subjects except mathematics. He has been socially promoted for a number of years, and had received daily instruction in a reading resource center for the past three years. In spite of these efforts he was functioning two and one half years below grade level in reading as measured by the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PI AT). His spelling was equally poor. His IQ, as measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, was in the superior range. Barry was accepted into the learning laboratory and a remedial program was devised based on the results of the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude (DTLA) and the Slingerland Screening Tests for Identifying Children with Specific Language Disability. Although standard remedial techniques were employed, very little progress was noted until an approach utilizing words in pictures was implemented. Visual imagery has been used as a mnemonic aid by classical orators (Jones 1974), mnemonists