A comparison of Spanish and English multimedia shared story interventions on the acquisition of English vocabulary words for English language learners with an intellectual disability.

摘要

Literature on the development of literacy skills for students with a moderate to severe intellectual disability is growing; however, little is known about effective literacy practices for Hispanic English language learners with a moderate intellectual disability. Additionally, little research has been conducted on how to utilize a student's primary language, technologies found in the classroom, and systematic instruction to teach English oral vocabulary to this specific population. The purpose of this study was to examine the comparative effects of an English and Spanish multimedia shared story intervention, with a constant time delay procedure, on the acquisition of English oral vocabulary for two English language learners with a moderate intellectual disability. Instruction was provided to students for two weeks and lasted approximately 7-11 minutes per session. Results from the study suggest that language of instruction played an important role in English vocabulary acquisition. Second, results also indicated that language of instruction did not have a meaningful impact on generalization and maintenance of vocabulary from both conditions over time. Finally, teachers reported that multimedia shared stories were practical and a useful supplemental form of instruction.