Country Studied: Belgium
Area of Focus: Letter-Sound correspondence, Phonemic awareness
Type of learning difficulty the Case Study is supporting:
- Reading and writing difficulties
Aims and objectives of Case Study
The aim of this study is to provide information to professionals concerning phonemic awareness by examining the effects of embedded mnemonics on consonant letter naming and consonant sound production. A key objective is to determine to what extent students with dyslexia possess phonemic awareness.
As children with dyslexia grow older, their difficulty at the level of rhyme and the phoneme persists. Phonemic awareness is key for the development of reading skills not only in foreign languages, but also in the native language. The present case study seeks to establish that it all comes down to how pupils are initially taught the foreign language.
The study also aims to prove that teachers can benefit from assistive technologies and online tools in order to create material without having to spend additional time trying to make hand-drawn pictures or crafts to be used in the classroom in aid of students.
Short description of Case Study
The study was conducted in the French community of Belgium, in a Primary private school of general education, to four 3rd grade students with diagnosed dyslexia who demonstrated reading difficulties in both English (as a foreign language) and French. The participants were 8,5-9 years old.
All pupils had been tested by the school’s psychologist a month prior to intervention.
All pupils:
- Were referred by their English teacher
- Were unable to recognize English letters and produce their corresponding sounds
- Demonstrated lack of progress in their English and French language class
- Had not been exposed to mnemonic strategies before
The four pupils were shown flashcards where the consonant letter was part of the picture (e.g. letter D as a dinosaur, letter F as a flower) and 5 seconds later they were asked to repeat the letter. All children reached 100% mastery of all 21 consonants within the span of 5 to 11 intervention sessions.
Assistive computer technology was used, and corrective feedback was provided during the intervention sessions.
All sessions were conducted in the private staff area, under the guidance of a special education teacher.
3 Key learning Principles that were used in this Case Study to support learners with LD
- Strengthening students’ phonemic awareness with a view to progress from pre-alphabetic phase to alphabetic phase.Pupils with dyslexia possess phonological processing problems, therefore the key issue of this study was to find out to what extend they can transcend this difficulty. Once it was established that dyslexic pupils can and do overcome it, the purpose was to explicitly teach them that letters have a relationship with sounds in words, something that once it is understood, it is the foundation to successful reading. Consequently, they were able to evolve from the pre-alphabetic phase on which they were stuck on account of their difficulty, to the alphabetic phase where they were able to produce novel words.
- Introduce an effective documented method (mnemonic strategies) with a creative and fun way corresponding to the subjects’ age.Mnemonic strategies have been proven to be successful when it comes to the acquisition of letter to sound correspondence. Mnemonic instruction has been proven beneficial to students across all academic levels, from elementary to college. In the case of this particular study, because the researchers had to deal with children at the age of 9, they implemented mnemonic strategies using flashcards with pictures these children would find amusing. In doing so, they ensured that the students would find the intervention process more fun and therefore more effective.
- There was a multiple baseline design which allowed researchers to document the effectiveness of the mnemonic strategy on a student-to-student basis.The intervention phase for each student started once the previous student had reached a 71% mastery of consonants named accurately. This allowed the research party to focus on one student at a time, but it also gave the student the space to learn in their own time without feeling pressed if their classmates did better than them. This could potentially have worked to their benefit as we can assume that they did not feel nervous and thereby they performed better.
Strategies used as part of Case Study
- Adapting instruction to various learning styles.
- Creating a positive and supportive classroom environment.
Results and impact
After the mnemonic flashcards introduction, the data showed an ascending trend until all students finally reached mastery (21/21 consonant letter named correctly). One student required 11 sessions of intervention, another required 9, another 8 and the fourth one required 5 sessions.
As regards the consonant letter-sounds, there was an ascending trend for all pupils, but not as big as in the letter-name part of the study. Two pupils mastered the skill (21/21 consonant sounds produced correctly), while one pupil mastered 17/21 and the other one 16/21.
Finally, all students were able to produce novel words beginning or ending with a specific consonant letter or sound during intervention.
When it became clear that the pupils had mastered the skill of consonant letter naming, their self-confidence was increased as was evident by their eagerness to try to come up with new words.
The teachers considered the intervention useful and stated that they had fun participating in it. Lastly, the parents showed their contentment on account of the fact that their children benefited from their participation in the study.
All in all, this study proves how advantageous this method can be for early foreign language learners with identified learning difficulties in a general education setting. More specifically, the implementation and evaluation of embedded pictures mnemonic flashcards strategies is extremely beneficial for dyslexic learners in foreign language learning classrooms, especially for those with phonemic awareness difficulties. Furthermore, all participating parties were benefited not only academically but also emotionally and psychologically.
Why can this Case Study be useful for the project research?
This case study does not only provide us with invaluable information regarding a successful intervention, but it also gives us the specifics of a method that can be beneficial to the implementation of phonemic awareness as a best practice.
First of all, it explains the procedures that were taken in order to study the four pupils and the criteria that had to be met in order for the intervention to work. Since we now know how the intervention benefited the pupils academically and cognitively, it can be used as a blueprint for one of the Digital Games that are to be created. The idea of embedded consonant letters within the picture is a memorable way of introducing letters to 1st-2nd grade pupils who have just begun experiencing English as a foreign language. The study proved the efficiency of this method in children with learning difficulties, therefore it would be a great idea for a game.
Secondly, the results of the study as well as the systematic research model it provides, can encourage further research in mnemonic strategies which will benefit young learners greatly. It is clear that the results of a consonant letter-sound study should only be viewed as the first step towards understanding how learners with difficulties brains’ work in order to provide better teaching methods that will ultimately make the learning process a lot more fun and of course efficient.
Finally, foreign language teachers can be inspired by the results and integrate the method used in their own foreign language classes. It is reported explicitly that all flashcards were created with assistive technologies, which means that teachers willing to use this method do not have to waste their time creating hand-drawn cards, especially if they are not artistic.
Transferability
The method this study provides is easily transferable to all schools across Europe since it is easy to be conducted in every beginner’s classroom. The materials used are not costly as they can be print outs from a computer-generated image. Students will find the activity fun and they can also be prompted to draw their own picture-letters, thus constituting it creative as well. It is well established that all young learners (regardless of their capabilities or difficulties) are taught more efficiently when they enjoy the learning process.
In addition, even though the subjects of this particular study were French speaking, the same difficulties that they encountered regarding their progress from pre-alphabetic phase to alphabetic phase, is one and the same for all pupils with dyslexia all around Europe and beyond. Therefore, the results can be similar, if not the same, everywhere in the world.
Resources used as part of Case Study
The resources used as part of the study were very simple and very easy to replicate.
Assistive computer technology was used to produce the embedded mnemonic letter flashcard by using popular-to-small children figures and images to be integrated into the lower-case consonant they represented. They were later printed and laminated and ready to be used.
Critical issues
The most crucial issue worth mentioning is the teachers’ training on learning difficulties and how to apply the existing knowledge.
Before applying the suggested method of the study, they should be well-versed in identifying the specific needs of their pupils so as to behave accordingly. It is not only a matter of knowing how to conduct the actual method, but also a matter of being understanding, patient and calm when handling pupils with learning difficulties. They have to learn how to be supportive and motivating towards their students in order to get the best out of their performance.
Additionally, teachers have to be very specific in the mnemonic strategy they use so as to get positive results. After they have identified the learners’ individual needs, they should set their goals and adjust their methods to accommodate every one’s needs and different skills.
Any additional learning that we can take from this Case Study, example:
An additional result we can take from this study is how the positive outcomes the mnemonic strategy bore resulted in the pupils’ enhancement of self-confidence. By helping young learners who find learning hard on account of their difficulties, we help to make them feel equal to their typically developing classmates and therefore be more willing to participate in the learning process. Typically, pupils with learning difficulties lack the sense of efficacy and do not believe in their abilities. When they actually understand what it is they are being taught, they begin their successful journey towards learning and may even be the ones to share and encourage other children like them that they hold the power to unlock their unique abilities.
As a conclusion, keeping students content and occupied with something they can see its positive outcome, we create successful learners, eager to participate and use their new knowledge.
Any Additional Information or Resources
A good case could be made that inclusion should have been a part of every national policy for the past two decades. However, it is never too late, but there is an imperative need to:
- provide teachers with continued professional development in order to be able to keep up with the latest updates and be of help to all their students. Ignorant teachers should be a thing of the past.
- conduct more research to find out more effective teaching methods and approaches so as to include every single student.
