An Evaluation of the Slingerland Method With LD Youngsters

Abstract

This was a study to compare the reading gains of students who received Slingerland instruction with others enrolled in a class based on the Sullivan reading program. There were seven learning-disabled pupils who ranged in age from 6-7 to 9-11 in each class.Ten before and after treatment measures were obtained, and seven were gathered each day of the program. Analysis of the data indicated that the youngsters in both groups made substantial gains. They also showed that pupils in the Slingerland class out performed their Sullivan-instructed mates on some measures, whereas performances of the Sullivan-taught youngsters were better for an equal number of different measures. Discussion relates to possible reasons for the improvement of both groups, to reasons which may account for the popularity of the Slingerland method, and to directions for future research on the Slingerland program. W hen it comes to teaching learningdisabled (LD) youngsters to read, many techniques are advocated. This is particularly true in respect to the instruction of initial reading. There are those who support the Frostig program; others recommend the words in Color method. Some teachers believe that the Distar approach should be used. Still others support the use of basal series such as Lippincott, Ginn, or Houghton Mifflin. The approach which stimulated this research was the Slingerland method, a technique first used in Renton, Washington. Beth Slingerland, its originator, studied with Anna Gillingham who had earlier received instruction from SamuelOrton. The Orton, and later the Gillingham approaches to teaching reading were multi-sensory. They supported the notion that dyslexic children could best learn to read if their instruction was provided through at least three channels: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The techniques they designed were intended for tutorial situations; that is, one teacher and one pupil. Slingerland accepted the multisensory notions toward reading instruction and adapted them so that specially trained teachers could use them with large groups of youngsters.She began the first Slingerland classes in Renton for specific language disability (SLD) 1 children in 1960. At that time there were three classes which served about 75 children. During the 1981-82 year there were about 30 classes and 600 children involved in Slingerland teaching.Since the first classes began in Renton, programs for SLD youngsters have been established throughout the Seattle area. In the Shoreline district, for example, classrooms of that type began in 1972. In the 1981-82 school year there were 42 classes with an enrollment of about 1,000 youngsters. It is estimated that today in the Puget Sound area there are 200 Slingerland classes which serve 4,000 youngsters. These children range in age from six to 18. The Slingerland method has been used in other parts of Washington and throughout the United States.One reason which accounts for the Many of these students are identified in kindergarten with the Slingerland Screening Test (SST). They are t...

Systematic Phonics Instruction Helps Students Learn to Read: Evidence from the National Reading Panel’s Meta-Analysis

“…More advanced lessons involve teaching learners to blend syllables together and read more complex texts. Among those approaches based on Orton and Gillingham's work are the Slingerland approach (Lovitt & DeMier, 1984), the Spaulding Approach, Recipe for Reading, and Alphabetic Phonics (Ogden, Hindman, & Turner, 1989). There are differences among these approaches, largely in the sequencing of materials, but they all have the general characteristics discussed.…”

Everything You Wanted to Know About Phonics (But Were Afraid to Ask)

“…Approaches based on Orton-Gillingham methods begin with direct teaching of individual letters paired with their sounds through a VAKT (i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile) procedure that involves tracing the letter while saying its name and sound, blending letters together to read words and sentences, and finally reading short stories constructed to contain only taught sounds. Among those approaches based on Orton and Gillingham's work are the Slingerland approach (Lovitt & DeMier, 1984), the Spaulding approach (Spaulding & Spaulding, 1962), Recipe for Reading (Traub, 1977), and Alphabetic Phonics (Ogden, Hindman, & Turner, 1989). There are differences among these approaches, largely in sequencing or materials, but these approaches all have the general characteristics discussed.…”

“…Other studies have used single-subject designs, with replications. Lovitt and Hurlburt (1974) and Lovitt and DeMier (1984) compared the Slingerland approach with a linguistic approach that did not include direct instruction in letter-sound correspondences. They found both approaches equally effective.…”