Effects of Language Experience Approach on Literacy Skills of Learners with Intellectual Disabilities in Jos Metropolis, Plateau State

Abstract

The problem of this study stemmed from the observation of issues surrounding the literacy development of learners with intellectual disabilities. Research has it that those learners who fall into this group have sub-average intellectual functioning (between less than 20 < 70 IQ range). Due to the nature of the configuration of their brain, they have some challenges which are manifest in limited vocabulary, poor reading comprehension, weak expressive and receptive skills and limited writing skills. As a result of these challenges, learners with intellectual disabilities hardly can go beyond grade six in academic functioning. Though they may be opportuned to observe or listen to literacy information, they often remain limited in their ability to retain the essential information and express and retell events in logical sequence. This research was designed to examine the effects of Language Experience Approach on literacy skills of learners with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Jos metropolis, Plateau State. The study was an experimental research that employed randomized pretestposttest control group design. The research design involved formation of sample (two sets of learners with identical characteristics – experimental and control groups), and assignment of subjects to groups was through randomization (R). The population of the study focused on level six (primary one) learners with intellectual disabilities. The sample for intervention comprised of twenty learners adopted as a purposive sample. They were essentially non-readers and had mild and moderate degrees of intellectual disabilities. The instruments were the Sight Word Vocabulary Test, Umolu’s Informal Reading Inventory (U-IRI) and Scale for Developmental Milestone. The treatment consisted of language experience intervention program involving sight vocabulary, literal reading comprehension, writing, receptive and expressive language skills. The test re-test reliability index was used to estimate the stability and internal consistencyxiv of the instruments. The Sight Word Vocabulary Test had a reliability index of 0.87, Umolu’s Informal Reading Inventory had an index of 0.86, while the Scale for Developmental Milestone had an index of 0.93 respectively. The statistical techniques used were descriptive and inferential statistics involving mean scores, standard deviation, t-Test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that language experience approach enhanced the literacy skills of learners with intellectual disabilities. The receptive and expressive language skills of learners with intellectual disabilities improved after treatment and learners with mild degree of intellectual disabilities comprehended better than those with moderate degree of intellectual disabilities. The implication of this study is that language experience approach can be used to enhance the literacy development of learners with intellectual disabilities.