The Effects of the Davis Symbol Mastery System to Assist a Fourth Grader with Dyslexia in Spelling: A Case Report

Gianna Amsberry*, T. F. McLaughlin**, K. Mark Derby***, Teresa Waco****
* B. Ed, Department of Special Education, Gonzaga University, Spokane.
**-*** Ph. D, Professor, Department of Special Education, Gonzaga University, Spokane.
**** M. Ed, Gonzaga University, Spokane Public Schools, Bernard, Spokane.
Periodicity:August - October'2012
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.6.2.2002

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using the Davis Symbol Mastery Procedure for Words (Davis, 1994) for improving spelling skills. The participant was a fourth-grade male diagnosed with a significant learning disability. The intervention consisted of having the participant write each word, its definition, the word in a sentence for context, creating a pictorial representation of the word, and then forming the word from clay. The results demonstrated that the Davis Symbol Mastery Procedure was successful. The procedure was cost effective and required little training to implement. Possible additional classroom suggestions for using the Davis Symbol Mastery procedure were made.

Keywords

Davis Symbol Mastery, Learning Disabilities, Spelling, Classroom Research, Multiple Baseline Design.

How to Cite this Article?

Gianna Amsberry, T. F. McLaughlin, K. Mark Derby and Teresa Waco (2012). The Effects of the Davis Symbol Mastery System to Assist a Fourth Grader with Dyslexia in Spelling: A Case Report. i-manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 6(2), 13-18. https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.6.2.2002

References

[1]. Buceta, J. M., Campos, A., & Iglesia, C. (2006). Prose learning in children and adults with Down syndrome: The use of visual and mental image strategies to improve recall. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 30, 199-206.
[2]. Carnine, D., & Silbert, J., Kameenui, E. J., & Tarver, S. G. (2004). Direct Instruction reading (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson.
[3]. Chambers, D., Dunn, C., & Rabren, K. (2004). Variables affecting students' decisions to drop out of school. Remedial & Special Education.25, 314-325.
[4]. Davis, R. D. (1994). The gift of dyslexia. New York: Berkley Productions.
[5]. Graham, S. (1999). Handwriting and spelling instruction for students with learning disabilities: A review. Learning Disability Quarterly, 22, 78-98.
[6]. Greenwood, C. A., Delquadri, J., & Hall, R. V. (1989). Longitudinal effects of classwide peer tutoring. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81. 371-383.
[7]. Guza, D. S., & McLaughlin, T. F. (1987). A comparison of daily and weekly testing on student spelling performance. Journal of Educational Research, 80, 373- 376.
[8]. Heward, W. (2012). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education (10h ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Pearson.
[9]. Kazdin, A. E. (2010). Single case research designs: Methods for clinical and applied settings (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
[10]. Malone, R., & McLaughlin, T. F. (1997). The effects of reciprocal peer tutoring with a group contingency on quiz performance in vocabulary with seventh and eighth grade students. Behavioral Interventions, 12, 27-40.
[11]. McLaughlin, T. F. (1993). An analysis and evaluation of educator selected data collection procedures in actual school settings: A brief report. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 15(2), 61-64.
[12]. McLaughlin, T. F., & Skinner, C. H. (1996). Improving academic performance through self-management: Cover, copy, and compare. Intervention in School and Clinic, 32, 113-118.
[13]. McLaughlin, T. F., Weber, K. P., & Barretto, A. (2004). Spelling: Academic interventions. In T. S. Watson & C. H. Skinner (Eds.), Encyclopedia of school psychology (pp. 317-320). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
[14]. Muirhead, W. M., & McLaughlin, T. F. (1990). The effects of a peer tutoring spelling game on academic performance and student attitudes. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 12 (4), 1-10.
[15]. Murphy, J. F., Hern, C. L., Williams, R. L., & McLaughlin, T. F. (1990). The effects of the copy, cover, and compare approach in increasing spelling accuracy with learning disabled students. Contemporar y Educational Psychology, 15, 378-386.
[16]. Pfeiffer, S., Davis, R., Kellogg, E., Hern, C., McLaughlin, T. F., & Curry, G. (2001). The effect of the Davis learning strategies on first grade word recognition and subsequent special education referrals. Reading Improvement, 38, 74-84.
[17]. Reading First: Student Achievement, Teacher Empowerment, National Success. Retrieved November 29, 2007, from http://ed.gov/nclb
[18]. Skinner, C. H., McLaughlin, T. F., & Logan, P. (1997). Cover, copy, and compare: A self-managed academic intervention across skills, students, and settings. Journal of Behavioral Education, 7, 295-306.
[19]. Stokes, T. F., & Baer, D. M. (1977). An implicit technology of generalization. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 349-367.
[20]. Wanzek, J., Vaughn, S., Wexler, J., Swanson, E. A., Edmonds, E., & Kim, A. E. (2006). A synthesis of spelling and reading interventions and their effects on the spelling outcomes of students with LD. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39, 528-543.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Pdf 35 35 200 20
Online 35 35 200 15
Pdf & Online 35 35 400 25

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.