Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1999

Thesis Director

Rebecca M. Throneburg

Thesis Committee Member

Jean M. Smitley

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of Fast ForWord on individual children's phonological awareness and reading skills as well as general language and auditory processing skills. Five children, ages six through eight years, served as experimental subjects. The duration of participation in the Fast ForWord (FFW) training program was approximately 2 hours per day, 5 days a week, for 6 to 8 weeks. Fast ForWord training was completed when the subject reached at least 90 percent completion on five of the seven training exercises or when it was determined by the Fast ForWord professional that the child had received maximum benefit from the program. Three children, within the same age range, served as control subjects and did not receive any type of speech or language training. Results indicated that significant group mean gains (a minimal increase of one standard deviation) were not evidenced by the experimental subjects on any of the five assessment measures. The largest mean standard score increases were noted on the Language Processing Test-Revised (8 points) and the Test of Language Development-Primary:2 (4 points). Individually, two subjects increased standard scores by a minimum of one standard deviation. None of the five children reached the FFW completion rate of 90% completion on five of the seven games. Post test data for the control subjects revealed a similar, slightly larger increase in standard scores as for the experimental subjects.

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