Effectiveness of Training Program in Developing Linguistic Skills of Kindergartners at- Risk for Learning Disabilities

Beni Suef University Faculty of Education Dep. of Psychology& Mental Health Effectiveness of Training Program in Developing Linguistic Skills of Kindergartners at- Risk for Learning Disabilities Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for MA in Education ( Mental Health ) by Hadeel Hussien Farag Hassan Demonstrator at Psychology & Mental Health Department Supervised by Dr. Solaiman M. Solaiman Dr. Seham H. Mohammed Prof. of Educational Psychology professor of Curricula and Vice dean of Students` affairs Methodology Faculty of Education Faculty of Education Beni Suef university Beni Suef university 2011 Summary Introduction: The difficulties of learning depends on existing an academic content, The child can't achieve what equal to his intelligent that is in the middle level or above middle. So there are what we call pre academic skills that the weakness in it refer to an indicator about the difficulties of learning that child exposes latter when he going to school . the early knowing of the levels of these skills to limit of the effects related to difficulties of learning of language. Those children have a decrease of linguistics skills presented in speaking, Listening , reading, writing . This defect appears in the weakness of realizing the alphabetical letters and calls them rapidly, and the disability of dividing words to phonemes and others language defects, So, preparing programs contribute in solving these problems will help in going away from letters academic difficulties, and preventing its increasing . Problem of the study: The problem of the study can be determined in knowing the effectiveness of a training program in developing the linguistics skills for children in kindergarten at- Risk for Learning Disabilities through answering on the following questions: The first question, Are there different between the experimental group in pre and post measures of linguistics skills? The second question, Are there different between the first controlled group in pre and post measures of linguistics skills? The third question, Are there different between the experimental and first controlled group in post measure of linguistics skills? The forth question, Are there different between the experimental and second controlled group in post measure of linguistics skills? The fifth question, Are there different between the first and second controlled group in post measure of linguistics skills? The sixth question, Are there different between the experimental in post measures of linguistics skills? Aims of the study: The present study aims at preparing a training program for early solving to develop the linguistics skills for kindergarten children at- Risk for Learning Disabilities in language presented in speaking, Listening , reading, writing , this defect shows the possibility of next learning difficulties, these skills present a basic needs a large side of variables activities suitable for developing linguistics skills, So this study aims at testing the effectiveness of the program in developing these skills and developing its level for those children , and achieving the necessary objectives. Significance of the study: The Significance of the study presented in: 1. Knowing the standard of performance of the children at- Risk for Learning Disabilities through showing the extent of defects in pre academic skills of these difficulties. 2. Designing a program limit from these negative effects that resulted from learning difficulties through developing linguistics skills. 3. Early knowing for children suffer from learning difficulties, the present study contribute in knowing them, and taking the solving procedures that can prevent the increasing of these difficulties in the future. 4. Decreasing the continuous spread for learning difficulties, specially reading, writing difficulties between children. 5. There are a minority in Arabic studies that study these skills for children exposed to the danger of learning difficulties. Methodology of the study: The study used the experimental method to suit the nature and objectives of the study, As the study aims at knowing the effectiveness of training program based on variables activities in developing linguistics skills for a sample of children at- Risk for Learning Disabilities, the study depends on designing three groups ; an experimental group and two controlled group, the pre and post measure for study variables, variables that are controlled (age, level of intelligent, an economical , social, cultural standard of the family). Sample of the study: The sample of the study consists of 33 child, group of children exposed to the danger of learning difficulties in the second level of kindergarten (KG-II) in Mohamed Metwaly Kl Shaarawy in Bani- Suief governorate in Age 5-6 years old, the study depends on experimental designing of three groups, an experimental group(11 children) exposed to the used training program at- Risk for Learning Disabilities (speaking, Listening , reading, writing) and the two controlled group that exposed to the program, the first group (11) children exposed to the danger of learning difficulties in language, the second group contains (11) of normal children and don't exposed to the program, for knowing the effect of the program on the children at- Risk for Learning Disabilities after the program . Tools of the study: The researcher has used many tools in her study as follows ; 1. Test of children intelligent prepared by ( Eglal Sery 1988) 2. Tests of some pre academic skills for kindergarten children as indicators of learning difficulties prepared by( Adel Abdallah Mohamed 2005). 3. Test of neurology study for knowing who suffer from learning difficulties, translated by (Abd El Wahab Kamel 1999). 4. A form of an economical , social, cultural standard of the Egyptian family prepared by (Mohamed Khalel Paumy2000). 5. A measure of linguistics skills prepared by (the researcher). 6. The training program prepared by (the researcher). Statistical Techniques of the study: Statistical analyses used included the following nonparametric methods: 1. Kruskal- Wallis ( H ). 2. Mann- Whitney ( U ). 3. Wilcoxon ( W ). Results of the study: The results of the study can be summered in the following points: 1. There are statistically significant differences between pre - and post- test of linguistics skills for the experimental group of those at- risk of LD kindergartners favoring the post- test. 2. There are no statistically significant differences between pre - and post- test of linguistics skills for the first control group of those at- risk of LD kindergartners. 3. There are statistically significant differences in post- test of linguistics skills between the experimental group and the first control group of at- risk LD kindergartners favoring the experimental group. 4. There are statistically significant differences in post- test of linguistics skills between the experimental group and the second control group of at- risk LD kindergartners favoring the second group except listening skill. 5. There are statistically significant differences in post- test of linguistics skills between the first control group and the second control group of at- risk LD kindergartners favoring the second group. 6. There are no statistically significant differences between post and follow-up test of linguistics skills for the experimental group of those at- risk of LD kindergartners. The results had been discussed and interpreted in the light of the theoretical study related to the theme of the study. The study ends with recommendations, and suggested theses that stemmed originally from the results revealed.