A study of the effects of the Neurological Impress Method of Remedial Reading with selected fourth and fifth grade students in open and enclosed areas of instruction

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were significant differences in reading achievement between groups of selected fourth and fifth grade remedial reading students utilizing the Neurological Impress Method of Remedial Reading Instruction in open and enclosed instructional areas as compared with Control Groups using the same instructional materials in open and enclosed instructional areas. Procedures The sample was randomly selected from all fourth and fifth grade students reading at least one year below grade level in one open area elementary school. The AuditoryDiscrimination Test was administered to each student in order to screen out students with auditory discrimination deficiencies. Twenty students were randomly placed in each of four groups. The four groups were randomly assigned to the Neurological Impress Method-open area. Neurological Impress Method-enclosed area. Control-open area. Control-enclosed area. The Shapiro-Wilks Test for Normality of Distribution was applied to the pre-test scores of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading subtest of Comprehension. All groups were normally distributed. Reading expectancy was determined from mental ages yielded by the Slosson Intelligence Test. Selection of graded reading materials was determined by performance of each child on the Silvaroli Classroom Reading Inventory. The Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test, Survey D, Forms 1 and 2, were used to measure gain after treatment. Each child receiving instruction by the Neurological Impress Method read aloud with tapes, while following beneath the text with a finger, for ten to fifteen minutes each day, terminating the program after seven weeks. Materials were selected for the independent and instructional levels of each student. The two control groups utilized the same materials, on each student's independent and instructional levels, but read aloud, read silently, and listened to tapes, for the same amount of time. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant differences between those students receiving the Neurological Impress Method and the Control groups, that there would be no significant differences between the groups receiving instruction in the enclosed area and students instructed in the open area, and that there would be no significant difference in the interaction among the groups. Pre- and post-test scores of the four Gates-MacGinitie subtests of Speed, Accuracy, Vocabulary, and Comprehension were converted to standard scores and treated with the residual gain statistic. A two-factor analysis of variance was applied to the residual change scores on each of the four subtests. Movement was measured in the open area by use of a video camera. Sound was measured in decibels in the open and enclosed areas. Conclusions 1. The Neurological Impress Method groups did not make significantly greater gains in reading achievement than the Control groups. Gain was made on most subtests by all the groups and the Neurological Impress groups tended to make larger gain, but the differences were not significant. 2. The enclosed area groups did not make significantly greater gains in reading achievement than the groups receiving instruction in the open area. 3. There was no significant difference in the interaction among the four groups. 4. The mean sound level, as determined by decibel count, was slightly greater in the open area than in the enclosed area. The decibel range was greater in the enclosed area. 5. Movement, calculated in terms of number of students engaged in mobile activity, was greater in the open area than in the enclosed area. Recommendations 1. It is recommended that the Neurological Impress Method of instruction utilizing tapes be compared with the Neurological Impress Method utilizing direct teacher-pupil interaction. 2. Since seven weeks is a short time to evaluate a remedial reading technique, it is further recommended that the study be replicated utilizing the Neurological Impress Method of instruction for not less than three months.