Honduran Students Receiving Visualizing and Verbalizing Instruction Make Significant Improvements in Comprehension

Comprehension, Elementary School Results, Honduras, Visualizing and Verbalizing

Escuela Internacional Sampedrana in San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Honduras serves a large percentage of students who are at-risk of reading failure. During the 2012-13 school year, Escuela Internacional implemented Lindamood-Bell® instruction to address the specific needs of this student population. Twenty-two students received an average of 79 hours of primarily Visualizing and Verbalizing instruction to develop concept imagery for comprehension. Instruction was delivered by Escuela Internacional teachers who received professional development in the Lindamood-Bell programs. Student gains were measured with a battery of comprehension assessments.

Results
On average, Visualizing and Verbalizing students achieved significant improvements in comprehension. They made large standard score changes on all measures. Additionally, the 16-point percentile increase in comprehension put these students within the normal range (25th-75th percentile). Their pre- to posttest results were statistically significant on all measures. The results of this study illustrate that Lindamood-Bell instruction in the Visualizing and Verbalizing program leads to improved comprehension, which is essential to achieving success with school curricula.

Profile
Number of Students: 22
Grade Levels: 3rd-5th
Lindamood-Bell Programs Implemented: Visualizing and Verbalizing®
Outcome Measures:
·  Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4th
·  Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude-2nd (oral directions)
·  Gray Oral Reading Tests-4th (comprehension)