Cognitive Characteristics And Intervention Of Children With Learning Disabilities In Primary School

Chinese language learning difficulties will hinder the development of children, however, numerous foreign studies based on PASS theory have explored the cognitive mechanism of children with English learning difficulties, and demonstrated the effectiveness of intervention for them. Some Chinese scholars also proved that Chinese language learning is closely related to PASS cognitive abilities, and children with Chinese language learning difficulties have poor PASS cognitive abilities. Nevertheless, there are few studies about primary school student in grade 1 with Chinese language learning difficulties. Hence, this study discusses the relationship between first grade students’ general cognitive abilities on PASS and their Chinese academic achievement, and how the PASS cognitive abilities influence the Chinese academic achievement of primary school student in gradel with Chinese language learning difficulties. Then, this study investigates the efficacy of the intervention program to students in gradel with Chinese language learning difficulties, which adapted from PREP and COGENT. Three parts consist of this dissertation:Research one:The research based on PASS theory and CAS was conducted among 158 first grade students of a primary school in xi’an. The research investigates the relation between their cognitive abilities and their Chinese academic achievement by correlation analysis and regression analysis. Research two:Using CAS to evaluate cognitive abilities of high Chinese academic achievement students and students with Chinese language learning difficulties, and analysis the cognitive difference between two groups through the t-test, then summed up the cognitive feature of students in grade 1 with Chinese language learning difficulties. Research 3:Based on the PASS theory, design a intervention program adapted from PREP and COGENT and try to using the program to intervene students in grade 1 with Chinese language learning difficulties. Through the experiment of single subjects multiple baseline across subjects design to investigate the program’s effectiveness on pinyin learning and words learning.Research conclusions are as follows:(1) PASS cognitive abilities correlated with the Chinese academic achievement of first grade students. Simultaneous processing can explain Chinese academic achievement of first grade students, and successive processing has a certain of influence on pinyin learning, while simultaneous processing and plan influence words learning.(2)The PASS cognitive abilities of students in grade 1 with Chinese language learning difficulties is poor. Their scores of plan, attention, both coding processing, especially of simultaneous is lower than high achievement students.(3) Intervention program adapted from PREP and COGENT based on the PASS theory is effective for students in grade 1 with Chinese language learning difficulties, which improve the level of their pinyin learning and words learning.