Comparison of Reading Growth and Outcomes of Kindergarten Students with Cognitive Impairments to Their Typical Peers

This research addressed the early reading instruction of students with cognitive impairments included in general education kindergarten classrooms. Research from 2002 to 2011 on early reading instruction for students with mental retardation were reviewed and current trends in measurement, typical instruction, intervention, and achievement were discussed. Seven limitations in the research base were identified, suggesting a large gap between policy, research, and practice. Extant data from a larger study on individualizing kindergarten Tier 1 literacy instruction was used to answer questions related to the reading growth and achievement of students with cognitive impairments compared to their typical peers. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to evaluate reading growth and achievement as a function of the differential influences of initial skills and Tier 1 Instruction. Results suggested that students with cognitive impairments in this study performed higher than students with mental retardation in previous studies, but poorer than their typical peers. However, when initial skills were accounted for, there were no significant differences between groups. There was relatively strong evidence that teachers individualized kindergarten Tier 1 instruction. Further, there were indications that typical students and students with cognitive impairments had differential response to certain types of instruction. While this study was able to address some of the gaps identified in the literature review, there continue to be significant knowledge and practice gaps that warrant further research with this population in this setting.