Parents as behaviour therapy-technicians in treating reading deficits

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Abstract
Parents acted as therapy technicians in a behaviour modification programme directed at improving the reading level of culturally disadvantaged children identified as poor readers. Ten Ss between the ages of 7 and 14 with a reading level from 1½ to 4½ years behind the normal level, were divided into experimental and control groups. Two sets of parents, both without any high school education, were instructed in behaviour modification principles and a modified version of Camp and Staats' (1970) reading programme, and taught to teach their children how to read. The control Ss were all pupils in a remedial reading class in a local primary school. Over a two month period the experimental Ss exhibited a significant change in reading skills. There was no significant change in reading skills of the control Ss. An attempt was made to nurture individual learning strategies in the hope that this would generalize to all areas of learning. Subjective reports from teachers, parents, children, and school grades, attest to the generalized effect of the programme. It is proposed that further research investigate empirically the effectiveness of emphasizing learning strategies and intrinsic rewards. The use of parents as therapy technicians is proposed as an alternative or extra method of teaching disadvantaged children with inadequate reading skills.