Reading instruction for students with moderate mental retardation: review and analysis of research

Three areas of research on reading instruction for children with moderate mental retardation were reviewed: sight-word instruction, word-analysis instruction, and oral reading error-correction. The research indicates that (a) among the sight-word instruction methods, those that use picture integration, constant delay, and the Edmark errorless discrimination methods seem strongest; (b) word-analysis instruction is a viable option for many students with moderate mental retardation; and (c) word analysis is the most effective method of oral reading-error correction. Suggestions for research and practice were discussed.