Narrative discourse: spontaneously generated stories of learning-disabled and normally achieving students

Spontaneously generated oral stories were obtained from 93 learning-disabled (LD) and normally achieving (NA) students, 14 to 16 each at 8:0-9:11, 10:0-11:11, and 12:0-13:11 age levels. The stories were analyzed using an adapted version of Stein and Glenn's (1979) story grammar. The results showed significant group and age differences. The stories told by the LD subjects contained fewer propositions and complete episodes and contained significantly fewer Minor Setting statements than those of their NA peers. Within an episode, the LD subjects were less likely to include Response, Attempt, and Plan statements than the NA counterparts. Group differences were also found in the area of interepisode relations. The major age-related findings were an increased occurrence of complete episodes and a greater frequency of embedded episodes as a function of increasing age. Findings are discussed with regard to the development of oral narration abilities. Explanations are offered to account for the storytelling deficits exhibited by the LD subjects.