The Effect of a Morphological Awareness Intervention on Early Writing Outcomes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a morphological awareness intervention on the spelling and writing of second-grade ( n = 16) and third-grade ( n = 10) students at risk for learning disabilities. The intervention was provided for 25 min per session 4 to 5 times per week for 5 weeks. Students were randomly assigned to the intervention ( n = 13) or comparison ( n = 13) condition. Students were pre- and posttested using standardized tests of spelling and writing and were progress monitored twice weekly with a curriculum-based measure of writing. Intervention effects were measured using a univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) on each outcome. Growth on the progress monitoring task was measured using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). Results indicated the intervention did not have a significant effect on outcomes but a moderate positive effect was detected on writing. Practical applications including intervention revisions and feasibility of use are discussed.