Effects of direct instruction on the acquisition of prepositions by students with intellectual disabilities.

Christy and colleagues ran a single-case classroom study. They used scripted direct-instruction lessons to teach prepositions to students with intellectual disabilities.

The lessons happened in a public-school classroom. The team tracked how well each child could point to the right picture when given a preposition cue.

All students learned to pick the correct picture after the DI lessons. They kept the skill when teachers tested them later.

The study shows direct instruction works for small, clear language targets like prepositions.

Konstantareas (1984) also taught prepositions, but used speech-plus-sign instead of DI. Both studies got good results, so the target matters more than the method.

DeVellis et al. (1979) warned that receptive-only drills may not help expressive use. Christy et al. did not test expressive prepositions, so keep that limit in mind.

Cramm et al. (2009) reviewed writing studies and found DI helpful for students with ID. The new paper adds prepositions to the list of DI-ready skills.

If a student with ID struggles with prepositions, grab a DI language script. Run short, fast-paced trials. Check receptive data after each lesson.

Pair the lessons with real-object games so the skill moves beyond the table. Watch to see if the child can also say or sign the preposition; if not, add expressive practice later.