The effect of summarization by mind mapping strategies on reading comprehension in visually impaired students

SUMMARY The purpose of this research is to determine the effectiveness of presenting direct teaching instructional material to the visually impaired (low vision) children about "constracting mind maps" if it changes thier score from comprehension questions. The design of this research is single subject with multiple probe across subjects which is a type of multiple baseline research. Subjects of research was 7th grade 3 visually impaired students who were enrolled in 2003-2004 in Mithat Enç Blind School. These students were selected with following considerations; they had necessary prerequisite skills for reading and writing in sighted alphabet letters. In order to determine whether there would be any changes of the students performance levels, summary construction and comprehension questions were generated as route tests. 3 selected expository material were used from 7th grade Science Book to determine base line performance of subject one. Subject contract summaries with a personal style then answer 5 comprehension questions immediatly. After 2 weeks delayed baseline performans datas were collected by using the very same comprehension questions. After reaching a steady state level, teaching sessions were beeing started. 6 selected expository material were used from 7th grade Science Book to determine base line performance of subject two. Subject contract summaries with a personal style then answer 5 comprehension questions immediatly. After 2 weeks delayed baseline performans datas were collected by using the very same comprehension questions. After reaching a steady state level, teaching sessions were beeing started.9 Selected expository material were used from 7th grade Science Book to determine base line performance of subject three. Subject contruct summaries with a personal style then answer 5 comprehension questions immediatly. After 2 weeks delayed baseline performans datas were collected by using the very same comprehension questions. After reaching a steady state level, teaching sessions were beeing started. After presenting direct teaching instructional material to all 3 subsubjects individually, post treatment 3 date were collected by using 5 comprehension questions immediatly after constraction of mind maps. Two weeks later, delayed baseline performans datas were collected by using the very same comprehension questions. 7th grade Social Sciences Book were beeing used to collect horizontal transfer datas and same procedures were used to get delayed datas as before. Graphical analysis was used to evaluate the obtained data. Results of research inducated that presenting direct teaching instructional material of constracting mind maps to the visually impaired (low vision) children indivudually observed to be extremely effective. VI