The Effect of a Multisensory Approach on Increasing Sight Word Automaticity in First Grade Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a multisensory approach would impact the sight word automaticity of first grade students. The study consisted of a sample of three first grade students who received instruction of sight words through multisensory activities over a seven week time period. The measurement tool was the Dolch word list for the primer and first grade levels. This study involved the use of a pretest/posttest design to compare data before the intervention was administered and after the intervention was complete. The null hypothesis was supported because the students did not make statistically significant gains in sight word automaticity. Further research should continue in order to determine best practices for developing word automaticity and reading skills in primary students.