A blended model of vocabulary instruction for students with mild intellectual disability

Forty-one year six to nine students participated in a rich vocabulary intervention through either a blended model or through a comparison computer-only condition where all tasks were delivered via computer-assisted instruction. Participants’ pre- and post- intervention vocabulary knowledge was assessed using a version of Read’s Word Associates Format (WAF) test. Both conditions were successful in increasing students’ target vocabulary knowledge with effect sizes near 1. This suggests that computer-assisted instruction is as effective as a blended model of instruction despite current technological limitations. Additionally, four months later, participants retained most of their new knowledge, supporting existing research that generation tasks are key to improving vocabulary.