Critical Review Form- Law. M. Stewart, D., Pollack, M. Letts, L. Bosch, J. & Westmorland, M. (1998).

STUDY purpose

Was the purpose stated clearly?

• Yes
• No

1.Outline the purpose of the study

The purpose of the study was to investigate the difference between the learning capabilities of children with the formal oral language learning and Slow Impairment learning (SLI)

2.How does the study apply to communication disorders?

This study correlates to the communication disorders in several ways including the difficulty faced by the SLI children in the making of words and their decoding.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

Was relevant background literature reviewed?

• Yes
• No

1.Describe the justification for the study. What does the study add to the literature? Is the first study of its kind or is it an adaptation of previous studies?

There are enormous number of similar studies present but the significance of this is one of its kind. As it adds a lot the already present literature. From the selection of study population, the experimental design and variables all is carefully selected.

DESIGN OF STUDY:

o  Level 1

o  Level 2

o  Level 3

1.Describe the study design (is it correlational, experimental, survey research, etc.).

Experimental

2. How did you determine which design was used?

There was a test population specifically designed for this study and quasi-experimental test analysis was applied for obtaining the results.

STUDY POPUL.

Was sample describe in detail

• Yes
• No

Was sample size justified?

• Yes
• No

1.Describe the sample (describe the participants, what are their characteristics)

It included 12 teachers, 129 children (54 boys; 75 girls)

2. What sampling procedure was used?

Stratification process

3. Were any exclusionary criteria discussed?

No

INTERVENTION OR PROCEDURES

Intervention was described in detail

• Yes
• No

1.Provide a short description of the intervention or the procedures (What was the setting, what did the researchers do)

 The sampling procedure was carried out by the stratification process and all the schools of region were listed and divided on the basis of their socioeconomic status. Then students were subjected to 10 weeks 10 hour a day PA awareness program. Their learning capacities were observed and compared.

2. What were the variables?

Reading, Spelling and Phenomes

RESULTS

Results were reported in terms of statistical significance?

• Yes
• No

1. What were the results? Were they statistically significant (i.e.,

p<.05)?

p>0.005 (insignificant)

2. What was the clinical importance of the results? Report the effect size if included in the study.

The study was clinically quite significant as it helped to understand that the cognitive capabilities of children can be enhanced by simply directing them to the oral language development programs.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS:

Conclusion were appropriate given the methods and results

• Yes
• No

1. What did the researchers conclude?

The literacy capacities of children can be enhanced with special formal programs even when they have communication disability.

2. What are the implications of these results for communication disorders?

Small and large intensive PA training programs must be introduced

3.  Discuss any threats to internal validity. (if this was an experimental design

No

4. What were the main limitations or biases in the study?

There are no as such limitations in the study but the fact that there was un-equal distribution of the study populations genders as well as age limits.