Comparison of the Acquisition and Maintenance of Teaching Functional and Core Content Sight Words in Special and General Education Settings

In this investigation, the acquisition of both functional and core content sight words was compared as replicated across three formats: direct massed trial instruction in a special education resource room, direct distributed trial instruction in a general education classroom, and embedded distributed trial instruction in a general education classroom. Four students with moderate disabilities across three age groups participated. During direct instructional trials, both functional and core content sight words were presented using a constant time delay procedure. During embedded trials, the students received instruction in the same manner as their peers without disabilities (e.g., teacher lecture, worksheets, activities). Although the results varied slightly across participants, there were minimal differences in the acquisition and maintenance of both functional and core content sight words across the three presentation formats. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)