clay modelling

Effects of the Clay Modeling Program on the Reading Behavior of Children with Dyslexia: A Malaysian Case StudyPatricia Philip Ambrose, Loh Sau Cheong*University of Malaya, Malaysia*[email protected]

This study investigated the effects of the Clay Modeling Program on the reading behavior of dyslexic children. The three participants were very poor readers who could not even identify simple words. A pre-test to assess the participants’ ability to read was conducted. The treatment (Clay Modeling Program) was conducted for a period of eight weeks, involving 20 sessions of 75 minutes each, followed by a post-test after the eight-week treatment. The control group did not receive any treatment. The participants’ English teachers were also interviewed before and after the treatment. Results show all three participants were able to read the specified text fluently without hesitation, able to spell the words from the text correctly, and more attentive in class. They were not that passive as before as they were now more responsive towards their teacher; showed signs of increased self-confidence; had the courage to read in front of the class; were more keen and willing to learn. The findings indicate that the Clay Modeling Program has a positive effect on the reading behavior of dyslexic children. If conducted with a larger population, it would further enhance the Malaysian society in achieving one of its visions of having a literate society.

Keywords: Clay Modeling Program, reading behavior, dyslexic children, reading difficulty, symbol mastery

The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 20:3 (2011), pp. 456-468

Copyright © 2011 De La Salle University, Philippines

Reading is one of the central difficulties of students with learning disabilities and nearly 80% of all students with learning disabilities have reading problems (Lyon & Moats, 1997). Carnine, Silbert, and Kameenui (1990) suggest that this is the principal cause of failure in school. Research has shown that up to 15 percent of the children in Asia may be affected by learning difficulties in one form or another and 60 to 80 percent of these children suffer from a specific learning disability called dyslexia; and in Malaysia, it has been estimated that up to 500,000 children per generation are facing various degrees of dyslexia (JUKEN Consultancy Sdn. Bhd, 2004). However, this problem has not been fully recognized at the national level. According to Malaysia Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) director Mahzan Bakar, this matter has to be taken seriously as such pupils are at risk of dropping out of the school system and can face a hard

time continuing with their education or pursuing a career (Chapman, 2006).

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge (Lyon, Shaywitz, & Shaywitz, 2003, p.2).

Various studies and research have indicated that dyslexia, if not addressed properly at an early stage, can likely lead to deep resentment against the

Ambrose, p.p. & LoH, s.C. 457effeCts of tHe CLAy modeLing progrAm

education system, society in general, school dropouts and juvenile delinquencies (JUKEN Consultancy Sdn. Bhd, 2004).

Related StudieSChildren with dyslexia are faced with possible

abnormality of pre-natal maturation of the cerebral cortex which leads to atypical development of brain asymmetry. According to Berninger and Richards (2009), children with dyslexia need to use nearly five times the neurological brain area as children without dyslexia to perform an ordinary language task. They may be considered to be lazy, unmotivated or of low intelligence because of their language problems. These misconceptions can lead to many problems such as discouragement, isolation, feelings of inferiority, self-confidence and low self-esteem (Narayana & Xiong, 2003), although Ingesson (2007) found that general feeling of low self-esteem tend to be common at elementary level and worsen in the middle school, but may not be so in the upper school.

Davis (1997, 2003) argues that dyslexia may be the result of an inborn gift or talent. It coincides with imagination and creativity, with problem solving by looking at the bigger picture rather than by means of a step-by-step analytical process. He is supported by Berninger (2004) who says that dyslexics are often gifted and creative. Gorman, Cuadros, Land, Scully and Song (2003), Levine (2002), Shaywitz (2003) and Stowe (2000) also support this view. Levine (2002) stated that some learners with learning problems have creative tendencies and they undertake imaginative ventures.

The assumption in the dyslexic child’s mind–that he or she lacks intelligence–is inaccurate, and it needs correcting if such children are to re-establish the self-confidence they need to gain. They have to see for themselves both their strengths and weaknesses. When a dyslexic child sees herself in this new light, it is the turning point for the child (Bradford, 2001). Hence, introducing the appropriate program can help a dyslexic child to overcome his or her problem in reading, spelling and writing. As a result of overcoming the problem with improved ability to read, spell and write, the level of confidence tends to increase in children with dyslexia.

inteRvention PRogRam foR ReadingIn spite of the opinions of the experts regarding

language instruction, they, nevertheless do not seem to

have a consensus on the method upon which reading intervention programs should be constructed for the dyslexic. For instance, Shaywitz (2003) maintains that sounds should be taught systematically and explicitly, instead of randomly or subtly. She says the holistic method concentrates on meaning and that supporters of this method assume reading is acquired naturally. According to Shaywitz, reading is not a natural process but it is a skill that is mastered with difficulty.

The Orton Gillingham Institute for Multi Sensory Education in America focuses on each student’s visual and kinaesthetic developmental pathways to maximize mastery and retention (Drake, 1999). This institute also uses systematic phonics instruction.

Stowe (2000) says that there is no standard way of intervention and that each student has to be assessed separately. Based on the findings from the assessment, a special program has then to be constructed for that individual. She adds that there should not be too much reliance on explicit phonics instruction, especially not to the exclusion of the whole-language (holistic) concept.

Many of the other intervention programs that have been developed to help learners with reading problems, especially in which the phonics method mainly functions, employ intensive training and repetition techniques to strengthen the neural pathways. Shaywitz (2003) works on the assumption that practice helps improve the talents of athletes and artists and therefore should also help a person with dyslexia. According to Davis (2003), such a person is trying to improve a talent he/she does not have. He says, for children with dyslexia, drill work and repeated exercises appear to be like something forced on them and this makes them repeating what they precisely do not have. Since they have a different way of thinking, these repeated exercises makes reading even worse by draining out the child with dyslexia and increase their frustration because they will not retain information unless they understand where it fits into the “big picture”.

In addition to that, most traditional reading remedial programs in Malaysia typically teach phonetic strategies in addition to word recognition, vocabulary building, reading comprehension, fluency and writing skills. The phonics method involves intensive training and repetition to strengthen the neural pathways. For children who have auditory-linguistic dyslexia, this method is not effective and therefore an alternative program could be the answer.

458 VoL. 20 no. 3tHe AsiA-pACifiC edUCAtion reseArCHer

the Clay modeling PRogRamAmidst all these different programs and point of

view, there is the Davis Correction Program by Ronald Davis (1997, 2003) that originated from California in 1984 and is still being applied worldwide. The Davis approach does not encourage reliance on phonetic strategies for word recognition. Rather, the specific techniques for reading are geared to building letter sequencing and visual word recognition skills, and emphasize understanding of word meaning and sentence comprehension through association with visual imagery, as dyslexics tend to think primarily through pictures and images rather than using words, sentences or internal dialogue (self-talk) used by verbal thinkers. Thus, it taps on the visual-spatial learning strengths of dyslexic children (Davis & Braun, 1997).

Davis’s technique (1997, 2003) which is called Symbol Mastery is based on recognized multisensory methods (Miller, 1993; Stowe, 2000). With Symbol Mastery through Clay Modeling (using clay to form sight words, alphabets & punctuation marks and others) it is assured that the brain is able to accurately recognize each letter and punctuation mark (Marshall, 2005).

According to Davis and Braun (1997), this method corrects dyslexia by eliminating the confusion factor that is found to be the root cause of the disability. Every word is composed of three parts – what it looks like when we see it, what it sounds like when we hear it, and what it means when we say it. Each of these parts is processed in different areas of the brain. By using clay, a child is able to create a visual image for what a word means, looks like and sounds. This visual image remains in the child’s mind and will never cause confusion or disorientation. In this way, the child is able to remember the words learned. To further support this statement, Tomascoff (2004) shares her experience on how she taught her students the art of clay craftsmanship. She further adds that her kids love clay, regardless of whether they have impairment. In another study by Warwick (2005), kids are highly motivated by creating their own art with clay. When these kids are successful in producing clay product, they will be very happy (Jaramillo, 2008).

The Davis Program (1997, 2003) normally entails a week of intensive intervention, six hours per day. This means about 30 hours per week. The individual who receives the intervention shows improved self-confidence and better attention skills after the intervention.

The Clay Modeling Program in this study basically consists of five main sessions:

Session 1 – motivate and explain the • importance of the participant’s co-operation and participation in programSession 2 – mastery of letters A-Z• Session 3 – mastery of letters a-z• Session 4 – mastery of punctuation marks• Session 5 – mastery of words •

According to Marshall (2003), children (and adults) use clay to model the concepts that are associated with word meanings at the same time as modeling the letters of each word in clay. At the primary level, these methods provide a route to learning that seems to be easier for students with dyslexic tendencies rather than traditional instruction. Among older dyslexic children and adults, these methods routinely lead to very rapid progress in reading ability. She adds that the right brain hemisphere is where the mind connects written words to their meanings, and that it is where creative and imaginative thought takes place. Since dyslexics tend to rely more on the right hemisphere, modeling words with clay helps build right brain connections which are important for dyslexic learners. Unlike most of the traditional phonics-based intervention programs which emphasise more the use of the left side of the brain, this program, that emphasizes right brain, will enable children with dyslexia to acquire the ability to read (Marshall, 2003).

PuRPoSe of the StudyThis study explores the possibility of introducing

the Clay Modeling Program and to ascertain whether this Program has the potential to improve the reading behavior, which includes reading ability, attention skills and self-confidence, of Malaysian children with dyslexia over a short period of time, thus, assisting them to overcome their reading disability. The assumptions on which the study was based are that through the Clay Modeling Program, the child is able to form words in clay without losing focus and concentration. This helps improve the child’s attention skills, which in turn will help the child to remember and to recognize the words learned, thus, leading the child to be able to read them. When such children are able to read, their level of self-confidence improves. Burden (2008) in his review states that most intervention programs are not placing much, if any, emphasis on building up the feeling of competence among the dyslexic, apart from


dedicated to skills teaching. Specifically, the objectives of this study are:

To ascertain whether the Clay Modeling • Program can, over the short term, improve the reading ability of children with a reading disorder;To ascertain whether the Clay Modeling • Program can improve the attention skills of children with a reading disorder; andTo ascertain whether the self-confidence • of these children improves if their reading problems are overcome.

methodology

Research DesignThis study employs a mixed-method design. It is a

combination of experimental research and case study. A pretest-posttest control group design was used. It is also a case study as it involves only three participants. A very detailed observation was done on each of the participants throughout the whole study. This is very important since it helps illuminate the concrete effectiveness of the program. This mixed-method design was chosen to enhance the understanding of the research focus.

ParticipantsThree participants, 13-years old, who were pupils

in Secondary One from a Malaysian school, were selected by a purposive sampling method. Consistent with the nature of the present study, the participants chosen were very poor readers and unable to recognize even simple words. They were, however, able to identify the alphabets in the upper and lower cases except for the confusion between “b” & “d”, and “p” & “q”. They are also classified as dyslexics since they fulfil the characteristics of dyslexia as stated by the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (2004), which defines dyslexia as a neurologically based specific learning difficulty that is characterised by difficulties in one or more of reading, spelling and writing. Accompanying weaknesses may be identified in areas of language acquisition, phonological processing, working memory and sequencing. Some factors which are associated with it, but do not cause dyslexia, are poor motivation, impaired attention and academic frustration.

The students chosen for this study had not received any form of intervention previously or at the time

of the study. They have also not been absent from school during the time of the study. In this study, the participants were their own controls. The same participant was given two different pre-tests and post-tests. The first set of pre-test/post-test was with the intervention (Clay Modeling Program). The second set of pre-test/post-test was without any intervention.

Instruments Two different reading passages (Reading Texts 1

& 2) about 50 words in length were utilized (as shown in Figure 1), each of which also includes sight words (as shown in Table 1). These passages are designed to measure the variables in an objective, reliable and valid way. An interview was carried out with the class teachers of the participants before and after the program, employing a structured and semi-structured interview format.

Reading text 1

Peter and Jane want to go to the station to see the trains. They like to look at the trains at the station. Here they go, on a bus to the station. It is a red bus. They like it on the bus. The bus has come to the station.

Reading text 2

This is little billy goat Gruff. He likes to jump. This is middle-sized billy goat Gruff. He likes to have fun. This is big billy goat Gruff. He likes to eat grass. Here is a bridge. The billy goats want to go over the bridge for some grass.

figure 1. Reading texts used during intervention.

table 1List of Sight Words Found in Text 1 and Text 2

Sight Words Sight Wordsfrom text 1 from text 2

a a and is at go has havehere he is likes it overlike some to tothe the


Treatment The treatment used is the Clay Modeling Program.

This program involves the use of modeling clay. A detailed description of the intervention program is as follows:

Session 1Talk to the participants to make them feel at

ease. Motivate and explain to them that they have to assume responsibility for their participation and involvement in the intervention program. They must be willing to participate and cooperate.

Session 2Start with Symbol Mastery: Alphabet Mastery

The researcher provides paper strips on which the letters of the alphabet have been printed (upper and lower case) as well as modeling clay. During this session, the participants have to mould strips of clay, cut off the required lengths and form the letters of the alphabet according to the examples on the strip of paper. The clay letters are placed next to each other and the participants must say each letter’s name as they complete it. (During the research project, cardboard squares were used for these letters, since the work could not always be completed in one session. The squares were then kept in a safe place until the next session when work could be resumed). The participants compare their clay letters with the printed version and mistakes are corrected. The researcher provides help when necessary without criticizing the participant’s work. The researcher also takes note of the letter(s) with which the participants have to struggle. Then the participants touch each letter from A-Z and say each one’s name. If they make a mistake and/or if the participants hesitate, the researcher asks questions to lead the participants to the correct name. Then the participants touch each letter from Z-A and say the name. This is repeated once more from Z-A. Then the participants have to say out loud all the letters from A-Z without looking at them. This is repeated from Z-A. They may look at the letters if they are uncertain.

Session 3Symbol Mastery continued: Repeat everything

with the lower-case letters as with the upper-case letters, but start with “z” and end with “a” initially. Repeat until the participants can recite the upper- and lower-case letters of the alphabet fluently from memory. Then the participants can be asked to repeat the names of the letters as pointed out at random by the researcher.

Session 4Punctuation marks are made with clay, named,

touched and their functions discussed. The punctuation marks are modeled and discussed as the full stop and comma.

Session 5The participants start to do Symbol Mastery

based on the word list as shown in Table 2.

The reading techniques used when the participants start to do Symbol Mastery on the word list are as stated in the next section.

Spell ReadingStart at a much lower level than the grade in which

the child is. The participants made a word from the word list using clay. Then the participants spell each word and read it. The researcher guides where necessary. This technique is not meant for comprehension. The objective is to help the participants recognize letters and words and also to train the participant’s brain and eyes from left to right.

Sweep-Sweep-SpellThe researcher covers the words with a paper in a

line and then slowly reveals one word at a time with a piece of paper. The participants must try and read each word. A word may be swept twice and if the participants still cannot read the word, then it has to be spelled and pronounced. The researcher helps. The aim again is not comprehension, but recognition and training the brain and eyes from left to right.

Picture-at-PunctuationThe end result of this activity is to ensure that the

participants achieve complete comprehension of what they have read in both the Reading Texts 1 & 2. The

table 2Word for Symbol Mastery During Clay Modeling Program

text 1 text 2 Peter look this middle-sized Jane like little fun and they goat eat want red billy grass to is gruff here go a he bridge the bus likes want station has to over train come jump for at here is some


participants read up to a punctuation mark and explain what they have read. They are asked to form a picture in their mind of what has been read. The reading is continued and the process repeated.

ProcedureAfter a suitable school had been identified, verbal

consent was obtained from the principal of the school to carry out the research for 8 weeks. The next step was to identify the suitable candidates and to assign the candidates to the experimental group and control group. The participants were their own controls. The parents of the candidates were approached personally to obtain permission for the child to partake in this research program.

During pre-testing, the participants did the reading test (Texts 1 & 2). After the test had been completed the treatment was introduced. The participants received the treatment in 20 sessions. Each session lasted for about 75 minutes.

The participants were only trained using symbol mastery based on one Reading Text (Text 1). For the other Reading Text (Text 2), the participants were not trained using symbol mastery or any other program. After the treatment, the participants were once again evaluated by means of the same tests. The objective was to determine whether the participants had significantly improved in their reading ability as compared to the participants’ own control without the treatment. The participants’ English teachers were also interviewed to find out about their academic performance through in-class reading exercises given by the teacher as well as their participation in class. The interview data was triangulated with other method such as observation.

Validity and Reliability In this study, validity is enhanced through

triangulation among participant observation, interview and document analysis. The participant observation allows the researcher to obtain in-the-field experience during the intervention and it serves as a check against researcher’s subjective reporting and own belief, while the document analysis is based on students’ ability to spell the words in written form. Reliability is enhanced as the pre-test and post-test were administered within a time interval of two months.

Data AnalysisData was analyzed based on the Reading Texts

and the detailed observation of the participants’ daily

progress with respect to the treatment and without treatment. Triangulation of observation, interview and document analysis was also used to further strengthen the data collected.

ReSultS

Effects of the Clay Modeling Program on the Reading Behavior of Dyslexic Children

Case 1: ShameenReading Ability: Shameen (fictitious name) is a

13-year old who could neither read nor spell words in Reading Texts 1 & 2 (Table 3) during the pre-tests. After she (in the experimental group) had undergone the Clay Modeling Program, a post-test was conducted on her using Reading Text 1. Shameen was able to read Text 1 accurately, fluently and without hesitation, and able to spell all the words orally and in written form. However, when a post-test was conducted on Shameen (control group) using Reading Text 2, she was not able to read or spell the words in Reading Text 2. She could only read and spell some of the words which had also appeared in Reading Text 1.

When Shameen was introduced to the Clay Modeling Program, she was able to follow the Symbol Mastery techniques in the Program. Initially, she was not able to form them in the standard size but later she managed to do it. Shameen had problems identifying the letters “b” and “d” correctly. However, after forming them with clay a few times, she was able to recognize them correctly. Shameen’s English teacher, Ms. Bey (fictitious name) could see her excitement and happiness when she was able to identify these letters correctly. Shameen was also able to touch and say the names of the alphabet from A-Z, Z-A, a-z and z-a.

table 3Words Read and Spelled After Undergoing the Clay Modeling Program - Shameen

text 1 text 2

Peter look is Jane like to and they here want red want to is go a the bus station has train come at here


She likewise was able to say the names of the letters when pointed out at random. When Shameen was introduced to new words and told to form them in clay and then spell them forward, backward and forward again – she was able to remember how to spell the words and also its meaning. She was also introduced to “sight words” and had no problem remembering them. Shameen expressed her happiness in being able to read. She said, “I wished I was taught to read much earlier. I actually never liked reading until this very moment.”

The researcher too was equally overwhelmed by Shameen’s progress. It was really remarkable to see her read. For someone who could not make any sense of a word, and after undergoing the Clay Modeling Program, it is simply amazing to know that she can read. The researcher found this very rewarding and satisfying. Ms. Bey was equally surprised to see the changes in Shameen. She claimed, “For someone who was not able to read, this is definitely a great breakthrough!”

However, when Shameen was taught a different set of words (Reading Text 2) without the Clay Modeling Program, she could only remember them for a short while and she could not spell the words correctly.

Attention Skills: Based on the interview conducted with Ms. Bey, it was found that Shameen is not very attentive in class, tends to daydream quite frequently in class and does not respond well when specific tasks are given. In the English tests, Shameen hardly writes anything in the subjective section and even if she does, it would merely be the questions and even then there would be spelling errors. According to Ms. Bey, Shameen hardly gets any word correct in the spelling test. Ms. Bey also said that Shameen does understand some instructions given orally in class but she is unable to do her homework simply because she cannot read or recognize and understand the meaning of words. Shameen often fails to hand in her homework and when she does, there are a lot of spelling and grammatical errors in her work. She also takes a very long time to finish her work.

When Shameen was introduced to the Clay Modeling Program, she really enjoyed forming the letters in upper and lower case with clay. She was able to work on the clay without feeling bored or restless. She was also able to remember all the “sight words” and punctuation marks. She was very attentive throughout the 75-minute sessions and there was no problem in keeping her engaged in Modeling the letters

and words with clay. She was filled with excitement and happiness when she was able to identify letters ‘b’ and ‘d’ for the first time.

After undergoing the Clay Modeling Program, Ms. Bey noticed some positive changes in Shameen. She appears to be slightly more attentive in class and she does not daydream as frequently as she used to. Ms. Bey also commented on Shameen’s eagerness in working with the Clay Modeling Program, “Shameen really looks forward to your (the researcher) sessions. When you could not make it one day, she was very saddened. That really shows how much she enjoys the Clay Modeling Program.”

When Shameen was taught a different set of words (Text 2) without the Clay Modeling Program, she showed a sense of frustration when she could not read the words. She was also very restless and was not too keen about learning the words in this manner. In fact, she asked if the clay can be used to form the words.

Self-Confidence: According to Ms. Bey, Shameen can communicate in English but she speaks fluently in Malay, by which she communicates in Malay with a few friends in class. Shameen is also very passive and quiet in class, always refrains from asking questions. She does not read in class and dislikes reading, often does not hand in her homework and when she does, there are a lot of spelling and grammatical errors in her work.

When Shameen underwent the Clay Modeling Program, she became very excited as she learned the new words and Ms. Bey could see that her self-confidence had also increased. Success in learning new words and being able to recall them had increased her self-confidence and she was eager to learn more new words. Shameen claimed: “I always think I was stupid and cannot read. But, now I’m so very happy because I can read. I’m not stupid after all.”

This statement from Shameen clearly shows that she is confident that she can read and does not think negatively about herself. Ms. Bey too, was very happy for Shameen. What amazes her further is the fact that Shameen proudly told her that she could read Text 1. Before this, Shameen would hardly say anything to Ms. Bey: “It really takes a lot of courage and self-confidence for Shameen to come up to me and say that she can read. It is indeed a great achievement!”

Case 2: CarolReading Ability: Carol (fictitious name) is a 13-

year old who could neither read nor spell the words


in Reading Texts 1 & 2 (Table 4) during the pre-tests. After she (experimental group) had undergone the Clay Modeling Program, a post-test was conducted on her using Reading Text 1. Carol was able to read Text 1 accurately, fluently without hesitation, was also able to spell all the words orally and in written form. However, when a post-test was conducted on Carol (control group) using Reading Text 2, she was not able to read or spell the words in Reading Text 2 as the Clay Modeling Program was not implemented for Reading Text 2. She could only read and spell some of the words which had also appeared in Reading Text 1.

Carol was able to follow the Symbol Mastery techniques and was able to identify all the letters in upper case. However, she had problems in identifying letters “p” and “q” in lower cases. But after she was able to identify letters ‘p’ and ‘q’ correctly, she showed more interest. She became more comfortable and was able to form the alphabets better in clay. Carol was also able to touch and say the alphabets A-Z, Z-A, a-z and z-a. Carol was also able to say the names of the alphabets when pointed out at random. When Carol was introduced to new words and told to form them in clay and then spell them forward, backward and forward again, she was able to remember how to spell the words and also its meaning. She had no problem remembering the ‘sight words’ and punctuation marks as well. The only problem she had was missing the ‘s’ suffix when pronouncing the words. But after a few sessions she got it right.

Carol was delighted that she could read the words and expressed her happiness in being able to read and understand the meaning of words. Carol’s English teacher, Ms. Tracy (fictitious name) was very happy to see her progress in reading and once again she was very impressed by Carol’s success in reading.

She commented: “I’m amazed to see her progress in reading. Carol can now recognize some words in my English class and that’s really great!”

However, when Carol was taught a different set of words (Reading Text 2) without the Clay Modeling Program, she could only remember them for a short while and she could not spell the words correctly.

Attention Skills: Ms. Tracy commented that Carol

does not complete her work during the class time and if she does, it is always wrong. Ms. Tracy adds that Carol is also not attentive in class and that she does not respond well when specific tasks are given but merely copies blindly. Whenever exercises are given, Carol just copies everything from that exercise or copies from her friend. Carol is also easily distracted by the surroundings.

When the Clay Modeling Program was introduced to Carol, she was initially not too keen or interested in forming the letters in clay and her letter formation was not systematic and consistent in size. But after the second session, she started to enjoy forming the letters and words in clay. She was more focused, very attentive throughout the sessions and paid attention to Ms. Tracy’s instructions. Ms. Tracy did not encounter any problems in keeping her attention even when the sessions were held after school hours in the afternoon.

Ms. Tracy also had observed some changes in Carol after she underwent the Clay Modeling Program. Her comments were: “Carol appears to be more attentive in class and she has started to copy more accurately from the blackboard.”

When Carol was taught a new set of words (Text 2) without the Clay Modeling Program, she did not enjoy it. Repeated drilling of a particular word did not help her in mastering the word but instead seemed to bore her and she was not able to focus and pay attention. She told me (the researcher) that she preferred the clay technique.

Self-Confidence: According to Ms. Tracy, Carol cannot read well or fluently and the only words she recognizes is ‘I’ and ‘is’. She also does not read loudly and what she reads makes no sense at all. Ms. Tracy feels that Carol does not like reading. Carol cannot communicate well in English and she communicates with her peers in Mandarin. She also does not ask questions in class, seldom hands in her homework, very shy, extremely passive and very quiet in class.

table 4Words Read and Spelled After Undergoing the Clay Modeling Program - Carol

text 1 text 2 Peter look is Jane like to and they here want red want to is go a the bus station has train come at here


When Carol was introduced to the Clay Modeling Program and was able to read the words, she was very thrilled and delighted. She showed interest in learning new words by asking me to teach her more words. Carol expressed her happiness in being able to read and understand the meaning of words. She was feeling more confident about her ability to read.

Ms. Tracy was amazed and happy to see her progress in reading. Ms. Tracy asked Carol to read Text 1 in class during her English lesson and she was very happy to hear her read moderately loud and accurately even though a little monotonous. Ms. Tracy exclaimed that it was unbelievable to hear Carol read: “Carol has indeed gained some self-confidence as she has the courage to read in front of the class.”

Case 3: SuzanneReading Ability: Suzanne (fictitious name) could

neither read nor spell the words in Reading Texts 1 & 2 (Table 5) during the pre-tests. After she (experimental group) had undergone the Clay Modeling Program, a post-test was conducted on her using Reading Text 1. She was able to read Text 1 accurately, fluently and without hesitation, able to spell all the words orally and in written form.

However, when a post-test was conducted on Suzanne (control group) using Reading Text 2, she was not able to read or spell the words in Text 2 since the Clay Modeling Program was not implemented for Reading Text 2. She could only read and spell some of the words which had also appeared in Reading Text 1.

When Suzanne was introduced to the Clay Modeling Program, she was able to follow the

Symbol Mastery techniques in the program. She too had problems identifying the letters ‘p’ and ‘q’ as she always got them mixed up. But after using the clay to form the two letters, she was able to identify them correctly. I could see her excitement and happiness when she was able to identify the letters “p” and “q” correctly. Suzanne was also able to touch and say the names of the alphabet from A-Z, Z-A, a-z and z-a. Suzanne was also able to say the names of the letters when pointed out at random. When Suzanne was introduced to new words and told to form them in clay and then spell them forward, backward and forward again – she was able to remember how to spell the words and also its meanings. She also had no problem remembering the punctuation marks. However, Suzanne had a slight problem with one “sight word” namely “here”. It took her a longer time to master this particular word.

Suzanne was very excited and happy that she could read, spell and write words correctly. She actually asked me if I could teach her every day. I could see that she was very eager to learn. It clearly shows that she has initiative and is very interested to learn. Suzanne said that she was very happy to be able to read and recognize words.

I was indeed very happy with her progress. She was filled with excitement and looked forward to my sessions. It was truly very satisfying. Suzanne’s English teacher, commented: “I’m glad to know that Suzanne is able to read and recognize words. I had never expected to see such changes in Suzanne.”

However, when Suzanne was taught a new set of words (Reading Text 2), she was not able to master the words. She found it very difficult to spell the word and could not even remember its meaning. She told me that she preferred the clay technique as it was much easier to remember the words.

Attention Skills: Suzanne’s English teacher, Ms. Tracy complained that Suzanne is neither attentive nor able to follow given instructions well in class. Suzanne takes an extremely long time to do her work and has never completed her work in class. She is very easily distracted in class and daydreams most of the time, seldom does her work correctly and does not copy correctly from the blackboard. When Ms. Tracy asks her any questions, she always says ‘tak tahu’ (don’t know) or just shakes her head.

With Clay Modeling Program, Suzanne was able to form the letters in clay and she enjoyed it very

table 5Words Read and Spelled After Undergoing the Clay Modeling Program - Suzanne

text 1 text 2 Peter look is Jane like to and they here want red want to is go a the bus station has train come at here


much. She did not show signs of boredom nor did she drift away into daydreaming. She was focused and paid attention throughout all the 75-minute sessions. The only time she became restless and inattentive was when she was taught words from Text 2 without using the Clay Modeling Program. Ms. Tracy also commented that Suzanne was really enjoying the Clay Modeling Program. She said: “When I asked Suzanne about the Clay Modeling Program, she said that she was having a lot of fun and is learning new words. I was very pleased and delighted to hear that from her. To be honest, I never expected such a positive response from Suzanne.”

Self-Confidence: According to Ms. Tracy, Suzanne cannot read well or fluently, does not read in class and dislikes reading. She even cried when asked to read in class. Ever since then, Ms. Tracy has not asked her to read in class. Suzanne also cannot communicate well in English but she communicates with her peers in Malay and Tamil. Suzanne neither asks questions in class nor hands in her homework frequently, very passive, shy and quiet in class.

After going through Clay Modeling Program, Suzanne was very excited and happy that she could read, spell and write words correctly to the extent that she asked me to teach her everyday. She was very eager to learn. She claimed that she had always felt shy and embarrassed among her classmates because she could not read, but now she too is able to read. It clearly shows that success in learning to recognize and read the words has given her the confidence in wanting to learn more new words. I was indeed very happy with her progress. She was filled with excitement and looked forward to my sessions. It was truly very satisfying. Ms. Tracy was also glad to see the changes in Suzanne. She asked Suzanne if she would like to read Text 1 in class and surprisingly Suzanne agreed. Ms. Tracy commented: “I was more than happy to hear Suzanne read Text 1 loudly and accurately in class. I think for someone who was shy and passive in class, this is a very big change!”

diSCuSSionAccording to Shaywitz (2003), a child that does

not receive intervention at an early stage will require 150 to 300 hours of intensive study. This means 90 minutes per day for a period of one to three years. Davis (1997), on the other hand, mentions that a dyslexic child who does not receive intervention at

an early stage will require about 30 hours of intensive intervention. Marshall (2003) mentions that older children and adults tend to have very rapid progress in reading ability when using clay to model the concepts that are associated with word meanings at the same time as modeling the letters of each word in clay. The Clay Modeling Program, which involves a treatment of 20 in sessions, each session lasting for 75 minutes, showed that a very significant improvement had taken place in all the three participants’ reading behavior. There is a clear indication that this program can produce positive results within a short period of time.

According to the reading test (Text 1), the experimental group that underwent the Clay Modeling Program performed better than the control group. The control group, on the other hand, showed no significant improvement in the reading test (Text 2). Only those words that reappeared from Text 1 were read correctly. If this Program can help a dyslexic child with zero reading ability to attain some level of reading comprehension, we can hypothesize it to likely do wonders for children who have little or minimal reading skills.

Shaywitz (2003) mentions that phonics instruction teaches children how to sound words and pronounce them and that this promotes reading accuracy and reading comprehension. However, as children get older and move on to higher grades in school and are exposed to more difficult words, the impact of phonics instruction becomes less effective with regard to a child’s spelling ability (Marshall, 2003). The fact that the participants were all 13 years of age but still improved tremendously in the reading and spelling tests can be regarded as further proof of the effectiveness of the Clay Modeling Program.

There are also other factors that have contributed to the success of this study. The rate of absorption of the participants was very much dependent on the location of the sessions. The sessions were conducted in an enclosed room in the library where there was practically no distraction. This is very important as dyslexic children can be very easily distracted by the surroundings. Even the slightest noise or movement can cause the dyslexic child’s attention to shift to the distractions (Davis & Braun, 1997).

In this study, the researcher as the teacher played a pertinent role in providing support to these children during and after school hours. Burden (2005) finds that


adolescents attending independent specialist school for dyslexics demonstrated increase in academic self-concept (ASC) when they move up the school, although their initial ASC was significantly lower than the mainstream sample. The positive change can be attributed to the context in which the dyslexic children were being educated, in this case, the ethos of the school (Burden, 2005) and what exactly took place in the children’s lives such as self-esteem, learned helplessness and attribution which Burden (2008) called for further investigation among these children. Burden (2005) and Ingesson (2007) confirm that what it seemed to be difficult prior to diagnosis can be crucial to a dyslexic child, and support obtained from parent can mean whether the child would continue trying or giving up (Griffiths, Norwich, & Burden, 2004; McNulty, 2003).

All of the factors discussed in this chapter clearly show the success of the Clay Modeling Program in enabling dyslexic children in this study to acquire the ability to read, improve in attention and self-confidence.

In Malaysia, about 4% of 12-year-olds in schools are very weak in reading and writing after six years of primary schooling (Chapman, 2006). This amounts to about 20,000 Grade Six pupils, a very big number. This is a very serious matter as such pupils are at risk of dropping out of the school system and can face a hard time continuing with their education or pursuing a career. One of the reasons why some of these pupils have not mastered the basic skills is because they could have learning difficulties which have not been identified or diagnosed. In the researchers’ opinion, if these children are introduced to the Clay Modeling Program mentioned in this study, chances are they would improve their reading ability.

The Clay Modeling Program can be used on any individual who has a disability to read, spell and write or is diagnosed as a dyslexic. It can be introduced at any age, even as early as six or seven. The only adaptation that has to be made is in regard to the vocabulary and readers/Reading Texts. Any readers/Reading Texts can be used depending on the reader’s age and ability. The Clay Modeling Program is also very cost-effective and since Modeling Clay is easily available in any stationery shop, and can be used by all schools, both in urban and rural areas.

imPliCationSThe findings of this study show that the Clay

Modeling Program does improve the reading behavior of dyslexic children. This gives rise to several implications. Reading is an important aspect in one’s life. It widens one’s knowledge, increases vocabulary, improves fluency and is entertaining. By not being able to read, many are missing out on these benefits. Through the Clay Modeling Program, individuals with reading disabilities will be able to make reading possible in their lives and experience its benefits, since it is one of the effective intervention programs.

Phonics instruction does not work for all dyslexic children or all those with reading disabilities. An alternative method is the Clay Modeling Program which emphasizes Symbol Mastery using modeling clay. It is essential, therefore, that seminars and workshops be held for educators and care-givers to implement the Clay Modeling Program in teaching children with reading disabilities. Moreover, it is a simple approach and can be easily administered by educators and care-givers.

The Clay Modeling Program involves the use of modeling clay which is cost effective and easily available. Hence, this program can be implemented by schools in both the rural and urban areas. Its implementation can assist children with learning disabilities in many ways. It has been proven that when children are unable to read and write, their self-confidence is affected to a great extent. Once they are able to read, it automatically boosts their self-confidence in reading. When an individual’s self-confidence is high, they tend to experience success rather than failure. Success prevents them from indulging in negative activities which may result in serious social problems.

There are many successful dyslexics in the world today. In Malaysia too, many more dyslexic children can be guided for success in life and to attain their highest potential. Through the Clay Modeling Program, many dyslexic children can overcome their reading problems, and this provides them with the opportunity to be more successful in school and later in life.

If this program is implemented on a wider scale in Malaysia, chances are the issue of inability to read among children can be significantly reduced. With this reduction, there would not exist the problem of 20,000 Grade Six pupils not being able to read and/or write (Chapman, 2006).


ReCommendationS foR futuRe ReSeaRCh

The present study involved only one type of treatment, the Clay Modeling Program. It, however, did not make a comparison to show the effectiveness of one method over the other. Further research can be done by comparing the Clay Modeling Program with a traditional phonics intervention program.

In addition, the present study involved only a very small sample of dyslexic children. Further research can also be done involving larger population, younger dyslexic children or even children who do not have a learning disability but are facing reading problems due to other factors, such as insufficient resources, overcrowded classrooms and low socio-economic status. This program could probably be very effective in helping these children. It is, however, necessary to further examine if the Clay Modeling Program works on adults who are illiterate for whom the program may have been appropriate in order to establish whether or not children with learning difficulty are simply performing like the adult illiterate, or whether their performance differs in some aspects. This study uses qualitative methodology. It is suggested that future research can further ascertain the efficacy of Clay Modeling Program through quantitative methods by adopting the pre-test/post-test quasi experimental research design.

ConCluSionBased on the findings of this study, it can be

concluded that the Clay Modeling Program helps improve the reading ability of dyslexic children over a short period of time. Further notable findings were that this Program has helped improve these children’s attention skills and increase their level of self-confidence. If this Program is used as an alternative method for teaching larger group of children with dyslexia, it would help to assist these individuals to read and write. It can, in addition, reduce the dropout rates in schools, and thus, would bring about many benefits in their future development. A literate society also contributes to a decline in crime rates and other form of social ills (JUKEN Consultancy Sdn. Bhd, 2004). In the Malaysian context, it would help in achieving one of the goals of Vision 2020, namely having a literate society.

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