The Role of Production Factors in Learning Disabled Students' Compositions

The effects of mechanical interference, rate of production, and contentless production signals to write more on the quantity and quality of fourth- and sixth-grade learning disabled (LD) students' compositions were examined. A more rapid rate of production did not have a positive impact on the quantity or quality of what LD students produced. The mechanics of writing, however, interfered with both the quantity and quality of compositions. Furthermore, the introduction of contentless production signals led to substantial increases in the amount of text produced as well as small improvements in quality. The results indicated that LD students' writing problems are due, in part, to difficulties with mechanics and problems in sustaining production during writing. Implications for instruction are discussed.