Retrieval Practice and Word Learning During Narrative Intervention in Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: A Case Study

Retrieval practice involves actively recalling information from memory and has been found to be an effective strategy for word learning. This U.S. case study aimed to describe the effect of retrieval practice on word learning in four children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Children received eight language intervention sessions in 4 weeks. Target words were presented in the context of a narrative under three different conditions: no retrieval, immediate retrieval, or spaced retrieval. Under the no-retrieval condition, children received exposure to new words, but they were not asked to recall them. Under the immediate-retrieval condition, children were required to recall words immediately after exposure. Under the spaced-retrieval condition, children had to recall words some time after exposure. In addition, words were probed but not taught under a control condition. We measured word learning before, during, and after the intervention. We found that children learned target words under the intervention conditions but not under the control condition. Three out of four participants remembered more words under the spaced- and immediate-retrieval conditions than under the no-retrieval condition, suggesting that explicit and active practice contributes to learning more than passive exposure to words. The narrative intervention provided a natural context for teaching vocabulary, which can be implemented in both clinical and educational settings.