Erik Arnett
EDSP 579 – Strategy #4
Study Strategy
A research-based study strategy for students with mild-moderate disabilities is graphic organizers.
Graphic organizers provide students with a visual representation of the relationships between concepts
and facts. According to Dexter and Hughes (2011), graphic organizers benefit students’ acquisition of
information for three reasons. The first reason is graphic organizers provide students with a concrete
representation of abstract concepts. Graphic organizers make connections between previously knowledge
and new information is the second reason provided by the authors. Lastly, graphic organizers categorize
concepts which promote an easier acquisition of information.
Graphic organizers can be classified into five categories: cognitive mapping, semantic mapping,
semantic feature analysis, syntactic/semantic feature analysis, and visual display.
Cognitive mapping shows the relationships between major ideas through the use of lines, arrow
points, and text.
Example:
Seasons
Orbit & Axis
Earth
Semantic mapping shows the relationship of a main idea with subordinate ideas. Semantic maps
provide extra space for taking notes on the subordinate ideas.
Example:
Fast Food
Wendy’s
Taco Bell
Source: Dexter, D. D., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Graphic organizers and students with disabilities: A metaanalysis. Learning Disability Quarterly, 34(1), 51 – 72.
Erik Arnett
EDSP 579 – Strategy #4
Study Strategy
Semantic feature analysis compares the characteristics of the two or more subordinate ideas under
a main idea. The semantic feature analysis use symbols, such as (+), ( - ), and (?), to represent what
characteristics the idea includes, does not include, or unsure respectively.
Example:
Types of Housing
Condominium
Apartment
Kitchen
+
+
Living Room
+
+
Ownership
+
-
Yard
?
-
Syntactic/semantic feature analysis is similar to semantic feature analysis, but includes sentences
where key words are missing and the students would fill in the blanks.
Example:
A(n) ___________ gives you the opportunity for ownership of property.
Visual displays present the relationships between concepts by the positioning of the concept on
the display. This is the “catch-all” category for graphic organizers, and includes timeline, Venn diagrams,
flowcharts, and decision trees.
Example:
Thick
Crust
Pizza Hut
Pizza
Thin
Crust
Donato’s
Graphic organizers are beneficial for students with learning disabilities. To ensure the graphic
organizer’s effectiveness, remember to limit the amount of information to only key points and teach
students how to use the organizer.
Source: Dexter, D. D., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Graphic organizers and students with disabilities: A metaanalysis. Learning Disability Quarterly, 34(1), 51 – 72.