Abstract
This article assesses the state of the literature on wordโattack skills and phonological awareness (PA) in individuals with mental retardation, in light of progress towards the development of effective teaching procedures. The literature contains promising findings. Studies have shown PA to be correlated with wordโattack skills in individuals with mental retardation, as has been shown conclusively in typically developing children. This suggests that instruction in PA would facilitate the acquisition of wordโattack skills in individuals with mental retardation, as it does with typically developing children. As of yet, however, very few experimental studies designed to demonstrate effective teaching procedures for PA and wordโattack skills have been published. This research field might evolve most effectively and efficiently by following a twoโstep research program. First, test new teaching procedures in a series of smallโN studies, each study incorporating modifications of teaching procedures based on the results of the previous study. Once procedures prove effective at this level, the resources necessary to pursue largeโscale studies can be used to their best advantage. ยฉ 2007 WileyโLiss, Inc. MRDD Research Reviews 2007;13:78โ84.