The purpose of this paper is to review the utility of think alouds in writing instruction and highlight the function of think-aloud modeling in the development of cognitive and metacognitive strategies that support learners' independence. For these purposes, modeling with coping is also explained. Coping models, in which teachers encounter…

The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of behavioral progress monitoring and goal setting to inform data-driven decision making within tiered support models and individualized education programs (IEPs). The guide covers: (1) components of quality behavioral IEP goals; (2) how to know which behavior(s) should be addressed through an…

In this article, Mann and Pynes describe a five-day mini-project-based learning (PBL) unit about organisms and their environments that addresses the "Next Generation Science Standards" (3-LS4-3). Third-grade students were asked how they could determine which animals live in their neighborhoods. In teacher-determined collaborative groups,…

This article reviewed a method for increasing teachers' use of behavior-specific praise, which is especially important for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The use of performance feedback has been researched fairly extensively and has yielded positive outcomes when compared with other forms of consultation. This article…

Self-advocacy, self-management, self-regulation, and self-knowledge are complex terms, often considered forms of self-determination. Whatever term you may use, helping young adults with intellectual disability (ID) make authentic decisions about their own goals and behaviors often results in passive agreement. Even though advancing…

Encouraging students with learning challenges to actively participate in the learning process can be difficult, especially when they are tentative about their knowledge level as compared to their peers. This article outlines three steps teachers can take to incorporate cooperative learning strategies that ensure active participation by all…

The role of teacher behavior management for children's disruptive behavior development (hyperactive and oppositional behavior) was investigated using a universal classroom preventive intervention study. Five-hundred seventy children were followed from second to third grade of elementary school. Observations of teacher behavior management and…

Despite the challenges inherent in adopting problem-based learning (PBL) in the middle school classroom, successful PBL teachers are able to find suitable solutions. In this exploratory study we examined the perceptions and practices of five successful middle school PBL teachers regarding the specific difficulties encountered with PBL and the…

Students participate in a "social community" of learners. For children with learning problems, mastering the skills needed to actively participate in this community can be a challenge. How can teachers find time to provide social skills instruction, given the pressures to teach academic subjects first and foremost? This article shows school…

This study investigated the approaches to teaching by three fifth-grade teachers' of creative and non-creative mathematical problems for fractions. The teachers' personal constructs of the two kinds of problems were elicited by interviews through the use of the repertory grid technique. All the teaching was observed and video-recorded. Results…

The nation's focus on the literacy skills of students--especially boys--has produced many notions of reform. School districts reorganized and changed curricula to meet the needs of struggling readers and writers. In New York City, where this author was teaching, "Balanced Literacy" (a reading and writing workshop) had been implemented in…

The teacher-student interactions of 39 students exhibiting high externalizing behavior problems and 59 students exhibiting average behavioral adjustment from urban elementary schools were directly observed. Comparisons between these students within four different instructional contexts indicated that levels of student engagement were significantly…

In this study, we observed and interviewed six teachers from two Singapore primary school classrooms. The schools were reportedly achieving high levels of computer integration as reflected in a nationwide questionnaire survey. Out of the 18 lessons that we observed, 14 lessons have incorporated some elements of constructivist teaching. However,…

"I know there is something wrong, but what? How do I know if outside help for this child is needed? How do I tell parents that their child could have a learning difficulty?" These are questions that most nursery workers, at some point in their careers, will have to face. Based on the lives of real children and typical situations in early years…

Seventy fifth-grade students in Australia were observed as each solved a jigsaw puzzle. Boys obtained higher scores on a measure of cognitive style and took less time to complete the jigsaw task; the two measures were significantly correlated. Uses of tangrams are also discussed. (MNS)