According to cognitive psychologists, consistent practice (i.e., tasks with a high degree of similarity) of a skill leads to the development of automaticity, with the degree of automatization being increased if the practice also involves exact repetition. Practice is skill specific, meaning that practicing one skill does not automatize related…

The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate the effectiveness of graphic organizers, specifically flowcharts, as a tool to support decision-making during spelling for students identified with learning disabilities. This dissertation is composed of five chapters. The first chapter is an introduction about how graphic organizers support students…

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and executive function (EF) difficulties exhibit numerous symptoms that contribute to their struggles in school. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve the academic experience for high school students with ADHD and EF deficits at Bayside High School.…

The recent decades have seen an increased focus on improving early science education. Goals include helping young children learn about pertinent concepts in science, and fostering early scientific reasoning and inquiry skills (e.g., NRC 2007, 2012, 2015). However, there is still much to learn about what constitutes appropriate frameworks that…

Struggling readers, or students who read below grade level but have strong phonological awareness, may benefit from using instructional tools like graphic organizers (GOs) while reading. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between reading comprehension and teacher-generated graphic organizers (GOs) as they support…