This research aimed at exploring the motivation for reading of pupils with dyslexia, and to investigate whether they differ from their peers. A total of 32 pupils formed the LD group (22 boys and 10 girls, 5th- and 6th-graders) who were diagnosed with dyslexia. A comparison group was formed of pupils who attended the same classes (N = 210), and…

Observations were conducted to document the active academic responding and academic engagement rates of 122 elementary students (30 learning-disabled, 32 emotionally/behaviorally disturbed, 30 mildly mentally retarded, and 30 self-contained programs. Data were recorded in 10-second intervals for each student over an entire school day. During a…

This report describes the evaluation of the 1973-1974 Distar I and Distar II programs, which were used as Title I programs for first and second graders. Distar I was used with two first grade classes; Distar II was used with two second grade classes. Children who had completed two years of Distar instruction received traditional instruction in…

This study examined the instructional effectiveness of three software learning environments--LOGO, drill and practice, and teacher-directed activities--for preschool special needs children. Cognitive distancing was applied to classify children and child-software interactions; dependent measures included indicators of problem solving, skill…

Adolescent girls, identified as either educable mentally retarded, behaviorally disordered, learning disabled, or nonhandicapped, were rated by their teachers on the Behavior Problem Checklist. Behaviorally disordered students showed a greater degree of maladjustment. Implications for further research and special educational practices are…

Family functioning of 30 nonhandicapped and 30 learning-handicapped adolescents and their parents was examined through perspectives on adaptability, cohesion, and communication. Cluster analysis found five profiles of family functioning. Results emphasize the importance of considering adolescent and parent perspectives differently. (SLD)

This study examined the engagement of students with learning disabilities and emotional disturbance and the relation of this engagement to school completion. Participants were parent-identified students with learning disabilities (LD) and emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) and comparison groups of average-achieving peers and students without…

Background: Arithmetical skills are essential to the effective exercise of citizenship in a numerate society. How these skills are acquired, or fail to be acquired, is of great importance not only to individual children but to the organisation of formal education and its role in society. Method: The evidence on the normal and abnormal…

This research explored cognitive-motivational patterns of learning-disabled and nondisabled adolescents by employing the theoretical model of C. S. Dweck, which posits that a "learning goal" orients students toward the development of competence, whereas a "performance goal" orients students toward the documentation of competence, and that these…

The study compared perceptions of high school and college faculty regarding the characteristics and preparatory needs of secondary learning disabled (LD) students. The analysis was based on a survey of 288 high school teachers (246 regular and 42 special education) and 82 college teachers. Separate factor analyses identified three academic factors…

This project examined the extent to which varying instructional grouping arrangements are used for different categories of mildly handicapped students in various instructional settings and the extent to which any differences translated to differences in student responses. Observational data were recorded all day in 10-second intervals for 122…

Ethnographic methods were used to assess three learning-disabled and three normal tenth and eleventh grade boys at a school with an unusually low dropout rate. Institutional, classroom, and interpersonal factors behind the schools' student retention ability are described. (TJH)

To determine whether disabled readers can benefit from letter-sound instruction if attention to individual regular words is increased, 38 male and 16 female disabled readers aged 7 to 13 years participated in whole word, letter-sound, or control training programs. Implications of improvement by both experimental groups are discussed. (SLD)

Data on 8,800 tenth grade students were analyzed to evaluate effectiveness of exceptional education programs on dropout prevention. Compared to the general education program, the holding power of the specific learning disabilities program was lower, the gifted program was higher, and the emotionally handicapped and educable mentally handicapped…

This case study compared behavior of 6 Level 3 students with severe learning difficulties in a school for pupils with severe learning difficulties with that of six similar students in a mainstream primary school. Observations and teacher interview findings indicated site differences in students' social maturity, student-teacher relationships, and…