A gold mine of practical, easy­-to-­use teaching methods, strategies, and tips to improve learning outcomes for students who score below proficiency levels. This fully revised and updated third edition provides information on integrated learning, problem solving, and critical thinking in line with Common Core State Standards and 21st-­century…

As a pedagogical approach, problem-based learning (PBL) has shown success for average and gifted students (HmeloSiver, 2004) and there are numerous incentives for its implementation in online learning environments (Savid-Baden, 2007; Chernobilsky, Nagarajan, & Hmelo-Silver, 2005). However, little research has been conducted regarding the…

The critical-thinking skill of problem solving needs to be part of the curriculum for all students, including those with learning disabilities living in poverty; yet, too often this is not the case. Too often students in poverty and students with learning disabilities are provided a curriculum that is watered down, focused on the basics, and aimed…

During the past 6 years, the authors have worked and interacted with twice-exceptional middle school students as well as with their parents at an annual residential summer camp. Through surveys and interviews with the parents and their children, the difficulties that twice-exceptional students encounter at school emerged. Furthermore, parents'…

A three-step process for teaching situational problem-solving and critical thinking to learning disabled adolescents is described: (1) Motivation (recognizing the problem and the importance of solving it); (2) Association (relating the problem to similar past situations); (3) Processing (identifying possible solutions and choosing the most…

The possibility is raised of teaching reasoning strategies to students with learning disabilities using a curriculum designed around reasoning by analogy. The research base for such instruction is summarized. These principles of critical thinking are illustrated through examples including reading the newspaper, counseling situations, and content…

The application of middle school and high school curriculum-based management (CBM) to critical thinking in content areas is discussed. The article outlines essential features of critical thinking assessments, development of CBM problem-solving prompts, and examples of scoring systems. An example involving a student with learning disabilities is…

This paper presents a rationale for teaching higher level thinking skills to students with special needs, including those with mild mental handicaps and learning disabilities. It briefly reviews the literature on teaching such skills, stressing that thinking skills can be taught through specific teaching methods such as a four-step method…