This booklet has been developed in hopes that it may aid in keeping communication open and focused between families and schools. Building communication between parents and the school staff through letters offers a way of keeping records of ideas, concerns, and suggestions. This booklet provides general guidelines to writing letters as well as…

In this important resource, educators will find evidence-based best practices to help them address the individual needs of English learners with academic challenges and those who have been referred for special education services. The authors make the case that systems can be put in place at three levels to help English learners succeed: the…

This booklet has been developed in hopes that it may aid in keeping communication open and focused between families and schools. Building communication between parents and the school staff through letters offers a way of keeping records of ideas, concerns, and suggestions. This booklet provides general guidelines to writing letters as well as…

Educating dual language learners (DLLs) and English learners (ELs) effectively is a national challenge with consequences both for individuals and for American society. Despite their linguistic, cognitive, and social potential, many ELs--who account for more than 9 percent of enrollment in grades K-12 in U.S. schools--are struggling to meet the…

English language learners (ELLs) who are in the process of acquiring English as a second language for academic purposes, are often misidentified as having Language Learning Disabilities (LLDs). Policies regarding the assessment of ELLs have undergone many changes through the years, such as the introduction of a Response to Intervention (RTI)…

This bestselling work provides practitioners with a complete guide to implementing response to intervention (RTI) in schools. The authors are leading experts who explain the main components of RTI--high-quality instruction, frequent assessment, and data-based decision making--and show how to use it to foster positive academic and behavioral…

Education has seen its share of trends and movements that either help or hinder the optimal development of the gifted child. In 2001, Congress passed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in a concerted effort to reach children who were not meeting minimal standardized goals of achievement. Response to Intervention (RtI) is yet another approach to ensure…

Background: The UK government set up a review of provision for children and young people with the full range of speech, language and communication needs led by a Member of Parliament, John Bercow. A research study was commissioned to provide empirical evidence to inform the Bercow Review. Aims: To examine the efficiency and effectiveness of…

The lack of a firm definition of emotional disturbance, accompanied by a dearth of valid identification methods and absence of effective programing are cited as major problems. The authors emphasize the importance of basic skills instruction, behavior management leading to self-control, and reeducation of the student's total environment. (CL)

This guide is designed to assist in providing appropriate educational services to secondary students who exhibit behavior problems. The guide discusses what is known about adolescence, as a basis for understanding secondary students. It examines methods of identifying students with behavior problems and proposes two courses of intervention based…

Presents an overview of preservice volunteer training at READ/San Diego, an adult literacy program. It discusses the program's informal assessment procedures that help identify possible language/learning disabilities and provide valuable information for instructional planning. Also described are selected multisensory teaching techniques designed…

A rural school developed a system to identify and intervene with students whose learning styles did not match the school's predominantly verbal-auditory methods. A School Assessment Team produced a program to be implemented in regular class settings. A case of a second grader illustrates the value of suggested teaching strategies. (CL)

This digest summarizes what is known about gifted children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It identifies three subtypes of ADHD, noting both criteria for diagnosis and the subjective determination of what constitutes significant impairment. Discussion of differences in gifted and non-gifted children with ADHD reports findings…

Teachers from a residential school (n=30) and a public school district (n=13) that serve children with visual impairments read scenarios of children with various eye conditions and abilities, and chose a primary literacy medium for each child. The teachers differed in their attitudes toward the use of braille. (Author/CR)

The 16 chapters of this comprehensive guide to teaching students with learning disabilities cover the following topics: (1) an overview of the field of learning disabilities (characteristics, causes, prevalence, prognosis, and resources); (2) research in the field of learning disabilities (how the brain works, how children learn); (3) relevant…