This article compares the relative merits of using Cuisenaire rods (unsegmented, unnumbered, and representing continuous quantities) and number sticks (segmented, numbered, and representing discrete quantities) to introduce number and arithmetic concepts to beginning students or students with learning difficulties or mental disabilities. (DB)

This paper discusses the two important domains affecting the success of learning strategy training for students with learning disabilities or other mild handicaps: students' knowledge of critical skills and information potentially related to strategy use, and students' motivation to learn and use the strategy. The paper presents an eight-stage…

This study examined effectiveness of a constant time delay (CTD) procedure in teaching social studies and health facts to five adolescents with learning or behavioral disorders. Students were given praise with and without additional information. Results indicated CTD procedures were reliable and effective, and students acquired nontargeted as well…

Three curricular approaches to spelling instruction are discussed: whole word; phonemic; and morphemic. Sameness analysis is used to indicate the theoretical potential of each approach for helping students with learning disabilities to achieve generalization in their spelling, and the influence of generalization upon retention and transfer is…

Ten suggestions for fostering motivation in adolescents with learning disabilities include encourage choices; advocate ownership; strive for relevance; give positive and negative feedback; set high, but manageable expectations; encourage activity and interaction; and model--share your enthusiasm for books. (DB)

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…

This article discusses the relation between instruction prescribed by standardized commercial curricula and reading achievement of mainstreamed students with learning disabilities. An instructional template for use with these curricula is described and its results examined. Limitations of generic instructional procedures adapting mainstream…

This study of 52 learning-disabled children, aged 8-13, found that direct feedback and practice improved metaphor interpretation. The approach was highly successful in teaching students to generalize concrete concepts to abstract ones. Further descriptive analyses indicated that grade and reading levels of subjects correlated with metaphor…

Reviews research on learning strategies instruction that has been conducted on students with learning disabilities. Outlines instructional principles on how to teach learning strategies to at-risk students, according to which teachers should teach prerequisite skills before strategy instruction begins; teach regularly and intensively; emphasize…

Presents a review of 54 studies on math practices for students with learning disabilities. Validated practices included strategy and self-regulation interventions. Students benefited from step-by-step processes that guided their thinking and performance when solving math problems. The use of manipulative devices and drawings also were effective.…

Seven students with language and learning disabilities in fourth through eighth grades were interviewed to determine their understanding of and attitudes toward a writing-process instructional approach. Students' attitudes toward this approach were positive but their understanding of prewriting elements and of revising and editing were quite…

A study of 125 elementary students with and without learning disabilities compared effects of concrete to semiconcrete to abstract (CSA) instruction in fraction concept and skills to instruction that was based on textbook curriculum. Students taught fraction concepts and skills in a CSA sequence performed significantly better. (Author/CR)

This tribute to Samuel Kirk, an early leader in the field of learning disabilities, focuses on two of his powerful ideas and their effect on the author's work and later research. The first idea is that effective teaching requires knowing the students well, and the second idea is that explicit instruction in skills and strategies based on known…

Instructional components that positively influence performance of adolescents with learning disabilities are identified based on a comprehensive meta-analysis of 913 intervention studies for students with learning disabilities. Explicit practice and advanced organization are basic instructional components in a number of successful intervention…

This article offers guidelines and suggestions for adapting mathematics instruction when teaching students with learning disabilities in the general classroom. Techniques for teaching computational skills, solving algorithms, and problem solving are offered. General techniques include increasing instructional time, varying group size, and using…