An Assimilative Base Model is presented and related to the improvement of instruction in writing for learning-disabled and other children. The model, based on Piagetian theory, involves three interchange processes: automatic skill development; puzzlement leading to reorganization of relationships; and strategy development leading to enrichment of…

This article reports on implementation of the Early Literacy Project with primary level students with mild disabilities. Special attention is given to one preconventional writer whose performance was advanced by involving him in literacy activities in advance of competence, using meaningful text representations to scaffold performance, and…

Fifty-five males with learning disabilities and 55 average-achieving males in grades 6-7 studied paired associates of varying difficulty levels, through image construction or pairing rehearsal. Regardless of item type or presentation rate, both groups of students benefited from imagery instructions, with great similarity in between-condition…

This article reviews the literature on the use of content enhancement techniques to help secondary students with learning disabilities to identify, organize, comprehend, and memorize critical content information. Content enhancements described include visual displays, mnemonics, advance organizers, study guides, peer mediation, audiotapes, and…

To teach culturally and linguistically diverse learners with language-learning disabilities, teachers should ensure that students understand assigned tasks, seat students from similar linguistic backgrounds together, start lessons with lead statements, use varied questioning strategies, ask for summaries, use multimodal approaches, and relate…

Provides a rationale for using an oral mode of production as a means of composing for individuals with learning disabilities. Supporting research on the use of dictation and studies of both simulated and existing speech-recognition systems with this population are reported. Recommendations are offered for teachers who plan to use dictation or…

Students with learning disabilities tend to hold an external locus of control for success but an internal locus of control for failure. Attribution feedback, combined with particular task strategies, can lead children to persist longer, acquire adaptive attributions, and make greater academic achievement gains. Attribution instruction can be…

Reports on teaching strategies employed to teach Spanish to eighth-grade students with learning disorders, such as auditory problems, attention deficit disorders, and dyslexia. The teacher, who became her students' personal support system, conducted a structured, multisensory, and "alive" class and used many visual aids, such as flashcards, books,…

Word boxes and word sorts are two phonic approaches that help children make connections between sound and print by gaining an awareness of the phonological and orthographic features of words. This article provides step-by-step procedures for using these approaches in small-group and whole-class settings. The use of peer tutors is discussed.…

This article addresses issues surrounding judicial involvement in mandating educational methodologies. It reviews court rulings affecting services for students with autism, hearing impairments and communication disorders, visual impairments, and learning disabilities, and concludes judicial review has been relatively limited and confined to…

This article tells the story of Darrell, a lively, intelligent boy who has some learning disabilities. Although his parents are educators and are highly committed to advocating for Darrell, for most of his elementary school years, they were unable to succeed in providing Darrell a mathematics education equal to his regular education peers.…

Many at-risk students and students with learning problems struggle to understand social studies textbooks. Textbooks have been described as being "inconsiderate" of their readers (B. B. Armbruster & T. H. Anderson, 1988) because their authors have relied on an expository, rather than narrative, approach. In this article, the authors…

Counselling is increasingly seen as a way of addressing the psychological needs of young people with emotional, behavioural and academic problems. This paper explores the existing counselling landscape regarding inclusion of young people with learning disabilities in counselling. The research findings are based on data collected from an empirical…

Two teachers working in Year 0-1 classes at Manurewa South School, a decile 2 school in the Manurewa area of Manukau City, Auckland, share their voyage of exploration around their own circle of influence. In this article the research team including Bronwyn Blair, a facilitator from the University of Auckland, worked through a cycle of needs…

Research was conducted to ascertain if a combined repeated reading and question generation intervention was effective at improving the reading achievement of fourth through eighth grade students with learning disabilities or who were at risk for reading failure. Students were assigned to a treatment or control group via a stratified random…