Advocates use of portfolios as an alternative assessment in teacher education classes. Presents a preservice methods class special project that engages teacher-trainees in reflections related to teaching writing in a mainstreamed classroom. Discusses the role of writing in reflective portfolios and changing needs in the preparation of general…

Discusses a model of argumentation adapted for instructional intervention with general education students and students with learning disabilities (LD). Reports results from three studies in which an experimental intervention has achieved some success in addressing the difficulties that students with LD have with argumentative writing. Draws…

Examines how changes in the nature of text, brought about by its electronic representation, will increasingly affect the circumstances of struggling readers. Argues that the textual transformation now in progress holds great promise for such readers. Discusses the emerging view of reading disability based on developmental stage theory. Recommends…

A study examined the ability of 56 children with learning problems and 56 typical children to resolve the social problems of whether to share limited resources with a peer. Only 15% of the dyads of children with learning problems shared, compared to 58% of typical children. (CR)

A study reviewed neurodevelopment evaluations of 74 patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) to determine if an association between NF1 and autism exists. Three patients had an additional diagnosis of autism. Findings also a high incidence of learning disabilities, speech and language delays, motor deficits, and attention problems in patients.…

A study investigated the relationship between working memory (WM), declarative strategy knowledge, and math achievement in 111 children with and without mathematical disabilities (MD). Results found verbal and visual-spatial WM, stable verbal strategy choices, and expert strategy choices related to visual-spatial processing all contributed…

Analyzes the factor structure of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised (WRMT-R) using data from a sample of special education students. Woodcock asserted that the WRMT-R measured two important aspects of reading ability: Basic Skills and Reading Comprehension. Results of the analyses indicated a robust single factor and provided little…

Overviews Israeli middle school teachers' perceptions regarding inclusive schooling. The majority of teachers expressed the need to increase their knowledge about the requirements of students with learning disabilities and evinced their readiness to adjust their teaching methods. Teachers also stressed the need for professional guidance and…

This study evaluated effects of the "Next S.T.E.P." curriculum on self-determination skills of 71 ninth grade students with learning disabilities using an untreated control group design with pretest and posttest. Results indicated that the treatment group gained significantly more on measures of self-determination skills than the control group.…

It is argued the proposed definition of dyslexia is restricted to developmental dyslexia in which a student struggles to learn to read and does not apply to acquired dyslexia in which a previously normal reader loses reading functions. The need for classification schemes for defining specific learning disabilities is emphasized. (Contains…

This article reviews the research on notetaking and describes a new notetaking strategy that emphasizes manipulating and organizing information rather than writing it. Teacher prepared individual note items are graphically organized by students. Examples are used from Grade 10 social studies and Grade 9 English classes, both of which included…

This article focuses on teaching students specific disability related self-determination skills, rather than activities that can be used with non-specified populations. In this design, lesson plans are used and suggested as a systematic means of instruction for students with deficits in learning (i.e., learning disabilities, mild mental…

The authors describe a collaborative project that brought together children's mental health and education professionals to provide an intervention in schools for at-risk students with learning disabilities. Recognizing that the school environment is a target of change, the project used a direct intervention consisting of school-based group…

This study assessed the effects of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), a reciprocal classwide peer-tutoring strategy, on the reading performance of native Spanish-speaking students with learning disabilities (LD) and their low-, average-, and high-achieving classroom peers. Participants were 132 native Spanish-speaking English language…

In this study, perceptions of learning disabilities were obtained from 128 principals and 123 teachers in the Nara Prefecture, Japan. A factor analysis indicated that five factors underlie perceptions of learning disabilities: changes in the family and social situation, insufficient knowledge of and support for learning disabilities, teachers'…