Examines two myths about writing: good writing cannot be taught, and writing develops naturally. For each myth, alternative ways to achieve goals with students who find writing difficult are explored. Proposed instructional procedures focus on development of knowledge, skill, will, and self-regulation in writing. (Author/JDM)

Studies the role education curriculum and instructional practices have in contributing to students' academic difficulties because current school psychology services typically do not focus on them. Proposes that school psychologists direct more effort at ensuring implementation of effective instructional practices in general education, and…

Surveys 85 health care professionals on the learning difficulties of diabetic patients. Results show that educators find it easy to teach techniques: patients master procedures well and make few mistakes. In contrast, diabetic patients seem to have problems learning skills, such as insulin dose adjustment, that require complex problem-solving.…

Two studies compared the effectiveness of alphabet principle training only versus combined alphabet principle and syllable awareness training with at-risk spellers (grades 2 and 3). Differing results suggest use of a two-tier early intervention model in which first the alphabet principle is taught and applied and then the following year children…

To evaluate teachers' knowledge about attention deficit disorders (ADHD), a questionnaire was distributed to 180 elementary teachers in a New Jersey district. Of 154 respondents, 128 (83%) indicated they had received negligible formal training in ADHD as undergraduates; only 3.9% had extensive training. A majority had recently taught at least six…

Measured performance changes on the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement: Brief Form over a three-year retest interval. Learning-disabled students (n=52) were retested following 3 years of special education services. Results showed an average decrease of 3.33 points in Battery Composite, Math, Reading, and Spelling. Presents other results and…

Uses a question-and-answer format to assist professionals grappling with the meaning of inclusive school programs and their requirements. Provides information about the effectiveness of separate placements, full inclusion (normalization) goals, treatment of students with severe behavior problems, the role of pullouts and special education…

Reports on a survey investigating the use of dynamic assessment and other nontraditional techniques among school psychologists (N=226). Results indicated that 39% of respondents reported using dynamic assessment techniques once a year or more. The most frequently endorsed reasons for not using dynamic assessment were lack of knowledge and time…

Compared performance of 9-year-olds with arithmetic difficulties to that of age-matched and ability-matched controls on 10 tasks used to assess different aspects of working memory, including subtypes of executive function. Found deficits in executive and spatial aspects of working memory that seem likely to be important factors in poor…

This study investigated the differential effects of two problem-solving instructional approaches--schema-based instruction (SBI) and general strategy instruction (GSI)--on the mathematical word problem-solving performance of 22 middle school students who had learning disabilities or were at risk for mathematics failure. Results indicated that the…

Hanging onto kids who might otherwise leave school is the mission of the Options Complex at Margaret A. Ireland School in Cleveland. Options Complex is a program for students in grades 6-12 who are behind in school by two or more years. Much of the concern about dropout rates has focused on improving high schools. Experts say that struggling…

Helen May recently completed her doctoral studies at the University of Leeds. Her EdD thesis, written with the benefit of extensive experience of practice, focused on the engagement of children with learning difficulties in interactions in primary classrooms. In this article, Helen May draws on her familiarity with the literature to explore the…

A key element of producing easy information is working together with the target audience. This should mean that the information produced is easier for them to understand and more likely to make a difference to their lives. If possible it is good to work together with both "expert" or experienced information users and those who are new to the area.…

The perceptions of the student and lecturer regarding students' learning difficulties in physical chemistry are described. The learning difficulties of students from Turkey are compared to the difficulties of students from other countries.

In this study, children with strabismus, as a group, had significantly more academic and nonacademic difficulties than did children without strabismus. However, since not all the children with strabismus had academic difficulties, other factors that are associated with strabismus, such as headache, eyestrain, perceptual difficulties, and…