In this article the author describes a small-scale study into the role of the special needs assistant (SNA) supporting the inclusion of pupils with learning difficulties in the Irish Republic. The findings regarding the perspectives of teachers, principals, SNAs, pupils supported by SNAs and their parents on the support offered to three pupils are…

The authors investigate the effect of schooling on the aspirations of young people designated as having mild learning difficulties (MLD) or emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in the first large-scale study of its kind in England. Data were collected from parents and their 15/16 year-old children in the final year of their compulsory…

This article reports on research commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). It aimed to establish the range and extent of policy and provision in the area of specific learning difficulties (SpLD) and dyslexia throughout Scotland. The research was conducted between January and June 2004 by a team from the University of…

As yet, psychoeducational practice lacks a reliable and valid set of established classifications of learning behaviors, which is an indispensable starting point for the diagnosis of a child's problems. This paper reports an epidemiologycal study in which we collected descriptive behavioral data from a fairly representative sample (N = 150) of…

This paper reports on a project aimed at providing skills and resources to support nursery staff in identifying areas of strength and need in 3- to 5-year-old children. The six participating nurseries were all in areas of high socio-economic disadvantage. Staff were trained to administer, score and interpret a wide-ranging screening inventory.…

This 3-year longitudinal study examined how motivational tendencies, that is, task orientation and social dependence orientation, as well as cognitive-linguistic prerequisites of reading and math skills (i.e., phonological awareness, rapid naming, oral language comprehension skills, number sequence and basic arithmetic skills) measured in…

This article reflects on what it means for teachers to put relationships with children as the priority in their practice. The authors focus on four themes that they believe are at the heart of a good relationship: (1) recognition; (2) familiarity; (3) respect; and (4) commitment. "Recognition" is acknowledging another person's presence and…

Whenever students can't remember, don't comprehend, or won't follow through on your instructions, here's a guide that explores the root cause for these and other learning problems and shows you how to set students on the path to understanding and success. Learning expert Betty K. Garner explains the mental processes students need to gather,…

Student academic failure and serious behavior problems are closely intertwined. Two related bodies of research pertain to the crossover of academic problems and behavioral issues: behavioral scripts and best instructional practices. The authors drew on that research to (a) help explicate relationships between aggressive or disruptive student…

A study examined whether one modality for the act of reading occurred with greater frequency than another among a group of students experiencing difficulty acquiring the skill of reading. A reading style inventory was administered to 40 elementary school students enrolled in a basic skills reading program in Westfield, New Jersey, during the…

A project provided more than 800 adult educators in Pennsylvania with a wide range of staff development activities and instructional strategies for teaching students with learning differences and multilevel abilities in the same classroom. It established a model for staff development that built upon previous projects and used a variety of delivery…

New conceptions of learning, analogy, and capacity have fundamentally changed scientists' view of cognitive development. New conceptions of learning help to explain how representations of the world are acquired. New models of analogical reasoning have suggested that logical inferences are often made by mapping a problem into a mental model, or…

This booklet for parents and other nonprofessionals contains information on helping children learn. Part I is divided into the following brief sections: (1) "The Wonder of It All"; (2) "Ready?"; (3) "Get Set..."; (4) "Go!"; (5) "Dialogues"; (6) "Decisions"; (7) "Dilemmas"; (8) "Learning Experiences"; (9) "Problem-Solving"; and (10) "Feeling Good…

Eleven abstracts of research projects related to individuals with learning disabilities are compiled in this booklet. The research projects were presented in poster sessions at the March 1992 International Conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Titles and authors of poster sessions include: "Perceptual and Verbal Skills of…

This review critically examines various aspects of school-based consultation between regular classroom teachers and teachers of special education. First, current approaches to consultation are described and obstacles to successful integration of elementary students with learning or behavioral problems into mainstream regular education classrooms…