An exercise based on images that might shift the balance in favor of students who have superior visual perception and possibly those with language problems and specific learning disabilities, was reviewed. The pictorial format of learning exercise not only increased the students' performance, but also helped students with specific learning…

Most of the troubles poor at-risk children have are not "loud" problems like disruptive behavior or gang involvement. They are "quiet." The range of these problems is vast. Hunger, dehydration, asthma, obesity, and hearing problems can all insidiously trip children up in school. Some quiet problems are psychological--depression, anxiety, the fear…

Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Kindergarten Cohort, this study was designed to investigate proportional representation, identification rates, and predictors of language-minority (LM) learners in special education using a nationally representative sample of kindergarten, first graders, and third graders. The findings…

This report presents results from a multisite, quantitative evaluation of the international Success for Kids (SFK) after-school program. The program seeks to build resilience in children by teaching them to access inner resources and build positive connections with others. The SFK program is unlike most after-school programs both in its focus on…

The nation's focus on the literacy skills of students--especially boys--has produced many notions of reform. School districts reorganized and changed curricula to meet the needs of struggling readers and writers. In New York City, where this author was teaching, "Balanced Literacy" (a reading and writing workshop) had been implemented in…

Discusses factors which stop people from learning and suggests approaches that can help overcome them. (EB)

The proportion of school children on Oahu, Hawaii with learning problems who had been independently reported to the state child abuse agency was compared, after age adjustment, to the rate of such reporting for all children on the island and was found to be 3.5 times higher. (Author)

Discusses research on the "summer loss" of academic progress, especially among students from poor families. Asserts that phenomenon is virtually ignored by policymakers. (PKP)

As public policies increasingly hold schools responsible for preventing school failure, experiences of other organizations that must operate with high reliability may be helpful. This article builds on previous studies of high reliability organizations to inquire how their strategies might inform efforts to improve reliability in loosely coupled…

This article was undertaken to determine whether the Oxford Reading Pen (ORP) could enable students with reading difficulties to read and comprehend text at their chronological age. A small sample of students with reading difficulties was involved in a trial to ascertain the impact of using the ORP within their classroom reading activities. The…

Sleep disturbances are a significant problem for persons with developmental disabilities. These problems occur at a higher rate than what is observed in the typically developing population, and persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) appear to be at a higher risk than individuals with other developmental disabilities. However, another major…

In this 10-part series, which will run every other month through 2008 and 2009, "EP" will explore Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is technically defined as a neurodevelopmental, biological condition characterized by three hallmark symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity. Each of these symptoms has a special meaning…

Apprehension is the immediate reaction of some students when faced with multisyllabic words. Lacking strategies for decoding longer words, these students stop reading and seek help from an adult or a more accomplished peer rather than tackle the mysterious words themselves. Explicit strategy instruction is often recommended for students who have…