Talent beyond Words instructed elementary inner-city children in the performing arts, especially dance and percussion music, to provide opportunities for dynamic assessment of talent. Students identified as having talent participated in after-school curricula, thereby increasing their proficiency and self-esteem. (Author/JDD)

Study examined the relationship between race, class awareness, and leisure preferences. Data came from a national probability survey. Results showed similarities in leisure preferences between blacks and whites who considered themselves middle class. Patterns of leisure preferences diverged among blacks and whites who considered themselves poor or…

A survey of 36 state consultants in early childhood special education evaluated their perceptions of available developmental assessment instrumentation for the identification of children with developmental delays (ages 3-5). Results showed a need for assessment instruments that facilitate parent involvement and a need for special norms for…

Assessment of 486 first-quarter first graders identified 99 children as being at risk for reading difficulties, half of whom then received a phonological processing intervention. Results support the early identification of children at risk for reading difficulties and the effectiveness of the phonological processing intervention. (DB)

The performance of reading-disabled, math-disabled, slow-learning, under-achieving, and normal-achieving children (total n=143) was compared on verbal and visual-spatial working memory measures under initial, gain, and maintenance testing conditions. Ability group classifications changed under dynamic testing conditions. The study demonstrated the…

A checklist is presented to help structure systematic observation and diagnosis of students' handwriting. A breakdown of handwriting skills is accompanied by possible problem behaviors and related factors (such as grasp of writing instrument and motor skills) to consider in error analysis. The most common elements diminishing legibility are…

Early intervention of speech, language, and hearing problems is advocated. Guidelines for the identification of articulation, language, voice fluency, and hearing disorders are discussed. (DG)

Two authors of a paper (EC 602 058) reporting a factor analysis on records referring students to special education comment on their research: how their interest developed, their reaction to critics, clinical impressions acquired from the data, and the possible bias of school personnel toward referring more boys than girls for special education.…

Issues concerning the selection of judges for standard setting are discussed. Determining the consistency of judges' recommendations, or their congruity with other expert recommendations, would help in selection. Enough judges must be chosen to allow estimation of recommendations by an entire population of judges. (SLD)

Questions concerning identifying and treating Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are addressed, including whether ADHD is a handicapping condition, and what guidelines should be used for determining the need for educational services. A psychoeducational paradigm is presented to help school psychologists design effective programs for…

Results of 6 experiments with 109 Australian preschool children favor training in phoneme identity over segmentation as a component of initial reading instruction because it is easier to implement and its relation to alphabetic insight is stronger. Implications for the initial reading curriculum are discussed. (SLD)

Thirty-one students (ages 8-14) with learning disabilities or behavior disorders solved arithmetic word problems while a narrative protocol was developed. Eight types of cognitive processing difficulties were identified (such as lack of self-correction and inclusion of extraneous information), and the utility of protocol analysis as an assessment…

Discusses the development of racial identity in African-American students. Describes different strategies of minority students to get along in white schools. Includes racelessness, immersion, and oppositional identity. Suggests that academic success is viewed by the African-American student's peers as trying to be white. Argues that the curriculum…

In 1990-91 the Education for All Handicapped Children Act Amendments (1986) will require public schools to provide appropriate educational services for three and four year olds with handicapping conditions. This article examines this legislation, the historical factors contributing to its passage, and its implications for children, families, and…

Contends that the question of what Black Americans call themselves is a nonissue that diverts attention from larger problems without contributing to their solution. Traces widespread crime, poverty, educational failure, and institutional breakdown to the erosion of Black family and community values, and urges the reversal of this trend. (AF)