This paper brings task-based language teaching (TBLT) curriculum development principles into the blended learning context, presenting processes and outcomes from a project to develop a task-based thematic unit--asking and giving directions--in a hybrid web-based university-level class focused on listening and speaking skills in Mandarin Chinese.…

Since independence, the Kenyan government has demonstrated its commitment to the provision of quality secondary school education through allocation of financial resources, provision of trained teachers and establishment of quality assurance department. However, despite the substantial allocation of resources, secondary schools still face major…

A small group of children and young adolescent with dyslexia has severely impaired reading skills despite prolonged special education. These are the students in focus. In dyslexia, problem behaviour, internalised as well as externalised, has previously been reported, so also for the participants with dyslexia in this study. The aim of the present…

This experimental study examined the effect of a differentiated, enriched reading program on students' oral reading fluency and comprehension using the schoolwide enrichment model-reading (SEM-R). Treatment and control conditions were randomly assigned to 63 teachers and 1,192 second through fifth grade students across five elementary schools.…

Alberta classrooms are a microcosm of the world, with students representing a diversity of language and cultural groups. Some students are Canadian born or have adopted Canadian citizenship, while others are permanent residents, children of temporary foreign workers, refugees or students who have come to Canada specifically to study. Given this…

The Grade 2 Informational Text Reading Inventory (ITRI) was developed to help early primary students develop the skills necessary to read and use informational text. This booklet contains all the information teachers need to use the Grade 2 ITRI materials, including assessments, mock textbook pages, mini books designed to look like commercial…

The Grade 1 Informational Text Reading Inventory (ITRI) was developed to help early primary students develop the skills necessary to read and use informational text. This booklet contains all the information teachers need to use the Grade 1 ITRI materials, including assessments, mock textbook pages, mini books designed to look like commercial…

Positive behavior interventions and Supports (PBIS) programs are being introduced in school districts throughout Illinois and the rest of the United States, resulting in decreased behavioral incidents and increased academic achievement. Programs for students who are deaf or hard of hearing benefit from implementation of this type of…

The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence and associated factors of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), including autistic disorder and PDD not otherwise specified (NOS), in a clinical sample of 126 children and adolescents (75 males, 51 females; age range 4-18y, mean 8y 8mo, SD 3y 8mo) with tetraplegic, hemiplegic,…

Validity studies of measures for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) for use with preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lacking. The Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 (CBCL; Achenbach and Rescorla, Manual for the ASEBA Preschool Forms & Profiles. VT: University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, and…

The aims of the present study are to examine whether preschool children's scores on a standardized test of vocabulary mediate or moderate the relation between shyness and reticence and to test whether any influence of vocabulary would be found for both teacher and parent assessments of shyness. Participants were 108 children (50 males), mean age,…

iTunes University is a free service offered by Apple iTunes to educational institutions. It serves as a platform for the management and distribution of educational, instructional, and informational resources through both audio and video podcasts. Participation in the service among colleges and universities continues to grow since its official…

Ninth graders (N = 679; 50% male, 50% female) from Latin American (41%), Asian (38%), and European (21%) backgrounds reported on their ethnic identity and family attitudes and relationships. Adolescents also completed daily checklists of family interactions over a two-week period. Results indicated that ethnic identity, measured through…

Speaking, listening, reading, and writing are all language activities. The human capacity for speaking and listening has a biological foundation: wherever there are people, there is spoken language. Acquiring spoken language is an unconscious activity, and, barring any physical deformity or language learning disability, like severe autism, all…

This study examines the quantitative results of an evaluation investigating implementation of the Transition Outcomes Project in a midwestern state. Data collection and analysis consist of preevaluation and postevaluation of students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) using the "Transition Requirements Checklist" and include…