Some of the critical factors that have prevented equitable treatment of the minority student with learning disabilities are considered. Attention is directed to definitional issues, discriminatory practices in special education, issues in identification and assessment, treatment considerations, and difficulties inherent in the differentiation of…

Various instructional models for use in classrooms with both mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped students are described: (1) developmental model; (2) inquiry and inductive reasoning models; (3) behavioral model; (4) perceptual motor theory; (5) diagnostic-prescriptive models; and (6) individual education plan. (CJ)

A program was designed for early detection and treatment of cognitive and emotional disabilities of preschool children in day care centers in low-income areas of two cities in Israel. After 10 months of treatment, the 53 children showed improvement in social emotional functioning, cognitive functioning, and competence. (JDD)

TORUS, a prototype technology-based educational diagnostic program, is described. The usefulness of TORUS to identify and remediate the mathematics misconceptions of students with learning disabilities is reported. Results suggest the need for greater emphasis on conceptual understanding in mathematics instruction. (Author/DB)

An inductive assessment model for developing individualized instructional programs for special needs students is reviewed, followed by a discussion of how computer programs can help teachers solve logistical and technical problems of inductive assessment models and how expert systems can provide instructional advice. Expert systems for…

Discussion of reading assessment of students with learning disabilities considers theoretical models of reading, curriculum-based assessment, and miscue analysis. A comparison of the reading strategies of two second-grade readers using miscue analysis is detailed. Emphasis is on instructionally relevant student assessment. (Contains seven…

A classification scheme for multimedia interaction is described based on the degree of control and type of cognitive engagement experienced by learners in prescriptive, democratic, and cybernetic independent learning environments. Reactive, proactive, and mutual levels of interaction and their associated functions and transactions are discussed.…

Interest in educating individuals, rather than classes, began in the time of the Greeks, but has escalated in the last century. As more and more students stay in school longer and longer, teachers have had to adjust their teaching to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. One method of attending to the needs of individuals is to…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recently published two documents, "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" (1989) and "Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics" (1991), (the "Standards Documents"), that recommend departure from conventional forms of instruction and…

This manual is designed to assist Alberta (Canada) teachers in identifying social behavior difficulties in their students and promoting prosocial behavior through the use of various classroom activities. A social skills diagnostic screen is provided to aid teachers in assessing personal and interpersonal development, social reasoning skills, and…

A study examined differences between a prescriptive individualized approach to literacy instruction in adult basic education (ABE) settings. Six ABE classrooms participated in the study with four continuing traditional literacy instruction and two providing whole language-oriented literacy instruction. Average attendance per session was 12 adults.…

Studies show that while most clinicians agree on seven critical reading activities--instant word recognition, word meanings, oral reading, silent reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and attention/motivation--they reveal little agreement on the diagnoses and suggestions for remediation of reading problems. The computer assisted…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of two factors, the data base used for instructional decision making and the structure of instruction, on student achievement. The dependent data were the number of words read correctly by 117 elementary school students on three basal reading passages. Students were rank ordered in two ways:…

The study examines the extent to which categorical differences exist in the qualitative nature of instruction for mildly handicapped students. Interviews and observations were conducted of 30 learning disabled (LD), 32 emotionally-behaviorally disturbed (EBD), and 30 educable mentally retarded (EMR) students in grades 2-4. Instruction was…

Examples of three models for individualizing instruction of library students are presented, i.e., Diagnostic Prescriptive Teaching (DPT), Modularized Instruction, and Nonformal Basic Program. The focus of DPT is on general reference tools and subject reference works in science and technology. The model includes four behavioral objectives, a…