This book is intended to help language teachers to work effectively and successfully with students who have specific learning differences (SpLD) such as dyslexia. The book takes an inclusive and practical approach to language teaching and encourages teachers to consider the effects that an SpLD could have on a language learner. It suggests…

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…

Describes how modeling, guided practice in controlled materials, monitoring and corrective feedback, and independent practice were used to teach contractions to six low-performing second graders, including a child with learning disabilities. Planning and implementation of the lessons are described and a sample lesson plan is provided. (CR)

A whole-language instructional approach is presented for use with students with learning disabilities. Teacher behaviors are outlined, including demonstrating, expecting success, and responding to students. Learner behaviors are also discussed, such as using language in natural situations, making approximations in their learning, taking…

The article presents four guidelines for developing favorable classroom language learning environments for learning disabled students including a physical setting which promotes talk; opportunities to interact and use language; opportunities to use language for a variety of purposes and audience; and a responsive teacher who encourages continued…

The oral foundations of narrative knowledge are examined as a linkage to literacy acquisition problems. Examined are kinds of narrative knowledge acquired, the nature of story organization, and developmental acquisitions in story recall and generation. The performance patterns of language learning-disabled children on oral story recall and…

Sheltered instruction is described as a content-driven teaching approach that provides access to the core curriculum using techniques that make lessons more understandable, such as a slower speech rate, controlled vocabulary, and hands-on activities. The goal is for the student to learn content material in a way that facilitates development of…

This brief paper summarizes warning signs of learning disabilities in preschool children, elementary school children, and secondary school children. It notes that learning disabilities are presumed to arise from dysfunctions in the brain resulting in significant difficulties in perceiving information, processing and/or remembering information,…

Preschool teachers of children with attentional disorders and delays need to increase pupil engaged time for effective language learning, through such techniques as following the child's lead, providing novelty, using interactive teaching techniques (e.g., incidental teaching, mand-model technique, systematic commenting), and using activity-based…

Determining the language skill deficits of learning-disabled students may be difficult. They have many appropriate language skills, but may miss the subtlety of language. This is exemplified by their lack of awareness of morphemes and the important information that less-stressed morphemes provide. Developing or selecting a program to improve their…

A curricular and instructional framework for increasing the vocabulary skills of diverse learners is described. Areas of convergence in research literature on vocabulary learning and diverse learners are noted, and two recommendations based on these areas of convergence are offered: interventions to address the vocabulary delays of diverse…

Recent research on vocabulary development is reviewed, highlighting issues related to diverse learners. The review included studies of students who are low performers; learning or reading disabled; remedial readers; high achievers; and students who are culturally disadvantaged, language delayed, and linguistically diverse. Areas of convergence in…

Summaries are provided of classroom research projects undertaken by Colorado teachers of students with learning disabilities. For each project, the document supplies the project title, researcher, school, problem statement, objective, population, assessment, procedures, evaluation, implications, and resources used. Project titles and researchers…

This text on teaching students with language disabilities is divided into three parts. Part 1 presents the components of speech, language and communication and describes language development. Part 2 describes the language abilities of students with a variety of disabilities. Part 3 provides suggestions for assessment and intervention and discusses…

This collection of papers is designed to provide an overview of validated practices that have been proven effective for children with language learning disabilities, preschool age through adolescence. The first section addresses oral language interventions, in "Preschool Language Intervention in the Classroom: Rationale and Organizational…