The Directed Spelling Thinking Activity (DSTA) is a method of teaching spelling to students with learning disabilities by encouraging active thinking and analysis of word patterns. With DSTA, students compare and contrast words that fit different but related spelling patterns. Words illustrating 37 spelling patterns are listed. (Author/DB)

The activities of a literacy project are described as examples of social constructivism. The role of social and dialogic interactions of teachers and students in literacy communities in which the production, rather than the reproduction, of knowledge is the goal of the instruction is emphasized. Examples of teacher and student dialog are provided.…

This article describes the Cognitive Strategy in Writing program (originally intended for elementary-age students), and adaptation and application of the social constructivist approach with seven junior high and high school students with learning disabilities. Pretest-posttest assessment indicated dramatic improvements in overall quality and…

The purpose of this article is to describe features of interventions that are empirically validated for use with first-grade students at risk for reading disabilities who are English language learners (ELLs) and whose home language is Spanish. The empirical evidence supporting these interventions is summarized. Interventions for improving oral…

This article offers a profile of Dr. Andy Chen, an individual from Taiwan with learning disabilities who became an assistant professor of accounting at Northeastern Illinois University. The interview follows his progress through school, college, military service, and postgraduate work and describes learning strategies he developed to deal with his…

The consensus conference on learning disabilities and employment sponsored by the President's Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities in May 1990 is described. Decisions and proposals made in the key areas of work preparation, vocational entry, reasonable accommodation, job advancement, socioadaptability, attitudes, and definitions…

Turner Syndrome (TS) is a genetic disorder affecting primarily females. It arises from a loss of X-chromosome material, most usually one of the two X chromosomes. Affected individuals have a number of distinguishing somatic features, including short stature and ovarian dysgenesis. Individuals with TS show a distinct neurocognitive profile…

Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) is a relatively common (1/500 to 1/1,000) genetic syndrome caused by an extra X chromosome in males, leading to an XXY karyotype. In most cases, the physical and neurobehavioral characteristics of KS are relatively mild, and KS is not usually associated with moderate or severe mental retardation. However, KS is often…

Children with learning disabilities in four types of special education settings were compared in terms of social acceptance, number of friends, quality of relationship with best friends, self-concept, loneliness, depression, social skills, and problem behaviors. Two of the placements (In-Class Support and Resource Room) were for children with mild…

Examines the fundamental characteristics of and reviews empirical research on performance assessment of diverse groups of students, including those with mild disabilities. Discussion of the technical qualities of performance assessment and barriers to its advancement leads to the conclusion that performance assessment should play a supplementary…

This 3-year Model Demonstration Project involved the development and field testing of an individualized course-specific strategy instruction model with college students with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The 46 participants received individualized semester-long strategy instruction by graduate students…

Computer application of Curriculum-Based Measurement is presented as a methodology capable of linking student performance and instructional decision making. A case study with a fifth grade learning-disabled student and mathematics illustrates how CBM with computerized feedback systems can be used to systematically implement effective teaching…

Presents the experiences of three preservice special educators who applied the research on reciprocal teaching with elementary school children with learning and behavioral disabilities. The problems encountered, the adaptations, and perceptions of student progress are summarized in three separate accounts. Suggestions are provided for successful…

Discusses the need to incorporate a sociocultural perspective into the design and reporting of inclusion research, thereby broadening the range of student and contextual variables considered and reported. A sociocultural framework and list of variables is proposed and applied to a sample of learning disabilities inclusion studies. (Author/CR)

This article describes how the Division for Learning Disabilities surveyed interdisciplinary experts and conducted a Delphi procedure to develop a list of competencies to guide preparation for teaching students with learning disabilities. The list of validated competencies determined to be essential for the preparation of professionals is listed,…