Students are frequently expected to complete multistep tasks within a range of academic or classroom routines and to do so independently. Students' ability to complete these tasks successfully may vary as a consequence of both their working-memory capacity and the conditions under which they are expected to learn. Crucial features in the design or…

As the call for evidence-based programs and practices heightens (e.g., the Every Student Succeeds Act), there is little doubt about the urgency to bring solid research into the classroom. Implementing findings generated from rigorous research continues to be a viable, trustworthy, and necessary factor in preventing and addressing learning…

Success in our 21st century schools is linked with students' mastery of a wide range of academic and technological skills that rely heavily on executive function processes. This article describes a theoretical paradigm for understanding, assessing, and teaching that emphasizes the central importance of six executive function processes: goal…

The collection of articles in this special issue and related studies over the past decade provides a fine example of the substantial progress that has been made in our understanding and remediation of mathematical learning disabilities and difficulties since 1993 (Geary, 1993). The originally proposed procedural and retrieval deficits have been…

Programmatic, multidisciplinary research provided converging brain, genetic, and developmental support for evidence-based diagnoses of three specific learning disabilities based on hallmark phenotypes (behavioral expression of underlying genotypes) with treatment relevance: dysgraphia (impaired legible automatic letter writing, orthographic…

Students with learning disabilities (LDs) often need additional supports and structure in inquiry classrooms. The authors describe three ways teachers can enhance the achievement of these students: (1) focusing on big ideas; (2) using graphic organizers; and (3) providing mnemonic strategies. Struggling students with LD will benefit greatly from…

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for academic underachievement. Children and youth with ADHD have been found to exhibit impairments on neuropsychological measures of executive functions, including working memory. Working memory is important to attentional control and learning. This article defines working…

A good working memory is crucial to becoming a successful leaner, yet there is very little material available in an easy-to-use format that explains the concept and offers practitioners ways to support children with poor working memory in the classroom. This book provides a coherent overview of the role played by working memory in learning during…

This book captures the diversity and richness of writing as it relates to different forms of abilities, skills, competencies, and expertise. Psychologists, educators, researchers, and practitioners in neighboring areas are interested in exploring how writing develops and in what manner this development can be fostered, but they lack a handy,…

Williams syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deletion of approximately 25 genes on chromosome 7q11.23. Children with the syndrome evidence large individual differences in both broad language and reading abilities. Nevertheless, as a group, children with this syndrome show a consistent pattern characterized by relative…

The paper describes the performance of three children with specific visuospatial working memory (VSWM) impairments (Study 1) and three children with visuospatial (nonverbal) learning disabilities (Study 2) assessed with a battery of working memory (WM) tests and with a number of school achievement tasks. Overall, performance on WM tests provides…

The usefulness of the Learning Efficency Test (LET), an approach to assessing the learning efficiency and short-term memory recall capacity in children, is described via a case study demonstrating the test's use to develop instructional strategies. (CL)

This article examines the various types and functions of mnemonic strategies that may be used to expedite recall in students with learning disabilities, reviews the research concerning mnemonics, and provides a critical analysis of mnemonics as it relates to people with learning disabilities. (DB)

The article examines the subgroup (15-20 percent) of learning disabled children who have problems with immediate verbatim recall of sequences of verbal information. Processing inefficiency in coding phonological language features leads to academic deficiencies in fluent word identification and word analysis skills. (Author/DB)

Although cognitive psychology is concerned with the processes of knowing rather than with behavior, certain applications of cognitive psychology and learning theory have been achieved: (1) behavior modification; (2) bio-feedback; (3) psycholinguistics; and (4) information processing psychology. (CJ)