Recently, Tunmer and Chapman provided an alternative model of how decoding and listening comprehension affect reading comprehension that challenges the simple view of reading. They questioned the simple view's fundamental assumption that oral language comprehension and decoding make independent contributions to reading comprehension by arguing…

The strong differences in manifestation, prevalence, and incidence in dyslexia across languages invite studies in specific writing systems. In particular, the question of the role played by emergent literacy in opaque and transparent writing systems remains a fraught one. This research project tested, through a 4-year prospective cohort study, an…

This article provides a snapshot of how all 50 states are progressing with the development and implementation of response-to-intervention (RtI) models 1 year after the final regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act were passed. Data were collected through a review of existing state department of education Web sites and…

Discussion of conceptual and methodological aspects of reading intervention research focuses on nine specific design limitations of previous intervention research; ways to measure and analyze change as a function of development, treatment intervention and ecological influences; assumptions of individual growth models; and advantages, conditions,…

This paper provides a rationale for basic research and metatheory development in the field of learning disabilities, outlines the steps and cognitive parameters involved in validating such a metatheory, and discusses integrating the findings of basic research with instructional manipulations and reasons for the poor integration of theory and…

The paper deals with the contribution of empirical psychology to the problems of instruction and proposes a conceptual framework to promote helpful interactions between experimenters and teachers of children with learning difficulties. Both groups share a common concern, the definition of tasks by testing instructions in action. (Author/DB)

This article describes a theoretical model of reading disability that integrates research findings in cognitive psychology, reading, and education. The model identifies four patterns of reading disability: (1) nonalphabetic readers, (2) compensatory readers, (3) nonautomatic readers, and (4) readers delayed in the acquisition of word recognition…

In response to a previous article, the paper finds weaknesses in the mechanistic worldview represented by the emphasis on information processing research in constructing a metatheory for learning disabilities. An alternative--contextualist--world view is proposed which is holistic, social, and developmental providing insight into processes of…

In response to articles concerning the author's earlier paper, the paper responds to criticisms concerning contextualism, the role of metatheory, distinctions between basic and applied research, cognitive components and specificity, the science of learning disabilities, neurological indices, model validation, and the nature of learning…

A model and supporting research are presented which suggest that academic failure resulting from a variety of etiological factors is sufficient to generate the behavioral patterns observed in many hyperactive children. (CL)

This article uses a sociocultural perspective of teaching and learning to synthesize previous articles in the series and speculate on future inquiry in the field of learning disabilities. It provides a model showing the expanding sociocultural contexts that frame learning and teaching. (DB)

This paper provides a response to the thoughtful paper presented by Gerber in this issue and at the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities Responsiveness-to-Intervention Symposium in Kansas City with guidance from five major questions posed by the organizers of the symposium. Gerber's paper provides interesting perspectives regarding…

The article reviews literature on the information processing model with learning disabled children. Assumptions concerning the role of automaticity, prior knowledge, and executive functioning are questioned. Also discussed are procedures for identifying common denominations, subgrouping, isolating mental components underlying academic change, and…

Modeling and attention-retention were examined in 20 boys (ages 9- to 14-years-old) attending a residential school for children with learning disabilities. (Author/DB)