Reading is a complex, uniquely human invention for communication through print. It is a critical ability for making progress in education. Students with reading difficulties, the most common learning disability, struggle with reading fluency and accuracy. Skilled reading is enabled by the coordination of a network of brain regions interconnected…

This research study, rooted in the theoretical framework of phenomenology, examined the impact of professional development related to specially designed instruction for students with a learning disability in reading. Teachers of students who had mastered at least 50% of their IEP goals in reading or had exited from special education services were…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how secondary co-teachers' experiences influenced their attitudes when co-teaching students with a reading disability in the co-taught classroom. A total of seven secondary co-teachers were selected to represent the population for this study. Bandura's (1977) "self-efficacy…

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) represent between 5% and 10% of the total number of students in public schools in Saudi Arabia (Abu Nayyan, 2015). Further, 80-90% of students with SLD exhibit reading difficulties including difficulties in reading comprehension (Mercer & Pullen, 2009). Although there is a large number of…

English Learners (ELs) have become a significant part of classrooms in the United States, posing a challenge for teachers to provide an equitable education. Inadequate training and a weak understanding of bilingual students' literacy and language development make it difficult for teachers to make instructional decisions for reading instruction.…

The students with learning disabilities at a school in the Southeastern United States were not meeting the academic targets on the reading assessment set by the state Department of Education. Moreover, most new standards-based reform initiatives require that students with learning disabilities meet local and state competency requirements.…

Students with Learning disabilities and at risk for reading difficulties often face challenges in reading fluency and comprehension that impact negatively on academic success. Repeated reading (RR) is an intervention designed to increase reading fluency and comprehension skills among students at risk and diagnosed with disabilities. The purpose of…

Children's literacy is critical to their future academic and social success. Children who learn to read well can structure sentences and understand how to use words. A child's reading skills are important to their success in school and society. By having communication and language skills, children who read develop a broader vocabulary and score…

This action research study focused on establishing a professional learning community of secondary special educators to explore authentic meaning-based reading experiences with struggling readers. The term meaning-based reading experience encompasses both holistic reading evaluations in the form of miscue analysis, and more meaning-focused strategy…

More than 87% of high school students diagnosed with disabilities are not meeting proficiency in literacy. Although there is a transactional relationship between language and literacy development and deficits, interventions in these areas are mostly provided in separate environments with limited connection between the skills. This qualitative…

Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD) has been the focus of four decades of neuropsychological research. However, it has yet to be included as a diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (i.e., currently in its fifth edition, DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Many of the characteristics associated…

Students who have problems comprehending textual material tend to experience failing grades, peer rejection, and even social isolation. Furthermore, students with poor reading comprehension demonstrate poor academic performance in all subjects, not due to difficulty in learning specific subject content (i.e., math, history, etc.), but rather their…

Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading (SLD-R) is the most widely diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder. Individuals with SLD-R face many academic, social, and work challenges. To alleviate these difficulties, accommodations are provided, the most common being extended time for tests. The literature on extended time efficacy for…

Extensive research has been conducted on summer reading loss among children from low-SES families and children who are struggling readers (Alexander, Entwisle, & Olson, 2001; Allington, et al., 2010; Compton-Lilly, Caloia, Quast, & McCann, 2016; Cooper, Nye, Charlton, Lindsay, & Greathouse, 1996; Heyns, 1978; Parker & Reid, 2017).…

Reading is at the heart of education and it is the basic skill upon which all others are built. Reading difficulties underlie much of the differences in academic achievement between students with specific learning disabilities in reading and non-disabled students; addressing these challenges when children are young is the key for long-term success…