Cognitive development of eighth-grade students, as identified by Jean Piaget, occurs during a time when many of them are transitioning between concrete operations and formal operations where the ability to think in abstract concepts becomes possible. Because of this period of transition, many eighth-grade students find difficulty in demonstrating…

Early learning programs impact students, especially those with developmental delays. These formative years play a vital role in the overall development of the students' skills. School districts want to reach these special education students during these crucial years to help close the developmental delay gap. This quantitative study examines the…

This paper presents a professional development model to support the implementation of word study in the middle school grades. The first section provides a rationale and considerations for the model. The following section discusses the theory and instructional methods of word study focusing on word sorting and word hunts. To confirm the…