This study documented the standardized tests and informal assessment techniques that school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) reported as most helpful for identifying vocabulary deficits and for monitoring progress. Speech-language pathologists (N = 142) working in U.S. public school settings completed an online survey that included…

This qualitative study was conducted to identify the potential of using iPad as a supplement to teach math to students with learning disabilities. Ten teacher candidates from a university in the south provided one-on-one math tutoring services to ten students in a self-contained classroom at a local high poverty elementary school. The students…

Ms. Carlisi teaches middle school mathematics for students who were retained at least 1 year and who were identified as at risk of failure in mathematics. About half of her class of 14 students has identified learning disabilities and/or emotional and behavioral difficulties. Ms. Carlisi worries constantly that she is not going to be able to help…

Factors related to the assessment of learning disabled adolescents include their failure patterns, curriculum and social demands, and institutional factors. Assessment should focus on cognitive, affective, and institutional aspects. Informal assessment approaches can include interviews, observation, and trial teaching. (CL)

The article presents informal assessment techniques for assessing classroom demands, written language, studying and test-taking skills, notetaking, and gaining information from text. The content of the assessment is conceptualized in terms of the University of Kansas learning strategies curriculum. A test down approach to assessment is suggested.…

A checklist of 26 behaviors is offered to help elementary level teachers determine where students are experiencing organizing or sequencing difficulties. Eight remediation suggestions for promoting organized behavior in learning disabled students are offered. (CL)

A multidimensional approach to assessment of children with learning difficulties is examined. The approach explores factors along five dimensions: (1) learner characteristics (motivation, social-emotional maturity, cognitive abilities and styles); (2) task-based contributors (match of tasks to maturational levels and to cognitive style); (3)…

Described is a diagnostic-prescriptive model for teacher observation of learning disabled students. It is explained that through observation, teachers should be able to answer questions in seven areas, including the existence of a real learning disability; the student's functioning level in reading, arithmetic, and writing; the student's learning…

A special educator reviews approaches for assessing the writing skills of learning disabled students (by both formal and informal methods), describes common problems, lists prerequisites (such as sufficient visual and motor memory), and suggests prewriting activities as well as ways to help specific writing weaknesses. (CL)

The article presents an approach to informal assessment of written expression which allows the teacher to determine the skills acquired and correctly used by the student, the skills needing remediation, and the skills to be introduced. For related information see EC 132 758-767. (Author)

Described are informal assessment methods for evaluating children suspected of having a learning disability. (Author/DB)

A three-stage procedure for formulating and monitoring individualized objectives for learning disabled high school students includes: (1) surveying global writing successes and failures; (2) analyzing reliable patterns of selected writing features; and (3) selecting instructional priorities through ongoing negotiation between instructors and…

For special education teachers dealing with slow learners or learning disabled students, the paper describes teacher-made diagnostic tasks and settings for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Remediation techniques and strategies for common error patterns and misunderstandings are discussed for each of the major parts of the…

The paper describes a "mini-assessment" designed to help teachers understand the nature and extent of students' learning problems. A distinction is made between children with reading problems due to neurological differences and those with problems due to emotional, educational, or cultural factors. The importance of identifying and referring the…

The article gives a checklist of questions for teachers to ask in the functional assessment of learning disabled children, and gives guides in decisions on instructional prescriptions. (PHR)