The reading and writing challenges that students with learning disabilities (LD) face in academic classroom settings, such as social studies classrooms, are ever present because students are expected to read, understand, and use text-based language that they cannot access due to text-reading difficulties. Visual, performing or drama, music, and…

Teachers who adapt a multisensory approach to teaching learners who have been affected by fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD) will encourage them to be self-supporting, and to excel in the classroom through participating in a myriad of stimulating activities. Researching the learners' unique characteristics will provide teachers with the tools…

This tenth edition of the best-selling book teaches reading using sounds and spelling patterns. These sounds and patterns are introduced one at a time, and slowly built into words, syllables, phrases, and sentences. Simple step-by-step directions begin every lesson. Although originally designed for K-2 emergent readers, this award-winning book is…

This article describes a lesson plan model that applies principles of universal design for learning (UDL) and multisensory learning centers to the framework of a traditional direct instruction spelling lesson for elementary students with learning, social, and attention problems. It reviews essential components of UDL and demonstrates how to…

The geometric organizer, a multisensory technique using visual mnemonic devices that key information to color-coded geometric shapes, can help learning disabled students read, organize, and study information in content subject textbooks. (CL)

The paper reports on multisensory approaches to reading instruction of learning disabled children. G. Fernald's "tracing" method, also known as the V-A-K-T method, is described and research questioning its effectiveness is cited. Next, the Adapted Fernald Technique (AFT) which requires the student to write, illustrate, read and reread…

Describes the Lab School of Washington, a private school for students with moderate to severe learning disabilities which focuses on students' strengths and teaches students using a blend of arts, multisensory learning, individualized attention, and nontraditional school experiences. About 90 percent of students from this successful school go on…

Discusses the potential uses of literature with people with severe and profound learning disabilities and describes a series of multisensory interactive drama games re-telling the story of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. (Author/DB)

A spelling program was devised for learning-disabled students, using elements from "Signs for Sounds," the Cloze method, and "Auditory Discrimination In-Depth." Day-by-day use of the program involves drawing word pictures, spelling the words with tiles and blocks, writing on the board, using the words in written sentences, spelling bees, etc. (JDD)

Describes a program designed to educate dyslexic students with above-average intelligence using multisensory teaching methods, such as manipulative teaching aids. Indicates that the program's college preparatory curriculum differs from that of other classes only in the use of the special teaching methods, which can benefit all students. (MAB)

This case study describes different traditional and sensory approaches to reading which were tried unsuccessfully with Jim, a third-grade nonreader, until a breakthrough was made by teaching him Exact English Signing. The author speculates that other techniques, such as braille, might also help the learning disabled. (SJL)

The Fernald Technique (originated by G. Fernald), which is a multi-modal approach involving tracing, is one method of teaching reading to learning disabled students. (Author/PHR)

Of the 39 millions Americans with learning disabilities, 60-80% have reading disabilities. Describes techniques that libraries can use in literacy programs: screening of phonological awareness and skills; tutor training with the Orten-Gillingham method, a structured, systematic, multisensory program developing the ability to hear phonemes; and the…

The multimodal/multisensory interactive unit instructional approach affords teachers and students 16 instructional formats for interaction, differing from other multisensory models in that learner characteristics are neither assigned nor assumed. A case study of an 11-year-old indicated that this approach helped to organize a teaching sequence to…

A pilot workshop was conducted to help teachers provide for the needs of home economics students with learning difficulties. Topics discussed include the use of questionnaires to assess students' preferred learning styles, the effect of sensory factors on learning, and the development of learning centers to individualize instruction. (SK)