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)

Recent research in mathematics instruction underscores the importance of problem solving and higher-level thinking. This article presents four themes in instruction for students with learning disabilities: (1) provide a broad, balanced mathematics curriculum; (2) engage students in meaningful problem tasks; (3) accommodate diverse learning styles;…

Use of the Foxfire approach to instruction is described as a means of developing learning communities that serve all children. Examples from several elementary classrooms illustrate instructional processes that integrate content with skill development for diverse students, including children with learning disabilities. Core principles of the…

This study of 44 children in grades 4 and 5 found that children with learning disabilities (LD) required more time than nondisabled students to achieve 100 percent accuracy on a short learning unit and retained less factual content. LD students who did not spend adequate time in learning dropped more dramatically in achievement than nondisabled…

This introduction to four papers, which discuss cognitive strategy research with secondary students who have learning disabilities, outlines Edwin Ellis's Integrated Strategy Instruction model for helping students learn content in a strategic manner, identifies model aspects requiring revision, and notes the model's theoretical underpinnings and…

This study, with 48 students (including 16 eighth graders with learning disabilities (LD), 16 age level peers, and 16 reading level peers), found that all groups, but especially LD students, benefited from experimenter activation of prior knowledge on reading comprehension tasks testing inferential reading ability. Experimenter activation of prior…

Results are reported for an exploratory study of eligibility decisions made for 21 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) with learning disabilities (LD) and no secondary disabilities who received special education support in reading. Eligibility determinations by an expert panel resulted in decisions that differed significantly from…

Students who have particular difficulty in mathematics are a growing concern for educators. Graphic organizers have been shown to improve reading comprehension and may be applied to upper level secondary mathematics content. In two systematic replications, one randomly assigned group was taught to solve systems of linear equations through direct…

In 2005, the Royal College of Psychiatry Faculty of Learning Disability's three judges unanimously awarded the inaugural Medical Student Essay Prize to Ian Harwood, a mature medical student at Barts & The London School of Medicine. This reflective piece records an undergraduate's contact with an adolescent suffering from advanced Sanfillipo…

This study extends the literature on the relation between reading practices and individual characteristics of participants in adult education who have low literacy skills. Reading practices describe individuals' reading frequency for different types of written material, such as books, newspapers, magazines, technical materials, and work documents.…

The academic achievement and social functioning of children with learning difficulties (LD) and children without LD (7-12 years old) was examined. Attainment scores in mathematics and English were obtained for each child, and a sample of children without LD was further classified as low achieving (LA) or high achieving (HA) on the basis of these…

Peer-mediated instruction holds particular promise as an effective educational strategy for children with learning disabilities. When properly implemented, peer-mediated instructional approaches permit active engagement, frequent opportunities to respond, immediate error correction, prompt feedback on the correctness of responses, and motivational…

The effects of using the Embedded Story-Structure (ESS) Routine in a literature course were investigated. A heterogeneous group of 79 ninth graders, including 14 students with LD, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, with instruction occurring in groups of 12 to 14 students in general education literature classes over a nine-day…

This study evaluated the generally recommended concrete-to-abstract hierarchy for presenting a new skill, with three students with learning disabilities in grades 1, 2, and 4. The three subjects enrolled in the Multidisciplinary Diagnostic and Training Program's classroom housed on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville. Following…

Predicated on the assumption that many of the problems exhibited by learning disabled children arise from difficulties they have in processing information, the program of research described in this paper was undertaken to (1) identify reading comprehension difficulties that are due to disorders in the reader, and (2) design and test effective…