The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a multisensory spelling intervention under two conditions using high-frequency words written in isolation and in context. The population for the study was 15 fourth and fifth grade students with learning disabilities. A randomized, pretest-posttest control group design was used. The…

The purpose of the Dyslexia Association, established by school officials, teachers, and parents of the Natchez-Adams County School District, was to explore the nature, diagnostic techniques, and remediation of this learning disability in order to establish a specific program in the public schools. Procedures were developed which could be used by…

These four newsletters focus on issues related to adult basic education and the challenges faced when teaching adult learners. The first issue looks at the characteristics of learning disabilities, providing information to help teachers determine whether a learner has a learning disability and who might be appropriately referred for testing. The…

In a study 12 normal children and 12 reading disabled (word recognition difficulties) children (mean age 9.2 years) were compared for reading and listening comprehension to test whether disabled readers, given an auditory presentation, would show comprehension of material comparable to that of normal readers given visual presentation. (PHR)

The progress of 138 elementary students with specific learning disabilities was followed as they were instructed using the Alphabetic Phonics curriculum. After 3 years, the curriculum produced significant progress in reading comprehension for average and above average students, though below average students did not advance substantially in…

New treatments of reading disabilities have recently been developed. New medical therapies for reading disabilities link poor functions of the mechanism that controls balance and movement to reading disability and focus medical attention on diet as a cause of hyperactive behavior and learning disorders. These medical therapies are still…

Evaluation for acceptability and utility of 5 common reading methods and materials by 32 middle school students with learning disabilities found the basal reader approach preferred over the other methods (language experience, direct instruction, multisensory, and neurological impress) which were all rated equally. (Author/DB)

The developmental bypass teaching technique (which provides students an opportunity to bypass their learning deficits) was studied with regard to social studies achievement and classroom behaviors in 50 learning disabled junior high school students. (Author/PHR)

Delinquents (n=116) with reading disabilities were given daily multisensory (Orton/Gillingham approach) remedial reading instruction or regular reading instruction. One year after release, the treatment group had made significantly greater growth in reading and had a significantly lower rate of recidivism. (Author/DB)

This digest provides an overview of nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) along with principles for designing and implementing instructional interventions to address its effects. It begins by explaining characteristics of students with NLD, including their tendency to focus on details rather than on the larger picture, the difficulties they may…

Students with learning disabilities can produce quality content area reports while sidestepping their written language difficulties by using multimedia, in which a computer integrates visual, graphic, audio, and textual information. Multimedia is motivational, provides a multisensory learning environment, gives students the ability to break…

Programed training filmstrips from Project LIFE (Language Instruction to Facilitate Education) were used with 114 hearing impaired children and 15 normal hearing language impaired children (4- to 13-years old) to assess the effects of auditory supplementation and a token reinforcement program on language learning and to investigate retention and…

ARROW (Aural-Read-Respond-Oral-Written) is a multisensory teaching approach where children listen to their own voices on tape recorders. Advantages of the ARROW program as demonstrated at four sites in Blackford, Somerset (England), with elementary/secondary students presenting moderate to severe learning difficulties, reading/spelling/vocabulary…

Handicapped children's potential to represent thoughts and feelings through visual forms is often overlooked. Intended for educators, therapists, psychologists, and physicians, the book focuses on art procedures found useful in developing concepts of space, of sequential order, and of class or group of objects. It also provides art techniques for…

This research review on basic reading skills begins with an historical perspective on reading methods, followed by an overview of reading instruction methods for the general population. Research findings are presented on several instructional methods, including phonetic, linguistic, artificial orthography, basal reading, and language experience…