This article provides an extensive review of the literature on the use of repeated reading to improve the reading fluency and comprehension skills of elementary-age students with learning disabilities. A systematic review of the published literature from 2001 to 2011 was conducted and nineteen (N = 19) research-based repeated reading studies were…

Research into reading development and reading disabilities has been dominated by phonologically guided theories for several decades. In this volume, the authors of 11 chapters report on a wide array of current research topics, examining the scope, limits and implications of a phonological theory. The chapters are organized in four sections. The…

The "Auditory Discrimination in Depth (ADD) Program[R]" (currently called the "Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS) Program[R]") is designed to teach students skills to successfully decode words and to identify individual sounds and blends in words. Initial activities engage students in discovering the lip, tongue, and mouth…

Examines the effects of an instructional program designed to teach learning disabled children to use context to determine and correct their errors. Results indicate that training in context is helpful for disabled learners who have achieved reading proficiency beyond grade level two. (MKM)

Noting that one reason for the discrepant results found in research on reading difficulties is the variety of approaches used to assess reading and spelling problems, this paper examines two of these approaches in terms of their implicit assumptions and inherent failings. The paper first discusses the etiological approach, which tries to identify…

The Diagnostic Spelling Test is an experimental modification of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), Spelling (Level II), which measures a student's ability to identify the correct spelling of each word in a four-alternative multiple-choice format. Each incorrect alternative is designed to reflect a specific type of spelling problem found in…

The purpose of this research was to investigate the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) subtest scores of information (IN), arithmetic (AR), digit span (DS), and coding (CO). The subjects were all of the students admitted to and remaining in the Seattle Public School District #1 Learning/Language Disability (LLD) Program since…

Describes a study designed to determine whether children identified as learning disabled by Slingerland's Pre-reading Screening Procedures would progress further in sensory abilities and reading achievement as a result of receiving reading instruction by the synthetic-multisensory or the multiple-factor method. (JM)

Reviewed in this paper are some of the aspects of Australian practices and research activities in learning disabilities conducted over the past decade. Special emphasis is given to the diagnosis and treatment of children with severe reading problems. The influence of instruments such as the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities on the…

Highlights the methodological issues surrounding research on reading in atypical populations and discusses the issue of comparison groups. Reviews evidence from studies that have described the reading profile observed in Williams syndrome. Advocates a more dynamic developmental approach to the study of reading in atypical populations. (PM)

Discusses a study that interviewed 12 dyslexics, including a Nobel laureate, a member of the United States Academy of Sciences, and other professionals in fields requiring reading. Finds that all of them developed basic fluency three to four years later than peers, but still acquired Stage 5 skills through avid reading about a topic of passionate…

A program under a performance contract in a Westland, Mich., elementary school designed to improve reading and learning abilities was studied. In a highly mobile community of 75 per cent Appalachian background and generally low level of education, 70-80 per cent of the children tested below grade level on standardized tests. The program had two…

Data from a study on silent classroom reading with 105 learning disabled students (aged 6-12 years) are reanalyzed using linear structural equation modeling. It appears that, when entry-level abilities are controlled, silent reading did not have a significant effect on posttest reading performance. (TJH)

Studies two nonidentical twin boys with severe, specific developmental language disorders with respect to their linguistic, neurolinguistic and pragmatic development. Finds that, in spite of poor linguistic awareness, the boys acquired normal reading/spelling skills; however, the boys differed considerably in some aspects of reading and spelling…