The examination of computer applications in instruction describes a model for studying effects of using microcomputers with mildly handicapped learners and discusses effects of microeducational environments for mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped elementary pupils. (CL)

A two-dimensional framework consisting of knowledge forms and intellectual operations was used to analyze curriculum materials, teacher-mediated instruction, and student use of information on essay and traditional criterion-referenced measures in two sixth-grade general science classes. Results suggest low-achieving students may need more exposure…

The reference handbook is the product of an Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education project entitled "Accommodation Strategies." The project attempted to: facilitate mildly handicapped students in regular education through the development and utilization of unique educational strategies; enhance cooperative endeavors between…

This paper discusses the two important domains affecting the success of learning strategy training for students with learning disabilities or other mild handicaps: students' knowledge of critical skills and information potentially related to strategy use, and students' motivation to learn and use the strategy. The paper presents an eight-stage…

This paper discusses research on cooperative learning, shows how it can help meet student needs in heterogeneous classes, addresses how to overcome potential problems, and offers implementation guidelines. It also provides a framework for initiating cooperative learning in ways that reduce or eliminate resistance. (Author/JDD)

Mildly handicapped children share common educational needs and behavioral attributes. A general theory of learning outlines the characteristics of special learners and their implications for teaching. Components include expectancy of success or failure, selective attention, organization of input for storage, memory and recall, transfer,…

Specific suggestions are provided for modifying instructional materials and methods to meet the needs of students with mild handicaps. An organizational framework for making systematic decisions about instructional adaptation is presented, calling for comparing characteristics of the material or technique with the characteristics of the learner in…

Empirical studies on teaching content-area information to underachieving or mildly disabled students are reviewed. Instructional options include content reduction, learnable text, content enhancement, use of audiorecordings and computer-assisted instruction, and promoting use of cognitive and metacognitive strategies. A content enhancement model…

This digest describes a model curriculum for children from language minority groups, called the "Optimal Learning Environment Curriculum--A Resource for Teachers of Spanish Speaking Children in Learning Handicapped Programs." This bilingual special education class model is governed by the following principles: (1) take into account the…

Research based teaching strategies for improving the reading comprehension of mildly handicapped students include identifying learning goals, breaking goals into simpler units, ordering instruction developmentally, and teaching the use of metacognitive strategies for reading. (CB)

Problems are identified in adapting findings of laboratory-based cognitive instruction to mainstream classes. A metacognitive instruction model called Process-based Instruction (PBI) is then described. PBI recognizes the importance of interactions between student, teacher, and curriculum content and involves assessment, orientation, strategy…

The University of Oregon model teacher preparation program, called the Handicapped Learner Endorsement program, prepares teachers to work with students with mild handicaps and emphasizes direct instruction. This paper describes the program's core components and the procedures used to teach them, with specific emphasis on the supervisor's role in…

Presented are the findings of a study designed to identify and describe vocational education programs that have been successful in mainstreaming mildly handicapped students (educable mentally retarded, learning disabled, and mildly emotionally disturbed). The structural elements of 30 exemplary programs in six states are described and an optimal…

This article describes an intraschool consultation model for meeting the transition needs of elementary school special education students moving on to secondary school. Model components include providing staff with a communication vehicle and implementing pretransition programs. A checklist of modified methods of instruction and evaluation that…

A junior high school sought to prepare mildly handicapped students for an effective transition from school to work by incorporating prework skills into already existing curricula, especially into science, world studies, and reading. The project's three components included: social, organizational, and communication skills; world of work…