This article describes the Life Skills program used to improve the social skills of 12 students with learning disabilities in an Israeli middle school. Each of two groups (girls or boys) met weekly for 5 months to address social skills topics. The article notes gender differences in reactions and participation, and outcomes in such areas as…

This article highlights the fact that to date, emphasis has been upon promotion of the expressive communication skills of a person with a learning disability and challenging behavior. It is suggested that practitioners need to pay closer attention to the neglected and largely unmet need of receptive communication difficulties. (Contains…

This study examined effects of video-based, anchored instruction and applied problems on the ability of 11 low-achieving (LA) and 26 average-achieving (AA) eighth graders to solve computation and word problems. Performance for both groups was higher during anchored instruction than during baseline, but no differences were found between instruction…

This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effect of being diagnosed with a learning disability on elementary school children's self-esteem. Findings indicated that self-esteem increased significantly above prediagnosis of a learning disability while self-esteem levels in a control group of children without learning disabilities…

Examined children's mathematical competencies between ages 7 and 9. Found no differences in developmental rate between children with math difficulties only (MD), math and reading difficulties (MD-RD), reading difficulties only (RD), and normal math/reading achievement (NA). Found that at end of Grade 3, MD group performed better than MD-RD group…

This article describes the two basic versions of the responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) approach for identifying learning disabilities, the problem solving model and the standard-protocol approach. It reviews evidence on effectiveness and feasibility and concludes that more needs to be understood before RTI may be viewed as a valid…

The life stories of 12 adults diagnosed with dyslexia as children were examined. Findings indicate that by school age, all participants noted self-esteem problems when they experienced struggles or failures in school. Testing and diagnosis improved self-esteem when conducted in a relevant manner that led to adaptation. (Contains references.)…

A 3-year study of the views of the parents of 18 African American preschoolers found parents in strong support for explicit instruction in "the three Rs," with an emphasis on phonics instruction. The need to include parents in the dialog about pedagogy and in making instructional decisions for their children is addressed. (CR)

Both general and specific effective strategies for teaching decimals, fractions, and percents to students with learning disabilities are presented. Information is provided on the theoretical base that underlies these curricular areas, recent research, and future trends. The need for programs to be structured around individualization and intensity…

Discusses the need to incorporate a sociocultural perspective into the design and reporting of inclusion research, thereby broadening the range of student and contextual variables considered and reported. A sociocultural framework and list of variables is proposed and applied to a sample of learning disabilities inclusion studies. (Author/CR)

A study of special educators (n=21), bilingual credentialed teachers (n=21), and school psychologists (n=21) examined their judgments regarding how portfolio data compared to traditional standardized assessment data. Results indicate that portfolio data led to more numerous, specific, and detailed recommendations and judgments, and is more…

This introductory article discusses the field of mathematics education for students with learning disabilities, from 1950 to the present. Topics addressed include different perspectives on mathematics learning disabilities, student assessment, mathematics programming, and teacher preparation. The mathematics standards endorsed by the National…

Analyzes the current state of mathematics assessment as applied to individuals with learning disabilities. An overview of the development of mathematics assessment is provided and specific strategies for conducting math evaluations are described, including portfolios, criterion-referenced tests, curriculum-based measurement, observations, and…

Investigated whether the pseudoword repetition difference between poor and normal readers in the Netherlands could be explained by differences in memory for verbal materials or in familiarity with the composition of verbal materials. Concludes that the pseudoword repetition of poor readers is already operative in early, perceptual states of…

Discusses the beliefs of children with learning disabilities about listening and the listener's role in repairing communicative breakdowns. Describes ways of using children's literature to enable students to reflect on the interactive roles of speaker and listener using stories with a theme of resolving communication breakdowns. (Author/CR)