This study examined the feasibility of teaching phonemic manipulation skills (auditory rhyming, blending, or segmenting) to preschool children with disabilities. Forty-seven children, 4-6 years old, enrolled in a special education preschool, were randomly assigned to receive training in one of three categories of phonemic manipulation tasks…

For those who espouse critical thinking as an educational ideal, the issue of race prejudice should be addressed as an obvious and pernicious example of uncritical thinking because to hold racially prejudiced beliefs is to believe without being appropriately moved by reason. This paper attempts to ascertain how and where critical thinking can come…

The effectiveness of a student referral center (SRC) program implemented by 19 Houston, Texas middle schools during 1990-91 is assessed in this paper. The program, made up of 14 Student Referral Centers, serves as an inschool suspension system to provide counseling support services and instructional assistance to students with discipline problems.…

This paper describes family interaction patterns during a 6-day wilderness backpacking course. Participants were a group of 9 adolescents boys in treatment at the Julia Dyckman Andrus Memorial (New York), a private, residential treatment center which serves 65 emotionally disturbed boys and girls ranging from 4 to 18 years of age. Participants…

Educational policy analysts have recognized the need for an educational policy that combines the merits of "top-down" mandates with "bottom-up" teacher discretion. This paper describes the Reading Recovery program as an example of an educational program that balances top-down direction and bottom-up discretion by: (1) providing an overall…

A study evaluates the effectiveness of the third year of the Reading/Writing Immersion (R/WI) project in Manitoba designed to assist first-grade teachers in becoming more effective at working with students who are at-risk of failing to develop the reading and writing performance expectancies the teachers had for them. Subjects, the six remaining…

This magazine brings together articles on various aspects of learning disabilities (LD), focusing on the early years, the LD experience, socialization, thoughts for parents, and innovative programs in schools and communities. Some of the articles are: "The 'Stuff of Dreams': The Yale Center" (William Ellis); "Elements of Effective…

This brief information sheet summarizes the types of social-emotional problems common among gifted children and suggests preventive actions schools can take. A table lists problems associated with characteristic strengths of gifted children. Specific problems briefly addressed include: uneven development, peer relations, excessive self-criticism,…

This pamphlet discusses strategies for reducing baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD) among Native American children. BBTD in infants and toddlers is a painful disease characterized by extensive decay of the upper front and side teeth. It is caused by prolonged exposure of teeth to carbohydrates, such as those contained in infant formula, milk, and fruit…

This manual provides a state-of-the art review of child neglect in the United States, its nature, causes, and the implications of that knowledge for preventive and remedial intervention. After an introduction, the first chapter considers the definition of neglect including types of neglect, the withholding of medically indicated treatment from…

This coordinator's handbook describes the "Rockin' Readers" program, in which senior-citizen volunteers are matched with specifically targeted at-risk children (usually of kindergarten age or slightly older) in Alachua County, Florida, who tested below their peer group in language development and reading readiness skills. The handbook…

This report presents the findings of the New York State Comptroller's audit of the Education Department's management and oversight of the Preschool Handicapped Education Program. The audit notes a 68 percent increase (to $298 million) in costs during 1990-91 over the previous year, most of which is attributed to the 55 percent increase in the…

Interventions at the early childhood stage will reap rich rewards in terms of preparing children for schooling and for life, and early childhood development (ECD) programs provide valuable pointers to the way schooling can be improved. ECD is concerned with learning, and is not a peripheral strategy, but the foundation of and an essential part of…

This study presents a qualitative description of changes in social and symbolic behaviors in an African-American girl with autism over a period of 10 years (from age 5 to 15 years), with emphasis on ages 9 to 11. The primary purpose of the investigation was to elucidate the process ultimately leading to reciprocal social relations and symbolic…

This paper cites ethical provisions and professional standards that affect the selection of behavioral interventions that will benefit exceptional individuals without undermining their dignity. A three-category system that classifies behavioral interventions on the basis of their intrusiveness or restrictiveness is presented. Interventions are…