Observational records presented in this report demonstrate the powerful influence that adults have on the developing literacy of young children. The report reveals the role that language plays in contextually providing adults' expectations for the extent of children's participation in written language events. Observations of 4-year-old fraternal…

The relationships between the understandings children develop while learning the written form of their own names and those developed while learning other words were examined in a study. Twelve children, aged three, four, and five, were selected. The study involved three tasks which examined the subjects' expertise with letters, numbers, and the…

A study was conducted to establish a process for evaluating the difficulty of different handwritten letter forms. A criterion for calculating difficulty scores was delineated and four sets of letter forms were evaluated: manuscript, cursive, italic, and D'Nealian. Using the criterion, small letters were given a score of difficulty, the sum of…

The manual is intended to provide regular teachers with the information, methods, and techniques needed to deal more effectively with a learning disabled child in the regular classroom. The introduction examines the general syndrome of learning disability (LD) with emphasis on two identification components: exclusion, in which all other…

Activity suggestions developed by experienced teachers are presented for mainstreamed students with difficulties in specific instructional areas of reading, mathematics, spelling, writing, and behavior. Activity descriptions are grouped according to instructional area, and are classified as large group, small group, or one to one exercises.…

THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF TEACHING HANDWRITING IS TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH A MEANS OF EXPRESSING THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. THROUGH THE USE OF APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES, STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO ENABLE THEM TO WRITE EASILY AND LEGIBLY. THIS GUIDE HAS BEEN PREPARED TO AID IN DEVELOPING A SYSTEMATIC PROGRAM TO HELP…

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a series of programmed workbooks for teaching basic handwriting skills to migrant children. Some 24 second-, fourth-, and sixth-grade classes in 4 counties of south and central Florida participated in the study, and control and experimental groups were set up for each grade level.…

Short evaluations of all instructional materials (books, filmstrips, cassettes, kits) adopted by the State of California in 1974 are given in the fields of English, spelling/handwriting, and literature. Piloted reading materials were also evaluated. The evaluations were performed by two or more local elementary teachers or educators and are…

Provided is an overview of the St. Lucie County (Florida) curriculum for school-aged handicapped children. The basic curriculum is broken down by grade levels for the following subject areas: reading, language arts, spelling, handwriting, mathematics, social studies, science, and gross and fine motor development. (SBH)

Explained is a method for teaching basic handwriting to primary level, slow learning students. (IM)

Described is the use of motivational strategy for instruction in remedial handwriting, and explained is the use of specific behavior modification techniques with a group of 10 students (9 to 11-years-old) with poor handwriting. (IM)

An important component of second language programs is the skill of understanding and using the graphic structure of language involved. Inadequate handwriting, poor layout, and difficulties in reading are primary symptoms of students with a weak grasp of the graphic structure. (CB)

Fifteen learning-disabled students, aged 8-12 years, showed marked improvement in their story writing when they used a word processor as compared to handwritten stories. Children with severe spelling problems made fewer errors in their word-processed stories. Reluctant writers tended to write longer word-processed stories compared to handwritten…

Discusses the role of writing equipment in the composing process and suggests that contemporary composing process theory and practice was not possible until the mid-twentieth century following certain technological advancements in writing equipment. (FL)