Two studies of intermediate grade students with and without learning and writing disabilities evaluated the Self-Regulated Strategy Development model in teaching students how to plan persuasive essays before and during composing. Instructional effects were investigated using different research designs, in different settings, and with different…

This update of a 1986 survey of state certification standards for teachers of students with learning disabilities presents data in narrative and tables on certification categories (titles) and level(s); (2) teacher training requirements (i.e., courses, standards, and hours); (3) examination requirements for certification; and (4) other additional…

Howard Gardner's research explores why some students achieve (test) well, while others struggle. Gardner's ideal school features master teachers and an assessment specialist to provide regular, updated intelligence evaluations of each student's strengths, weaknesses, and inclinations. Curricula would use fresh approaches borrowed from museums and…

Seventy-one successful adults with learning disabilities were studied to identify success strategies that could be used in teaching children with learning disabilities to boost their achievement. Identified strategies included preparation, desire to succeed, goal orientation, persistence, and learned creativity. For each strategy, specific…

Examined prevalence of arithmetic and reading difficulties in adolescents at a homeless/runaway shelter. Found that 52% had reading disability, 28.5% had arithmetic/written work difficulty, and 19.5% were achieving normally. Also found that groups did not differ in reported history of such things as substance abuse, maltreatment, court…

Presents a practical and efficient group model for addressing transition-to-work issues of students with learning disabilities and reviews evaluative feedback collected at the termination of two transition groups. (Author)

A study of 17 middle school students with learning disabilities examined their perceptions of their experiences with an inclusive delivery system organized around a team of teachers and students. Results found that most students preferred this delivery system to the pull-out program in which they had been involved the previous year. (CR)

This article explores the hypothesis that social skill deficits among children with learning disabilities are associated with high rates of undetected psychiatric diagnoses. The maladaptive social skills patterns of children with specific subtypes of learning disabilities appear to mimic the symptom patterns of children with attention deficit…

Questions if various methods of Recreational Reading would affect the reading attitudes of students who are identified as learning disabled. Finds that the following methods were both motivating and enjoyable for the student: self-sustained silent reading, book talk by teacher, books on tape, partner read when students selected their own partner,…

Reports on a task force convention in the U.S. that discussed updating the legislation known as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA '97). Analyzes the implications that its deliberations will have for English-language international schools throughout the world. (Contains 14 references.) (NB)

A dual-task paradigm involving concurrent finger tapping and line orientation judgment was used to investigate brain processing differences in 12 early adolescent good readers/poor spellers, poor readers/poor spellers, and controls. In the right-hand tapping condition, the good spelling group displayed significantly less tapping disruption than…

A replication study compared 86 petition students who received course substitutions for the college foreign language (FL) requirement with 40 nonpetition students who fulfilled the requirement by passing FL courses. Findings indicate more than half of all the students did not meet criteria for learning disability classification. (Contains…

This overview of articles in this special issue introduces the constructivist approach to educating students with learning disabilities. Catalysts for constructivism, the constructivist philosophy, and the whole language approach are discussed. The need for coherent integrated instruction in learning communities that is educationally purposeful,…

Introduces the focus of articles that follow in the special issue, the education of minority or culturally diverse students with learning disabilities. Discusses the importance of examining the role of sociocultural variables in research on learning disabilities and what practitioners can do to incorporate sociocultural perspectives. Summaries of…

Describes development and testing of maze-like semantic maps for assessing reading comprehension of content-area information. Results involving 144 students (38 with learning disabilities) showed that maps could be produced and scored with high reliability. Criterion-related validity based on a standardized test was weak, but moderate-to-strong…