Discusses the difficulty children with learning disabilities have in making friends and describes a strategy for incorporating children's literature into teaching friendship skills. A practice lesson that used this strategy with five elementary children with disabilities is described and found to be effective in promoting friendship skills. (CR)

Because of the universal, phonological nature of writing systems, functional proficiency in decoding is essential if a child is to become literate. This is the heart of the problem for many dyslexics and many other disabled readers. The whole-language approach that eschews decoding is inappropriate in light of this fact. (MSE)

This tribute to Samuel Kirk, an early leader in the field of learning disabilities, describes his prominent achievements in reading instruction, including research in remedial reading and identification of reading instruction principles such as stages of reading development, importance of prereading abilities, and the need for explicit, systematic…

Discusses use of "mediated texts" as a classroom practice which meets requirements of "accommodation" for alternative demonstrations of competency in academic writing. Defines mediated texts, describes case studies which use these texts with deaf students who are basic writers; and shows connection between this heuristic and…

Describes collaborative strategic reading (CSR), a technique for teaching students, such as those with learning disabilities, reading comprehension and vocabulary skills in a cooperative setting. Covers teaching the four strategies of CSR (preview, click and clunk, get the gist, and wrap up), as well as teaching students cooperative learning group…

Teachers' reasons for referral to special education and evaluations of the referral process were studied in a suburban elementary school of about 500 students where prereferral and inclusion were being implemented. Promising impacts of prereferral and inclusion practices are found, and issues surrounding learning disabilities are highlighted. (SLD)

The role of executive control in the revising problems of 12 eighth graders with writing and learning difficulties was studied by providing students with executive support in the process. Compared with revising under normal conditions, executive support made the revision process easier for students and improved their revising behavior. (SLD)

Examines predictive relationships between assessed functional limitations and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services provided for five homogeneous client groups. Results indicate that specific functional limitations were determinants of some VR services but were largely irrelevant to provision of other services. Predictive relationships between…

Discusses problems encountered when identifying, assessing, and deciding the language of instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse preschool children with disabilities and suggests some directions for practice in the context of the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986. (SLD)

Comparison of matched pairs of elementary students in mainstream and special education showed that, after 2 years (n=504), students with disabilities achieved more in math in regular education; motivation was higher in special education. After 4 years (n=216), those in regular education had progressed more academically than those in special…

Provides an extensive resource list on foreign language Learning in relation to at-risk students and students with foreign language learning problems. (Author/VWL)

After participating in an eight-week project-based, technology-supported investigation about westward expansion, gains in knowledge and understanding of historical content for 28 students with learning disabilities were not as large as those of peers (n=59), but both groups showed comparable gains in self-efficacy as learners and their…

A survey of the research and practice literatures on learning disabilities and on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effect revealed parallels in learning characteristics, as well as in the recommended interventions. Based on these parallels, an adolescent with Fetal Alcohol received intervention. Teaching strategies for students with learning disabilities…

The double-deficit theory of reading disabilities (RD) was examined in 56 children with reading disabilities and 45 controls (ages 8-11). Students differed on all phonological analysis tasks and rapid naming of digits and letters, but also differed on orthographic tasks, attention ratings, arithmetic achievement, and all WISC-III factors except…

This article examines what science offers general and special educators who teach reading. It reviews scientific findings about reading and their practical implications and considers some broader ways that science may be useful to educators. Suggestions for educators interested in becoming more astute consumers of research are provided. (Contains…