Presents the experiences of three preservice special educators who applied the research on reciprocal teaching with elementary school children with learning and behavioral disabilities. The problems encountered, the adaptations, and perceptions of student progress are summarized in three separate accounts. Suggestions are provided for successful…

This study investigated the need to include explicit attributional retraining in a program designed to teach self-regulation reading comprehension strategies to 60 Spanish children (grades 5-6) with learning disabilities. Regardless of attributional retraining, children improved on measures of cognitive strategies, but their gains were very low on…

Describes the history and evolution of special education services in Costa Rica, along with critical issues that impede the expansion of educational services to students with learning disabilities. These include shortages of trained personnel, geographic isolation of a large sector of the population, and severe economic limitations. (Author/CR)

Discusses parent-teacher communication problems, factors that contribute to homework-communication problems, and strategies that the whole school community can use to ensure parent involvement in the homework assignments of children with high-incidence disabilities. Focus-group recommended strategies are provided for teachers, parents,…

This paper describes French language instruction to students with moderate learning difficulties as part of the British National Curriculum. It covers instructional units, introduction of a modern foreign language, simple reading and writing exercises, practical communication, learning a foreign culture, games, and trips to France. (DB)

WISC-III IQs and subtest scaled scores of 440 students with specific learning disabilities were examined for gender differences. Boys exhibited statistically higher Full Scale, Verbal, and Performance IQs than did girls, as well as higher scores on six of seven subtests. Girls outperformed boys only on the Coding subtest. (Author/CR)

Addresses the dearth of materials in science for the learning disabled student. Suggests some teaching strategies such as a student assignment journal, the usefulness of mnemonics, and incorporating technology such as computers as much as possible. Also discusses classroom organization, assessment strategies, and how to build confidence. (AIM)

Describes three years of research in intensive long-term writing intervention with adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) and low achievement. Successful intervention was attributed to the genre-specific strategies used, the focused and intensive nature of the writing instruction, and the use of interactive dialogs in conferences between…

The acquisition of multiplication facts by four elementary students with learning disabilities was compared under two instructional delivery formats--teacher directed and computer assisted. All students mastered more facts in the teacher-directed condition. In addition, teachers provided many more opportunities to respond and showed a higher…

Comparison of the effects of pretest anxiety on the social and nonsocial problem solving of 45 boys (ages 9 to 11) with learning disabilities (LD) and 45 nondisabled boys found the LD group reported significantly higher pretest anxiety which escalated over the course of the problem-solving session. However, boys with or without LD were equally…

Analysis of the documentation submitted by 415 university students to support their eligibility for support services found serious problems in the type and quality of evaluation reports, including flaws in the comprehensiveness of assessments and the use of questionable instruments for this population. Recommendations are offered for establishing…

Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 indicated that adolescents with learning disabilities displayed different career-choice patterns and strategies than nondisabled peers. Subjects were less likely to aspire to high-prestige occupations and were more likely to be indecisive about future occupational alternatives. Females…

Presents an overview of problems involved in identifying and defining "learning-disabled" students. Confusion is caused by varying state definitions and different interpretations of state and federal laws. Discusses the neuroscientific approach to classifying student learning styles and the ways in which the learning-disabled label is sometimes…

Attentional skills (distractibility, attention span, goal directedness) are crucial in promoting or hindering progression through curricular targets, yet these strands are not included in "5-14" (national curriculum) guidelines. Proposes an additional 5-14 learning outcome with its associated strands and targets to encourage growth of…

Explains a reading and writing assignment called "Writing a Movie" in which students view a short film segment and write a script in which they describe the scene. Notes that this assignment uses films to develop fluency and helps students understand the reading and writing connections. Concludes that students learn to summarize a scene from film,…