Describes a program at Gloucester County Vocational Technical School whose goal is to enable students to read for meaning and to select and perform computations appropriate to the problem. The ultimate goal is to improve their skills to a level that will enable them to reach their potential in the workplace. (JOW)

"Challenge classes" for secondary students are described in the context of their five-year history in one school district and by comparison with traditional approaches to education of the gifted. The program encourages the learner to push beyond normal curriculum expectations. Content is determined by individual teachers and their students. (JW)

A whole-school approach to meeting special needs is reflected in organizational changes at a girls' comprehensive school in England committed to mixed-ability teaching. The roles of the coordinator for special needs, education psychologist, key teachers in subject departments, and special needs support teachers are described. (JW)

The study examined effects of task-sequencing variables on the academic performance of an 8-year-old severe stroke victim. Previously acquired (maintenance) task trials were systematically interspersed among new (acquisition) task trials. Results showed improvements in both academic responding and subjective ratings of motivation in spelling,…

The Optimal Learning Environments model, a center-based intervention approach for infants and toddlers with severe handicaps, has five basic components: (1) environments designed for severely handicapped young children; (2) use of microcomputers in instruction; (3) a transdisciplinary consultant-therapist approach; (4) individualized curriculum…

An attorney involved in Individualized Education Program (IEP) hearings and placement decisions for children with special needs proposes specific measures to ensure that the learning disabled child's strengths as well as deficits are diagnosed, communicated at IEP hearings, and productively used in subsequent educational planning. (JW)

For homework assignments to be effective, they must serve to develop skills and help students gain a sense of accomplishment. Suggestions for developing interesting, positive homework assignments that use contracts and skill cards are offered. (DF)

Project Alternative Rooms, a program developed in the Kansas City (Missouri) schools, provides basic skills instruction to Chapter 1 students using a team-teaching approach with the students and the teachers in alternative classrooms. (MD)

The aim of this paper is to examine primary concerns related to the introduction of Knowles's and Rogers's theories of adult education. Comparison of andragogy and student-centered theories includes the following areas: overview, foundations, general goals, learning principles, and teaching and learning and is followed by a summary and…

The relationship of minutes of reading instruction to the gains in reading performance for 3,374 elementary school children shows consistent positive findings between large- and small-group classroom instruction and reading gains. Some of the negative results for individualized instruction may be due to school assignment practices. (Author/MLF)

Presents a short overview of individualization, stressing one method of achieving it; makes a statement about the importance of computers in society; and presents one element of computer study--computer literacy--using an individual approach to both teaching and learning. (FL)

Presents a set of principles to serve as guides for motivating students: inviting success, cooperative learning, high expectations, set induction, and interaction. Includes a scorecard for rating motivational skills. (MD)

Three types of student-student interaction patterns (cooperative, competitive, and individualistic) can be structured for learning of physical skills. Students were studied to observe which type of interaction process promoted learning the golf skill of putting. Results are presented. (Author/DF)

Ninety-four administrators and secondary resource teachers, who were surveyed about program needs for learning disabled (LD) students, ranked individualization of instruction as most important and self-contained LD classes as least important among 15 programs. (MC)

Presents the reinforcement theory of learning and explains how it relates to the Keller Plan of instruction. Advocates the use of the Keller Plan as an alternative to the lecture-demonstration system and provides an annotated bibliography of pertinent material. (GS)