V.2 #1 Reading - Failure, Retention, and Graduation Denied
Several months ago, The New York Times published a blog by Will Okun, a Chicago high-school teacher who was worried about Etta, a conscientious, enthusiastic, hard working student whom he might have to fail. His blog was touching, perceptive, and troubling. It dealt with an all-too-common dilemma that affects struggling readers and their teachers. He wrote: Unfortunately, Etta reads and writes at approximately a 7th grade level…. How have students like Etta reached the 11th g
V.2 #1 Mathematics - Curriculum Design as a Factor of Effective Instruction for Students with Mathem
The mathematical achievement of students with learning disabilities (LD) seems to be strongly influenced by the way in which mathematical concepts and skills are introduced to them, namely by the design of their curriculum (Grossen & Carnine, 1996; Kelly, Gersten, & Carnine, 1990). Two oft-used mathematics curriculum designs are “strand curriculum” and “spiraling curriculum.” Strand curriculum organizes lessons around multiple concepts and skills. Each is addressed five to te
V.2 #1 Recommended Practices - How Teacher Personality and Style Affects Students’ Self-Confidence
More and more, teachers are becoming a major influence in children’s lives; in some cases they’re probably the only emotionally healthy adult children routinely encounter. Thus, teachers must do more than teach subject matter. In a sense, they must often function as mentors, advocates, therapists, parent substitutes, and more. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that a teacher’s personality and teaching style will profoundly affect some children’s academic performance and ge
V.2 #1 Counseling - Learning to Cope with Stress
In a previous column I discussed the cognitive skills that children can develop to help them cope with academic demands. In this column, I will focus on ways to help children cope with emotions. Assuming that emotions are driven by thoughts, I will again emphasize the cognitive component of self-regulation. What do self-regulated learners think about when they are faced with challenges? To what do they attribute successes and failures? How do they handle stress? Self-regulate
V.2 #1 Social Development - Responsive Classrooms: Principles for Inclusive Practices
Inclusive practices in school settings range from placing all children in grade appropriate general education classrooms—full-time—to placing them in other learning settings for part of the school day. Among other scholars, Salend and Duhaney (1999) concluded that inclusive practices can offer academic and social benefits to all children. Because of these beneficial effects, many education professionals have come to view inclusive classes as optimal settings for children with
V.2 #1 Early Intervention - Redefining the Identification of Reading Disabilities: Response to Inter
Response to Intervention (RTI) is an approach to identifying reading disabilities in children by assessing children’s ability to learn how to read, or their response to reading instruction and intervention. RTI has redefined the identification of reading disabilities in that it doesn’t rely on IQ testing and other diagnostic reading assessments after a reading difficulty is suspected. Instead, RTI is preventative. It aims to reduce referrals to special education by accurately
V.2 #1 Spelling and Writing - Reflective Dialogue During Revising
My last column discussed how teachers might establish an overall supportive environment that encourages students to revise their writing. I suggested that you first teach your students the purpose of revising: To send the reader a clear message. For skilled writers to revise their work so their message is clear, focused, and precise takes considerable time. Once students understand the purpose of revising, they need to learn how to revise—an excellent teaching strategy for ac