V.2 #5 Recommended Practices - Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave! Analyzing the Component Skills of Spe
In recent columns I have addressed the role of phonology and morphology in the development of literacy skills. In this column I will address how phonology and morphology, along with orthography, are foundational skills for effective spelling instruction. Spelling is difficult for many students, but is especially troublesome for students who have dyslexia. The good news is that English is fairly predictable. Nearly 50 percent of English words have regular sound-symbol correspo
V.2 #5 Counseling - Stopping the Cycle: Reducing Behaviors that Interfere with Learning
Children with learning disabilities have a high co morbidity rate (co-occurrence) of emotional/behavioral problems and/or ADHD (Kauffman, 2004), which may lead to undesirable behaviors. These undesirable behaviors could then lead to further academic problems. As a result, we as teachers and parents need to intervene and help stop this cycle. To do this we should first consider the causes of behavior, and how we can help change undesirable behaviors. It’s helpful to know what
V.2 #5 Social Development - Structuring Classrooms to Create Social Supports
Contemporary teachers are charged with many tasks. As school professionals, teachers are required to create classroom environments that facilitate academic success defined by current legislation such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002). However, because social competence is a powerful predictor of success in school as well as later in life, it is important for teachers to be thoughtful about creating environments that also promote social achievements. There is much research
V.2 #5 Early Intervention - Play’s Place in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Education
Dramatic play, also known as pretend play or imaginative play, has an important role in early intervention and early childhood education, and features prominently in a variety of commercially-available early childhood curricula (e.g., The Creative Curriculum for Preschool; Dodge, Colker, & Heroman, 2002; The Language Focused Curriculum for Preschool, Bunce, 2008; High/Scope, Hohmann & Weikart, 2002; Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence, Core Knowledge Foundation, 2000). Dramatic
V.2 #5 Mathematics - The Interactive Unit as a Tool in Teaching Math
Gaps in the mathematics performance of students with disabilities compared to their nondisabled peers appear in the early elementary grades and widens as students advance in grade level (Cawley, Parma, Foley, Salmon & Roy, 2001). One method to help decrease this gap is through the use of alternative representations to present material such as the progression of concrete, semi-concrete, and abstract presentations (Agaliotis, 2008, February; Bruno, 1966; Council for Exceptional