Mary M. Gleason

A large number of secondary students read between the 2.5 and the 5.0 grade level. What separates many of these students from their higher performing peers is their inability to read multisyllabic words and to read fluently. These students need instruction in decoding long words using one of three approaches: reading segmented words part by part, d...

Many students with learning disabilities (LD) experience difficulties with extracting relationships from expository text, especially if they are implicit. Results from studies with K-12 participants have been inconclusive regarding the potency of the graphic organizer (GO) as a comprehension tool. This study attempted to address some of the concern...

In this study, we examined the kindergarten level of four commercial basal reading programs published in 1991 and 1993 to determine the adequacy of phonological awareness instruction for learners at risk for reading disabilities and delays. Criteria for the instructional analysis were derived from the research on instructional design and phonologic...

Teachers who rely on basal textbooks to teach writing to students with learning problems may not be meeting their students' needs sufficiently. In this article, we summarize research for teaching writing to students with learning problems. From the literature review, we developed a checklist of instructional features and used the checklist to exami...

Student performance on argumentative writing tasks indicates considerable difficulty with this mode of writing. This article discusses a model of argumentation that has been adapted for instructional intervention with general education students and students with learning disabilities (LD). Results from a series of three studies, in which an experim...

New Products is a regular department that describes recently published teaching materials or tests. It is usually written by the staff of the publisher or by the author of the material or test. Suggestions for this column should be sent to Ann Grasso Ryan, Column Editor, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105.--AGR

An increasing interest in the connections between reading and writing has resulted in new research in the past decade. The research on effective strategies for teaching reading comprehension and written composition of narrative and expository text and on strategies for integrating reading and writing is reviewed. After each research review, a set o...

Examined the effects of 3 writing models on increasing the quality of writing samples of 3 students (aged 14, 15, and 16 yrs) labeled learning disabled: (1) the process approach, (2) the writing process approach with pictures, and (3) systematic instruction (SI) with pictures. It was also determined whether holistic and social validation scores wer...

Describes the University of Oregon model teacher preparation program, which prepares teachers to work with students who have mild handicaps. The program is based on a specific technology of instruction called direct instruction, developed by S. Engelmann and D. Carnine (1982), with methods coursework, practicum experiences, and supervision focused...

This study investigated the way new information is presented to students. Subjects were 60 elementary and middle school students, most with learning disabilities. Students used two versions of a specially designed computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program. One version rapidly presented students with seven pieces of information (rapid-introduction...

This report summarizes the results of a study in which a computer-assisted tutorial was compared to a teacher-assisted group in teaching multiplication and division math story problems to mildly handicapped middle school students. The same curriculum was used for both conditions; the only difference between the two instructional approaches was the...

Systematic monitoring of student progress has been associated with improved student achievement. However, few teachers engage in progress monitoring, with teachers often expressing concerns over testing-time requirements. This study compared the accuracy of 14 trained fourth- and fifth-grade general education students' curriculum-based reading asse...

Systematic monitoring of student progress using curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is associated with improved student achievement. CBM uses a long-term goal measurement strategy that requires specifying the level of a curriculum the handicapped student is expected to master in 1 year. Student progress is assessed routinely using material sampled f...

This consideration of effective ways to educate low-income, educationally at-risk students in kindergarten documents an approach that has been effective in accelerating academic growth. Results of a longitudinal study of children who received Direct Instruction in primary school indicated benefits when participants were in the ninth grade. (RH)

Study strategies used to assist mildly handicapped students become more actively engaged and successful in gaining and responding to information in content area classes are described. They include using advance organizers, summarizing/paraphrasing what is read, enhancing listening skills, and improving the organization, appearance, and accuracy of...

This report summarizes four recently conducted studies involving computer assisted instruction for mildly handicapped secondary students. A variety of CAI programs were used—drill and practice, tutorial, and simulation—and each study focused on the effects of specific instructional design variables. Three of the four studies produced statistically...