bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Formation of Parent-School Trust
Authors: Adams Curt M. , Forsyth Patrick B. , Mitchell Roxanne M.
Published: February 2009

Purpose: The authors' focus was on understanding antecedents of parent trust toward schools. Two questions guided the inquiry: Is there a systematic difference in parent-school trust across schools? If so, what organizational conditions predict between-school variability in parent-school trust? Research Methods / Approach: Using multilevel modeling, this study examined school-level determinants of individual parent-school trust from a sample of 79 schools and 578 parents drawn randomly from a Midwestern state. Findings: Intraclass coefficients were first examined on the school-level attitudinal variables to determine their collective disposition. Estimates indicated that these conditions were collective properties of schools. Results from the Level 1 Means-As-Outcomes analysis showed that 16% of the variance in parent trust was explained by school membership. Level 2 predictors were entered individually with significant variables retained and entered into a combined model. Affective norms of parent perceived influence on school decisions (β 5j = 5.0, p < .01) and school identification (β 4j = 2.7, p < .01) had larger individual effects on parent-school trust than contextual conditions. Conclusion: Findings support the conceptualization of school trust as a collective property of school role groups that forms through affective, cognitive, and behavioral norms. Parent trust is not inherently deficient in schools plagued by social and contextual challenges. Regardless of poverty status, school size, diverse ethnic composition, and school level, school leaders can build and sustain parent trust by aligning policies and practices to address the affective needs of parents. Doing so reduces parents' perceived vulnerabilities and risks within the parent-school relationship.
Programs, materials and techniques
Authors: Bannatyne Alex
Published: February 2009

First place this month goes to a very well organized program in composition writing and syntax, Composition: Guided/Free, by Gerald Dykstra, Richard Port, and Antoinette Port. The film, If a Boy Can't Learn, will help people understand the plight of learning disabled teenagers. Those whose work involves the physical education of the handicapped should look into Dolores Geddes' informative paperback, Physical Activities for Individuals with Handicapping Conditions. The Jordan Left Right Test is actually an assessment of mirror imaging tendencies in children and some fascinating research results came out of the standardization. The “fun section” this month includes two sets of activities (Secret codes and a language arts card game). Almost everyone will want to buy Free and Inexpensive Learning Materials published by George Peabody College. In Suprathreshold Remedial Activities, I have pulled together as a category those techniques which call for“larger than life size” sensory-motor participation by the learning disabled child. This leads into a review and account of the work of the eminent Mildred McGinnis presented in a volume by Etiole DuBard, Teaching Aphasics and Other Language Deficient Children. This book has much to offer the learning disability teacher whose many students have basic language disabilities. Finally, for those who wish to implement some of the above auditory-vocal techniques, there is a descriptive section on auditory, speech and language training equipment from the Avid Corporation.
Visual-Spatial Organization and Reading
Authors: Kershner John R.
Published: February 2009

In an intact class of grade two children, cognitive spatial ability was better than the children's visual-perceptual ability in differentiating good from poorer readers. The visual-perceptual skills measured by the Frostig test were insufficient for advanced reading at the grade two level and an unnecessary requirement for high reading ability. The results suggest that perceptual-motor training will be the most effective when used preventively rather than remedially and when the programs are implemented during the early years of development at the time the child is in Piaget's preoperational stage. The study supported an alternate theoretical framework for understanding the relationship of visual-perceptual deficits and reading. In addition, it provided initial instructional procedures that can be used in teaching important cognitive, visual-spatial abilities.
Programs, materials and techniques
Authors: Bannatyne Alex , O'Toole Peadar
Published: February 2009

Teaching techniques are to the forè this month as we have several books in that area, namely, Spelling: Task and Learnerby Barrie Wade and Klaus Wedell, Effective Teaching Methods for Autistic Children by Rosalind C. Oppenheim; Typing Keys for Remediation of Reading and Spelling by Maetta Davis, and Teaching the Mentally Handicapped Child edited by Ralph Hyatt and Norma Rolnick. This last book is an excellent collection of nine very different types of papers. The prevention of learning disabilities through early screening procedures and corrective prescriptions during kindergarten and first grade is being implemented all over the nation. The Bannatyne System: Early Screening Tests are based on years of research and should be valuable to interested school districts and cooperatives. Ralph Blanco's book entitled Prescriptions for Children with Learning and Adjustment Problems is highly recommended, although the content is mostly for older children. Those interested in career education and aptitude testing should consider the Differential Aptitude Test and Career Planning Program. The Dos Amigos Verbal Language Scales by Donald Critchlow should pique the curiosity of teachers of Spanish-speaking children. A physician from Norwich, Conn., reports on an innovative gadget to help handicapped children learn to play the guitar.
Modeling for Change
Authors: Yudkovitz Elaine , Rottersman Judy , Lewison Nancy
Published: February 2009

A cognitive approach to language therapy is described which takes into consideration the Piagetian theory of cognitive change. Specific examples of how the methodology may be implemented are offered. While developed for treating the communication deviancies of schizophrenic children, the approach has wide applicability for other children with language impairment.
The Syndrome of Giles de la Tourette
Authors: Rosenthal Joseph H. , Nicholson Robert , Collier Ella
Published: February 2009

Workers in the many fields involved in the understanding and management of children with cognitive and behavioral difficulties may encounter a syndrome that is quite unusual in its clinical manifestation: tics with involuntary utterances which may be coprolalic. The variety of treatments reported indicates the range of causes that have been considered. The syndrome probably has involuntary and organic, as well as psychogenic, bases, indicating that such children not be automatically referred for psychotherapy alone; neurological examination and medication are considered necessary components of management.
Tactual and Visual Integration in the Learning Processes
Authors: Raskin Larry M. , Baker Georgia Pitcher
Published: February 2009

The aims of this paper are to summarize studies which have been concerned with the integration of touch and vision, examine several research strategies, and present implications for the teacher of children with learning problems. Results from the research literature have been amazingly consistent. The major conclusion is that vision is the dominant and superior modality for all populations, age groups, and sexes. In selecting a learning strategy, teachers may begin with visual presentation and proceed to add touch and other modalities until the appropriate approach is found for the individual child.
Positive Reinforcers for Modification of Auditory Processing Skills in LD and EMR Children
Authors: Bussell Carol , Huls Beth , Long Linda
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to compare development of listening skills in three groups of learning disabled (LD) and educable mentally retarded (EMR) children using Science Research Associates (SRA) Listening Skills Tapes — Level IIA, Intermediate, Group Alpha received token reinforcement plus teacher enrichment; Group Beta received only token reinforcement; Group Gamma received no token reinforcement and no teacher enrichment. Results of the study indicate that the group receiving the double reinforcement exhibited modified auditory behaviors on the SRA post-test as compared to pretest scores.
The Meosurement of Reading Skills
Authors: Malley J. David
Published: February 2009

The Prescriptive Reading Inventory was compared with the California Achievement Test, Wide Range Achievement Test, and a Teacher Rating Scale through the use of a multitrait-multimethod matrix. The measures were broken down into specific traits involving Word Recognition Skills, Literal Comprehension, Interpretive Comprehension, and Total Reading. Eighty-seven third graders (47 boys and 40 girls) completed the battery. Examination of the data revealed high intercorrelations for each of the traits except in the case of Literal Comprehension. Also, the tests administered in this study correlated well with Total Reading scores, but the data did not indicate they were capable of accurate differential measurement of specific diagnostic reading skills.
Comparison of Verbal Performance of Normal and Learning Disabled Children as a Function of Input Organization
Authors: Parker Therese B. , Freston Cyrus W. , Drew Clifford J.
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to extend the work of Freston and Drew (1974) which compared the free recall performance of learning disabled children as a function of organization of material and level of difficulty. A quasi-experimental design used 30 subjects classified as learning disabled and 30 normal subjects. For the normal group both material organization and level of difficulty influenced the amount of recall; for the learning disabled group, only level of material difficulty influenced recall. These results substantiate those of Freston and Drew (1974) and lend support to the hypothesis that the learning disabled population is unable to take mnemonic advantage of externally organized material, whether learning disability is defined according to an etiological, medical model or according to an educational, behavioral model as in this study.
Identifying Developmental Discrepancies at the Preschool Level
Authors: Kirk Samuel A. , Elkins John
Published: February 2009

This paper describes a procedure of using the average deviation from the child's mean scaled score on the ITPA to determine significant developmental discrepancies in preschool children. By using this deviation score we found approximately twice as many developmental disabilities in Head Start children as were found in an average population of preschool children.
Who Monitors Medication?
Authors: Weithorn Corinne J. , Ross Roslyn
Published: February 2009

There are a number of major concerns about the widespread use of stimulant drugs in the treatment of hyperactivity. Because of the variable and idiosyncratic effects of the drugs, there should be programs for monitoring the behavioral consequences so that relevant information can be exchanged between the prescribing physician and the teacher who is in a position to observe the behavioral effects of the medication. A survey indicates that the number of cases in which teacher-physician contact occurs, either directly or through an intermediary, falls far short of that which could be considered adequate monitoring. Teachers' perceptions of the appropriateness of activity level and attention span are significantly related to their involvement in direct contact with the prescribing physician.
State Initiative in Learning Disabilities
Authors: Senf Gerald M. , Sushinsky Leonard W.
Published: February 2009

This paper describes a theoretical monograph on the definition of learning disabilities and reports an interview study of cooperative directors of special education within the State of Illinois. It is the second in a four-part series reporting Illinois' unique initiative in the area of learning disabilities. The first paper in the series (Senf & Comrey 1975) described the essential thrust of Project SCREEN, the development of a multifaceted, group screening instrument for kindergarten and first grade use. The definitional section of this paper espouses the position that learning disabilities, as a construct implying child-centered deviance, cannot long survive and that the real issue lies with the delivery of services to children experiencing difficulties in the interaction with the school rather-than in the wording of the specific definition of learning disabilities. The interview study of Illinois special education cooperative directors focused on (1) the definition of learning disabilities, screening and identification practices; (2) administrative structure of the Special Education Cooperatives; (3) models for delivering education services; and (4) the role of parent groups.
Programs, materials and techniques
Authors: Brown Virginia
Published: February 2009

Local school district programs in learning disabilities are often characterized by the use of tests and other materials that enjoy current national popularity. Such immediacy of implementation most likely will aid rapid growth in the number of students served. However, it is unlikely that appropriate care will be given to improvements in service quality where local effort is primarily dependent upon the availability of commercial systems. The “positive discontent” that leads to service improvement is usually developed by specific individuals where there is a local expectation of continuous professional growth and development.

It is difficult to pin down the “quality orientation” of a local school district that seeks to develop professionally defensible programs. But the excitement of a stimulating local climate is an important factor that can prevent learning disabilities from becoming an “institutionalized job,” and will instead generate constantly improving services to children.

Recognizing that service quality is ultimately tied to local implementation, the column this month focuses on a few of the many people and activities of one stimulating local climate, the Madison (Wisconsin) Public Schools. The first section describes briefly some of the elements that have been deliberately set up to promote systematic long-range planning for improving service quality. The second section is an article by Sara Pollak and Lee Gruenewald which describes the basis for a current Madison Title III project designed as an intensive pre- or inservice teacher-training program in the analysis of language interaction in academic subject areas.
The Four Rs
Authors: Behrmann Polly
Published: February 2009

What about the adolescent who is learning disabled? What is he really like? How can he be helped? This paper presents some of the characteristics of this special teenager and offers suggestions for his development.
Productive Language Abilities in Learning Disabled Adolescents
Authors: Wiig Elisabeth H. , Semel Eleanor M.
Published: February 2009

This study assessed and compared the accuracy and speed with which 32 LD and 32 academically achieving adolescents (1) named verbal opposites, pictorial presentations, and members of the classes Foods, Animals, and Toys, (2) produced sentences when given stimulus words, and (3) defined words. Ratings of speech characteristics (melodic line, phrase length, verbal agility, grammatical form, paraphasia, word finding) were also compared. LD adolescents were significantly less quick and accurate in naming verbal opposites and pictorial presentations. To a significant degree they also (1) named fewer foods, (2) produced more agrammatical sentences and grammatical sentences of shorter length, (3) had longer response lags in producing sentences, and (4) gave more incorrect word definitions than academic achievers. Ratings of speech characteristics indicated greatest reductions for phrase length and grammatical form. These findings suggest productive language deficits in learning disabilities are related to (1) delays in specific aspects of cognition and convergent and divergent production of semantic units and (2) reductions in the retrieval of verbal labels and syntactic structures.
State Initiative in Learning Disabilities
Authors: Senf Gerald M. , Grossman Ronald P.
Published: February 2009

This paper is the third in a series of reports concerning Project SCREEN. The first described the multifaceted, group administered, early identification instrument called SCREEN (Senf & Comrey 1975). The second focused on a theoretical discussion of the learning disability concept derived from a monograph by Senf (1974) and on an empirical report of special education cooperative directors (Sushinsky 1974) regarding their attitudes toward learning disabilities (Senf & Sushinsky 1975). The final paper in this series will describe a variety of service materials, reference sources, and monographs. The present article reviews the results of an in-depth study of five Illinois special education cooperatives, conducted by the second author (Grossman 1974). It also describes the attitudes of state learning disability coordinators in 25 states regarding the learning disability construct (Senf & Kirk 1974).
Attention Deficits and the Effects of Visual Distraction
Authors: Doyle Robert B. , Anderson Robert P. , Halcomb Charles G.
Published: February 2009

The effects of a visual distractor on vigilance task performance were examined in a sample of LD and normal children. The vigilance task provides quantitative measures of the attentional deficit which is characteristic of many LD children. The results support previous findings that LDs tend to have a lower correct detection rate and higher false alarm, or random response, rate than normals. Detailed analysis supported the idea that most of the differences between these two broad groupings of children could be attributed to the hyperactive LDs. The study provided further support for the notion that the parameters of constructs such as Learning Disability can be Investigated and brought under experimental control.
Learn to Labor and to Wait
Authors: Keogh Barbara K. , Margolis Judith
Published: February 2009

Focused on the relationship between attentional problems and learning disorders, this paper contains a brief review of background theory and evidence, and proposes an analysis of attentional problems which takes into account three partially independent but interactive aspects of attention: coming to attention, decision making, and maintaining attention. Diagnostic and remedial implications of this three-dimensional approach are discussed, with emphasis on implications for working with children in the school setting.
An Interactional Approach to Learning Disabilities
Authors: McKee Beverly E.
Published: February 2009

The importance of considering environmental and situational variables in teaching children with learning disabilities is stressed. The traditional approach toward diagnosis of learning disabilities as an “in-child disorder” must be revised to include assessment of not only the child's characteristics but also the characteristics of the environment and the specific task to be performed. Study of the interaction of all pertinent variables is viewed as the most productive approach in providing a best-fit match between the child and the educational setting.
Mode of Perception and Frustration in Reading
Authors: Davis Everett E. , Ekwall Eldon E.
Published: February 2009

Because of the close relationship of perception to reading, psychological studies of perception are particularly relevant for the reading instructor. It was hypothesized that observed modes of perception, as measured by psychological tests, could be employed effectively to predict the frustration reading level for elementary school children. The frustration level was that degree of failure sufficient to cause physiological indications of emotional stress. In an investigation of reading frustration levels in 62 elementary school children, it was found that most children with a less “restricted,” more expansive mode of perception began to show signs of frustration upon reaching 6-9% oral reading errors. For pupils who were judged to be more “restricted” in their mode of perception, that is, dogmatic and perseverative in their responses — the degree of oral reading failure needed to cause physiological indications of frustration was twice as great. This relative resistance to frustration was not associated with intelligence scores, except for IQs of more than one SD above the mean. The implications for reading are that for most children, reading passages for instructional purposes must be no more difficult than to allow for about 5% oral reading errors. Children who have special protective devices and can withstand greater degrees of failure are rare.
Programs, materials and techniques
Authors: Etten Carlene Van , Watson Bill
Published: February 2009

In the last few years, instructional games designed to teach a wide variety of skills and concepts have appeared in the educational marketplace. What is true of all other areas of educational materials is true of games; some are excellent and some are a waste of time. First, we discuss programming considerations in the use of games, and we recommend Pearson and Marfuggi's guidelines for selecting and developing learning games. One unwarranted assumption teachers often make is that all children know all the “game-playing skills.” It's not true! Consequently, we discuss the Pacemaker Games Program, which is designed primarily to teach just such skills. Finally, we evaluate six math games, considering Pearson and Marfuggi's major points and some things we think are important to evaluate before you spend money for a game.

There are many classroom situations where the use of an instructional game may increase motivation and, therefore, further the learning process. However, caution must be exercised whenever an instructional game is selected to be used in educational programming. Briefly, there are two major factors to be considered when utilizing games in instructional programming.

The first is determining when the game should be used. As a teacher, be sure whether your intent is to teach skill acquisition or to provide practice opportunities for previous teaching. Some games are designed to serve as a vehicle for the initial learning experience. But most instructional games are more effective and appropriate when used to provide practice as opposed to being used to teach the initial acquisition of new behaviors.

Second major considerations are the general game format used and procedure for playing the game. Some games are so physically attractive, and the game process so interesting, that actual content may be only of secondary interest to the students. If the game is to be of instructional value, the actual mechanics of play must always remain secondary to the instructional process. Fortunately, many instructional games now exist which strike a comfortable balance between content and game process.
Effects of Input Organization on Auditory Short-Term Memory
Authors: Ring Barbara C.
Published: February 2009

Children with learning disabilities have more problems with memory tasks than do children who are making normal progress in school. It was hypothesized that this is because they do not make comparable use of the various ways of organizing memory. This study compared the performances of the two groups on auditory short-term memory tests under different conditions of input organization. The results showed that the learning disabled children used input organization in a pattern of performance similar to that of the normal children, but their memory spans were nonetheless significantly poorer on the experimental tests. Some aspects of linguistic organization are discussed, and these results are compared with other recent studies. Recommendations are made for remedial activities which use meaningful language.
Rebuttal
Authors: Abrams Jules C.
Published: February 2009

Dr. Abrams, president of the Disabled Reader Committee of IRA, again endorses the position of the Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities that “those with the competencies to remediate a particular problem should be permitted to do so, regardless of the label that the teacher may possess.” His Disabled Reader Committee may, indeed, be “in the vanguard” in promoting such interdisciplinary cooperation. The thrust of the Disabled Reader Committee of the IRA was one that I commended in my original editorial, but it is obvious that this does not represent the thinking of the majority of professionals in the field of reading.

Nowhere in my editorial did I promote, encourage, or advocate any “territorial rights” for learning disabilities professionals. I only stated that I felt learning disabilities approaches have something to offer — and that the reading discipline cannot call the whole thing hogwash, and then ask to wash the same hog!

I do not disagree that state and federal funding patterns may be skewed and illogical, in some instances. But I do not believe that this will be remedied by imposing IRA's criteria for certification on all reading-language-learning programs, or by the instant christening of reading people as learning disabilities specialists. The call for legislative action to resolve inequitable funding or service delivery systems was grossly overshadowed by these presumptuous proposals.

Dr. Abrams asks us to look at the facts. He is correct that many children in LD programs have reading difficulties. I do not propose to argue the nature of learning disabilities in detail, but there is clear support for those who think LD takes in quite a bit more than reading, e.g., children with learning disabilities are defined by the National Advisory Committee on Handicapped Children as those who exhibit “disorders of listening, thinking, talking, reading, writing, spelling, or arithmetic” (USOE, 1968, p. 34).

Dr. Abrams agrees that the competencies for working with LD are not generally found among reading people. I agree with him that LD people should have better instruction in the teaching of reading. I am not arguing in regard to the general excellence or mediocrity of either the field of LD or reading. I was simply astonished at the too thinly veiled professional egocentrism in the IRA Resolution on Learning Disabilities. As Dr. Abrams says, “We do have to work together,” but is the IRA resolution really an example of the type of cooperation for which he calls? — P.L.
The Childlike Question
Authors: Blank Marion , Solomon Frances E.
Published: February 2009

Questions have long been a basic tool in educational programs. There has, however, been little examination of the kinds of questions that are most productive, particularly for children with learning difficulties. This paper addresses itself to this problem by formulating a set of principles for question asking that are derived from an analysis of the child's natural mode of thinking.
State Master Planning for Special Education
Authors: Mayer C. Lamar
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this paper is to review the status of state-wide activities in the development of master plans for education of exceptional individuals. The paper includes: (1) the need for state master plans and the context within which they are being developed, (2) a review of the status of and the process involved in planning in the various states and territories of the US, and (3) analysis of the content of the various plans.
The Cost of Special Education in Nonpublic Schools
Authors: Marver James D.
Published: February 2009

Program expenditure and income data collected from a sample of 61 nonpublic special education schools were analyzed to illuminate their market behavior. Primary emphasis was on profits, tuition levels, and tuition trends. The study demonstrates that, contrary to several commonly held assumptions, nonpublic special education schools typically earn very small profits, do not take unfair advantage of state subsidization, and are not primarily motivated by monetary considerations. The data provided and conclusions drawn in this article will hopefully be used by national, state, and local educational agencies in their planning efforts toward meeting the needs of exceptional children.
Myths and Realities in Learning Disabilities
Authors: Cruickshank William M.
Published: February 2009

The concept of learning disabilities in childhood and youth is based on a confusion of ideas and understandings, and for the newcomer to the problem, it is often difficult to identify myths and unfounded concepts from the realities. The author has attempted to identify a number of misconceptions and to counterbalance these with statements based on historical, research, or theoretical facts. He deals with such matters as the issue of definition of the field, focus of child population included in the concept of learning disability, personnel preparation, and integration of these children into regular grades.
Programs, materials, and techniques
Authors: Watson Bill , Van Etten Carlene , Fuchs Victor E. , Ellis Joyce
Published: February 2009

Presented here are some of the ways in which the National Center on Educational Media and Materials for the Handicapped (NCEMMH) can provide services to the teachers of the handicapped and developers of educational materials. The article describes the role of NCEMMH in providing media, material, and support services to aid in the education of the handicapped, and reports on NCEMMH products that may be of interest to workers in the learning disabilities field.
Relationships Among Token Test, Age, and WISC Scores for Children with Learning Problems
Authors: Silverman I. , Raskin L. M. , Davidson J. L. , Bloom A. S.
Published: February 2009

The Token Test and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children were administered to 46 non-retarded children with learning problems. Significant correlations were found between TT scores, the children's ages, and WISC Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQs as well as among all five of the Verbal Scale subtests and one of the Performance Scale subtests. The results indicated that performance on the TT is not independent of age or level of intellectual functioning, and that several of the factors underlying and involved in intellectual ability are related to performance on the TT.
Cognitive-Linguistic Therapy
Authors: Chappell Gerald E.
Published: February 2009

This paper offers therapeutic ideas for children in the age group 7 to 11 who are not adequately interpreting and adjusting to their environment. The techniques assist the children in comprehending problem situations, solving the problem, and talking about the solutions.
The Slingerland Screening Tests
Authors: Burns William J. , Burns Kayreen A.
Published: February 2009

In order to increase the utility of the Slingerland Screening Tests, percentile rank norms were calculated for 2272 elementary school students in grades K through 6. Tables of norms are presented for key percentile ranks. Separate tables of norms were calculated for males and females since significant mean sex differences were found. The split-half reliability coefficients obtained lend firm support to the notion that the tests are reliable.
Improving Motor Abilities
Authors: Etten Carlene Van , Watson Bill
Published: February 2009

Many professionals in the field of learning disabilities talk about the need for motor training as a part of the total remedial process. We hear and read such terms as sensorimotor training or perceptual-motor training and other combinations. At present, our field remains divided in opinion as to whether motor training under any name contributes directly to improved academic functioning.

It is not our intent to debate the issue. We do believe, however, that there are learning disabled children who exhibit severe motor dysfunction along with their academic disabilities. Whether there is a direct link between instruction in motor ability and improved academic functioning hardly seems the crucial question. The 10- or 12-year-old child who has such a motor impairment that he is unable to participate in group activities has a real problem, no matter what academic abilities or disabilities he may possess.

This month we review a variety of resources that might be used in developing programs to improve motor abilities. The materials range from a comprehensive teaching and management program to several other materials with a more limited scope. At present, motor training materials are often considered frills to be bought if there is a little money left over at the end of the year. The editors hope such materials become a more common purchase in the future. — C.V.E., B.W.
A Humanistic Competency-based Training for Teachers of Learning Disabled Students
Authors: Bruininks Virginia L.
Published: February 2009

Programs for training teachers of the learning disabled frequently seek to specify the competencies needed for adequate on-the-job performance. Dissatisfaction with the competency-based approach springs from the belief that it might foster a technician-oriented teacher, one more concerned with procedures than with children. Though competency-based teacher training programs need not theoretically ignore humanistic concerns, it is all too easy not to recognize the needs of both teacher and child and their interaction when specifying measurable competencies. This interesting report of a teacher training program describes the integration of humanistic and competency-based orientations. — G.M.S.
The Thin Line
Authors: Reger Roger
Published: February 2009

Dr. Reger discusses the implications of denying a child the responsibility of his own actions for his transition from dependence to independence. Relating this framework to placement decisions in special education, he notes that to provide more services than the child needs may both foster dependence as well as stigmatize the child for many years. However, labeling and provisions of extra services generally provide the educator with additional monies. Dr. Reger discusses the implications of requiring child certification for the provision of extra funds for the present impetus to define learning disabilities objectively. — G.M.S.
Constructing Reading Material to Match a Child's Oral Language Patterns
Authors: Tyack Dorothy , Gottsleben Robert H.
Published: February 2009

Individualized instruction is essentially the extreme of adjusting the task to be taught to the child's particular skills and deficiencies. In research terms, individualized instruction is validated by demonstrating that children possessing a certain characteristic are taught more effectively by one procedure than another. In a review of children's modality preference in relation to their reading acquisition (see Tarver & Dawson, January issue), research was unable to demonstrate subject by treatment interactions. This paper, also concerned with reading acquisition, suggests that the relevant distinctive variables may be the child's linguistic skills. The authors describe how information regarding linguistic skills is obtained from a child's language sample and how instructional reading materials can be chosen in the context of the child's linguistic skills and reading capability. While no validation data are included, the approach appears interesting and sensible and the reader's comment is solicited. — G.M.S.
Action Planning in Special Education
Authors: Major Suzanne
Published: February 2009

One of the central elements of teacher training programs in special education is the practicum experience. In October, the Journal published a description of a humanistic competency-based training program which focused on the content of instruction. The present paper is concerned with the structure of teacher training, specifically, the practicum experience. This model is geared to providing the student with varied, yet intensive, experience in diagnosis and remediation. The author describes various aspects of the practicum model which distinguish it from university clinic-based practica and from traditional student teaching practica in the public schools. With the monies for special education under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) earmarked for local and state control as opposed to university control, university programs must be structured to provide teacher training experiences more directly responsive to community needs. The practicum structure described in this article has the additional feature of involving university faculty directly with the practicum site staff and the university students. This arrangement enables greater quality control over practica as well as encourages university personnel to maintain their own applied capabilities. — G.M.S.
Compensatory Training for Disabled Readers
Authors: Fisher Dennis F.
Published: February 2009

This paper reviews research efforts directed at identifying perceptual and cognitive components in reading and their dysfunction in disabled readers. The data can be accounted for by the complementary models of Hochberg (1970) describing peripheral and cognitive search guidance and LaBerge and Samuels' (1974) notions of developing automaticity. Disruption in the processing sequence is identified, and a compensatory training technique for the reading disabled is described. This technique improves sight vocabulary, reacquaints the reader with rewards of text, and tends to normalize the oculomotor system, and it is also simple to use.
Few CT Scan Abnormalities Found Even in Neurologically Impaired Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Denckla Martha Bridge , LeMay Marjorie , Chapman Catherine A.
Published: February 2009

Computerized tomography (CT) scans without enhancement were performed on 32 children attending a learning disabilities clinic. These 32 were selected because they had subtle lateralizing neurological hemisyndromes (16 right, 16 left). Clinical readings of 25 scans by two independent radiologists “blind” to neurological or historical facts yielded only 5 (20%) concordant abnormal readings. Measurements of ventricular size in all 32 scans yielded even fewer (only 1) judged abnormal. Meaningful hemispheric asymmetries were difficult to define in the present study.
The Revised Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration
Authors: Breen Michael J. , Carlson Mary , Lehman Joanne
Published: February 2009

The present study compared performance levels of 44 learning disabled students using the Revised Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Bender Gestalt, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Chidren—Revised. Significant correlations were found between all three measures of visual-motor development as well as those measures and the WISC-R Performance IQ. In comparing mean age equivalent scores, the Bender was found to score significantly higher than either of the VMI scales. The VMI and VMI-R did not yield different age scores. Implications of these results for the practitioner were discussed.
Deficient Linguistic Rule Application in a Learning Disabled Speller
Authors: Bailet Laura Lyons , Lyon G. Reid
Published: February 2009

This case study investigated linguistic rule application skills in an adult with spelling disabilities. Two tasks were designed to assess and remediate skill in applying morphophonemic-morphographemic spelling rules. In the first task, inflected and derived words were dictated for written spelling. The second task was the same as the first, but dictation of the base word preceded dictation of the inflected or derived word. Spelling performance improved in the second task, suggesting that isolating the base word facilitates the spelling process for inflected and derived words. However, several spelling errors were also present in the second task. These errors reflected deficiencies in morphophonemic-morphographemic rules, phonemic-graphemic correspondence rules, and phonemic analysis. The results and related background data indicate that numerous processes may contribute to spelling performance. The data also suggest that in cases where spelling subskills are deficient, increased task structure may enable the LD speller to apply rule knowledge and subskill competencies more effectively.
The Effects of Learning Strategy Instruction on the Completion of Job Applications by Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Nelson J. Ron , Smith Deborah J. , Dodd John M.
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of learning strategy instruction on the completion of job applications by students identified as learning disabled. Thirty-three students (average age 15 years 6 months) were randomly assigned by grade and gender to one of two experimental conditions: learning strategy instruction or traditional instruction. The result was 16 students (10 boys and 6 girls) being placed under the learning strategy instruction condition and 17 students (10 boys and 7 girls) being placed under the traditional instruction condition. Results indicated that in addition to statistically significant lower numbers of information omissions and information location errors, holistic ratings of the overall neatness of the job applications were significantly higher for those students under the learning strategy instruction condition. In addition to these positive changes in the performance measures, social validity data suggest that students under the learning strategy condition would be more likely to receive an invitation for a job interview. The findings and future research needs are discussed.
Subtypes of Learning Disabilities in Adolescents and Adults
Authors: Shafrir Uri , Siegel Linda S.
Published: February 2009

This study tested the hypothesis that a classification scheme developed for the subtyping of learning disabilities in children, when applied to a population of adolescents and adults, would result in subtyping into discrete and relatively homogeneous groups in terms of cognitive functioning and achievement. We compared three groups, arithmetic disability (AD), reading disability (RD), and reading and arithmetic disabilities (RAD), among themselves and with a comparison group with normal achievement (NA) on a variety of cognitive and achievement measures. The main findings were as follows: (a) Each of the groups differed significantly from the others on tests of reading, spelling, memory, and other cognitive measures; (b) both the RD and RAD groups showed a deficit in phonological processing, vocabulary, spelling, and STM; (c) the AD group performed similarly to the NA group on pseudoword reading and phonological processing, but did more poorly than the NA group on word reading and vocabulary; (d) on many tasks the RAD group performed more poorly than the other groups; and (e) the AD and RAD groups performed more poorly than the NA and RD groups on a visual-spatial task. This study demonstrated the validity of this classification scheme for the subtyping of learning disabilities in adolescents and adults.
Listeners' Identification of Musical Expression through Figurative Language and Musical Terminology
Authors: Sheldon Deborah A.
Published: February 2009

This study focused on listeners' ( N=66 undergraduate and graduate music education majors) ability to identify nuances of musical expression using figurative language and specific music terminology. Data reviewed for accuracy in classifying general expressive categories showed that listeners were successful at identifying broad intended realms of expression with both figurative statements and terminology. When outcomes were reviewed for accuracy in terms of specific intended expression rather than general expressive category, accuracy levels dropped. Mimicking the results of general expressive identification, response type (figurative statements or terminology) did not seem to be a factor in response accuracy. Within general expressive categories, listeners selected a wider variety of responses among figurative statements than terminology, suggesting greater ambiguity of meaning among the former than the latter. Although not a primary focus, outcomes as a function of sound manipulation by the performer were given cursory review. This variable may play a role in a listener's ability to grasp a musical expression.

February 27, 2004

October 20, 2004.
A Longitudinal Study of Selected Characteristics of Children's Melodic Improvisations
Authors: Brophy Timothy S.
Published: February 2009

This study is an examination of the melodic improvisations of a group of children ( N=62) for 3 years, from ages 7 through 9. Participants improvised as part of a class rondo for Orff instruments, in ABACADA form, in which the B, C, and D sections were 8-measure alto-xylophone improvisations in C pentatonic. Each participant improvised three melodies per year. A total of 558 improvisations were collected. Participants took the IMMA and a researcher-designed measure of mallet skill each year. Improvisations were examined for the presence of repeated and developed melodic motives, repeated and developed rhythmic motives, pulse adherence, phrases, and antecedent/consequent phrases. Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures MANCOVA. Significant age effects emerged for repeated melodic and rhythmic motives, sense of pulse, and antecedent/consequent phrases. Post-hoc Tukey Pairwise Comparisons revealed significant differences between ages 7 and 8 in the presence of each of these characteristics. Significant differences also occurred between ages 7 and 9 for the presence of antecedent/consequent phrases, presence of repeated rhythmic motives, and pulse adherence. No significant differences emerged between ages 8 and 9 for any of the characteristics.

December 8, 2004

May 9, 2005.
Self-Evaluation Accuracy among High School and Middle School Instrumentalists
Authors: Hewitt Michael P.
Published: February 2009

The purposes of this study were to examine (a) whether grade-level differences exist on self-evaluation tendencies over time, (b) if grade-level differences and evaluator differences exist, alone and in combination, on music performance evaluation, (c) if relationships exist between student self-evaluation and expert evaluations of music performance by grade level, and (d) whether differences exist between grade level and music performance subarea (tone, intonation, melody, etc.) on self-evaluation accuracy. Middle ( N=92) and high school ( N=51) instrumentalists participating in two summer music programs self-evaluated their performances during rehearsals, while expert evaluators judged an individual final performance. Results indicated differences between grade levels on performance self-evaluation as the week progressed for some subareas. High school students were more accurate in their self-evaluations than were middle school musicians for all subareas except melody and rhythm. Middle school students' scores showed greater correlation with experts than did those of high school musicians. Both groups were most accurate in their evaluation of melody and least accurate in evaluation of technique/articulation.

January 3, 2005

May 11, 2005.