Classroom activities and engagement for children with reading and writing difficulties

A multiple case study is reported aiming at comparing the degree of taking part and being engaged in classroom activities for children with and without reading and writing difficulties. Observations are made of 23 pupils with reading and writing difficulties (seven with a diagnosis of dyslexia), and 23 pupils in a control group; the observations concern accessibility to, taking part in, engagement and received help in classroom activities. The result is discussed in relation to the two goals in Swedish schools: ‘goals to attain’ and ‘goals to aim for’. A conclusion is that the two goals for the instruction in Swedish language involve a dilemma for teachers, since all children are expected to reach the ‘goals to attain’, while instruction is expected to be directed towards ‘goals to aim for’.     

Classroom organisation and interactions of pupils with moderate learning difficulties in mainstream and special schools

Abstract

This paper reports a research study which used the technique of systematic classroom observation to describe pupil behaviour and pupil‐teacher and pupil‐pupil interaction in four classrooms in schools for children with moderate learning difficulties. The results are compared with those of a previously published study in mainstream junior‐age classrooms. The results show that a predominantly individualised mode of working with children prevails both in the mainstream and the special school classrooms and also that, despite the smaller class sizes, teachers in the special school classes are even less likely to use whole‐class approaches than those in the mainstream. Conversly they are more likely to use group work. Children in the special school classes receive considerably more individual attention from the teacher than those in the mainstream. Overall levels of pupil‐pupil interaction are similar but in special school classrooms this is less likely to involve more than two children at once.     

Factors associated with labor support behaviors of nurses

Labor support is known to support progress of normal labor. Nurses are encouraged to provide labor support yet may encounter barriers to the practice of labor support. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to examine individual and institutional factors associated with labor support behaviors. Age and experience were individual factors related to labor support. Older and more experienced nurses reported providing more labor support. Institutional factors associated with labor support were lower rates of epidural analgesia use and cesarean surgery. These findings indicate birthing families should understand that the birth environment may influence the care that nurses give during labor. Choosing an environment that supports normal birth may be the best place for receiving labor supportive nursing care.     

Specific reading impairments--are they to be associated with emotional difficulties?

The assumption that specific learning disabilities are not causally related to emotional disturbances is crucial for the cognitive research approaches that endeavor to isolate specific malfunctioning cognitive-computational processes. Because there are conflicting data regarding the emotional status of subjects with learning difficulties, the purpose of this study was the evaluation of the emotional status of subjects with specific learning difficulties in comparison with that of subjects from several relevant control groups. The HSCL-90 profiles of 38 subjects suffering developmental dyslexia, 28 subjects with subjective complaints regarding general concentration and reading comprehension difficulties, and 23 psychiatric patients were compared with those of 44 skilled readers without any known emotional difficulties. All subjects were adolescents and young adults (age range = 15 to 23). A cluster analysis of subjects' HSCL-90 profiles did not reveal any significant differences between subjects with dyslexia and control subjects. Both groups, on the other hand, were easily differentiated from psychiatric patients. Subjects with severe deficits in their ability to remember details of a text, and with subjective complaints regarding concentration difficulties, tended to generate emotional profiles that testify to a high level of anxiety. Although these subjects, as well as individuals with dyslexia, may be regarded at the functional level as inefficient readers, the two groups seem to clearly differ regarding the failure factors that underlie their phenotypic difficulties.     

Motor and coordination difficulties in children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

To date, very few studies have explored the incidence of motor impairment amongst children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (social, emotional and mental health (SEMH); formerly SEBD in England). Following research that suggests an increase in motor difficulties in young children and adolescents with SEMH difficulties, this study compares profiles of motor ability using the Movement ABC-2 assessment in children attending a specialist SEMH primary school with a typically developing comparison group and children with a diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder. We report an increased prevalence of borderline or clinically significant motor impairment amongst children with SEMH difficulties compared to the comparison group, with 44% of the SEMH special school sample falling within these ranges. We suggest that bearing in mind the increased likelihood for motor impairment is important in SEMH education, as it has likely impact on classroom functioning and ability and motivation to take part in socially and academically relevant activities.     

Learning difficulties associated with the particulate theory of matter in the Scottish Integrated Science course

Summaries

English

Educators need to know when an adolescent will use a particular available problem‐solving mechanism or strategy. If a student can solve proportional reasoning problems in mathematics and physics classes but fails to comprehend the ‘odds’ in a local lottery, the teacher would like to know why. Three task context factors that form obstacles to generalizing logical reasoning strategies are illustrated by research studies. The obstacles are perceived relevance of the variables, perceived goal of the experiment and variable salience. The relationship between these factors and Piagetian theory is explored. Piaget's view that generalization is difficult to predict is a pessimistic one for educators. In contrast to this view, our findings suggest that it is possible to make some predictions abouthow and when logical mechanisms will be generalized to new situations. Implications for designing educational programmes which enhance generalizability of instruction in logical reasoning are described.     

On difficulties with fractions

A sample of less successful students (aged 12–15) was tested on the topic of fractions. The test paper presented diagrams, word problems, and computational questions. The analysis was designed to find out the specific difficulties and deficiencies of these children. It is shown that most of them are only able to apply remembered rules to the solution of the problems without knowing whether the rule works, i.e., their understanding is at most instrumental, but not relational.     

Visual constructive and visual-motor skills in deaf native signers

Visual constructive and visual-motor skills in the deaf population were investigated by comparing performance of deaf native signers (n=20) to that of hearing nonsigners (n=20) on the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Wechsler Memory Scale Visual Reproduction subtest, and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale Paper Folding and Cutting subtest. Deaf signers were found to perform similarly to hearing controls, suggesting that these tests are valid assessment instruments to use with deaf individuals.     

To see or not to see: analyzing difficulties in geometry from the perspective of visual perception

In this paper, we consider theories about processes of visual perception and perception-based knowledge representation (VPR) in order to explain difficulties encountered in figural processing in junior high school geometry tasks. In order to analyze such difficulties, we take advantage of the following perspectives of VPR: (1) Perceptual organization: Gestalt principles, (2) recognition: bottom-up and top-down processing; and (3) representation of perception-based knowledge: verbal vs. pictorial representation, mental images and hierarchical structure of images. Examples given in the paper were mostly taken from Gal's study (2005) which aimed at identifying and analyzing Problematic Learning Situations (after Gal & Linchevski, 2000) in junior high school geometry classes. Gal's study (2005) suggests that while this theoretical perspective became part of teachers' pedagogic content knowledge, the teachers were aware of their students' thinking processes and their ability to analyze and cope with their students’ difficulties in geometry was improved.     

Comprehension monitoring in students with reading difficulties

Two studies are reported in this paper. In the first study, 32 fifth and sixth grade poor readers and 32 average third graders matched with the poor readers on reading age were randomly assigned to either a general or a specific instruction condition. In both treatments subjects were shown how to monitor text for internal inconsistency. In addition, the specific instruction condition provided explicit instruction in how to use a cross-referencing technique to evaluate the internal consistency of a given text. Results indicated significant Subject-group x Instruction Condition interaction on all three dependent measures: detection and identification of inconsistency and comprehension competence. Whereas the poor readers were found to be inferior to the RA-matched controls in the general instruction condition, in the specific instruction condition the poor readers’ performance was superior to that of the RA-matched controls. It was suggested that the significant discrepancy in performance between the poor readers and the younger RA-matched controls in the specific instruction condition may be related to differences in maturity and experience. The validity of this interpretation was examined in the second study by including a third group of average fifth graders matched with the poor readers on chronological age. Further, a second evaluative standard, namely, violation of prior knowledge, was also included. Data from the second study in general confirmed the findings of the first study.     

Communicating with students with learning difficulties in further education

The article describes the endeavours of three further education tutors to improve their ability to work effectively with students who have mild to moderate learning difficulties. The tutors sought the assistance of researchers at Oxford Brookes University who were developing a Communication Styles Questionnaire (CSQ) as a means of helping teachers to direct their own professional development. The CSQ gives tutors valid and reliable feedback about how they tend routinely to interact with learners. This may be used in a process of reflection, preferably with colleagues, leading to action to improve teaching and learning.     

Ocular dominance,reading and spelling: a reassessment of a measure associated with specific reading difficulties

The association of reading disability with perceptuomotor problems has had a chequered history. This study examines the relationship between a new test of ocular dominance and reading and spelling ability in a group of 323 schoolchildren. Similar rates for unfixed ocular dominance were found for poor readers as in comparable studies. The rates of unstable ocular dominance did not differ between those with reading and spelling difficulties and controls. These findings in a ‘blind’ study question the role of this test of eye dominance as a diagnosis of ‘dyslexia’.     

Parental involvement in supporting children with learning difficulties

Handbook of Mental Retardation and Development Jacob A. Burack, Robert M. Hodapp &;. Edward Zigler 1998 Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press Paperback $53.95 Hardcover $145.00

Creating Kids Who Can Concentrate Jean Robb and Hilary Letts 1997 Rydalmere, NSW Hodder and Stoughton $24.95

Dyslexia: A Teaching Handbook 2nd. Edition Michael Thomson and Bill Watkins February, 1998 London, U.K. Whurr Publishers Ltd. $85.00

Boys and Literacy Nola Alloway and Pam Gilbert 1997 Carlton, Victoria Curriculum Corporation Professional Development Units $59.95 Teaching Units $39.95

Living With Learning Disabilities. A Guide for Students David E. Hall, M.D.1993 Minneapolis, USA Lerner Publications Company     

Development and validation of two scales to measure elaboration and behaviors associated with stewardship in children

This investigation examines the development of two scales that measure elaboration and behaviors associated with stewardship in children. The scales were developed using confirmatory factor analysis to investigate their construct validity, reliability, and psychometric properties. Results suggest that a second-order factor model structure provides the best fit. This model produced: (1) a stewardship elaboration scale measuring interest and cognitive engagement in stewardship issues, and (2) a stewardship behavior scale measuring in-park, community, and home behaviors. These scales will be useful for evaluating environmental educational programs focused on environmental and park stewardship. The scales may also help researchers assess whether environmental education results in participants elaborating on persuasive messaging, thereby increasing the likelihood that behavioral intentions leading to behavior change will occur.     

Beyond stigmatization of children with difficulties in learning

In the Albanian schools settings does not exist religious discrimination, neither gender discrimination, but there exists a discrimination, as unfair against children called ＂difficulty＂. The children who drop out of school are by far less numerous compared with those who start school, but who are not properly treated, so that they can progress the same as other children. The object of this article is the children with learning difficulties, the causes of these difficulties. One of the reasons, among many others, why this secret dropping out of school happens is also difficulty in learning that quite a few number of pupils have, which are not known to everyone, and consequently are not treated by all the teachers, or by the other people who surround the child, condemning him to a school failure and slim chances to succeed later in life. It has often been pointed out that to define the causes of these learning difficulties it is not an easy task. A large number of factors intermingle bringing about the hell of learning for some children. If it is impossible to intervene in different organic damages （even they in many cases can be prevented though）, at least those depending on people can be avoided by offering a favorable environment, showing fondness towards them and making efforts to help these children. Above all, the authors have to be willing, to know and be able to do this as parents and precisely as teachers.     

Teaching gifted children with learning difficulties in writing

Abstract

This study investigated the teaching of gifted children in a Montessori school, with particular reference to gifted students with learning difficulties in writing. Within an action research context, the teachers participated in professional development in the education of gifted children and were provided with ongoing curriculum and resources support. The teachers made modifications to their gifted students’ programs after this professional development. Positive outcomes in aspects of writing, such as punctuation, spelling, sentence control and text organisation, as well as improved social outcomes, were achieved by the gifted students with writing difficulties.