Rational-Emotive Education with Learning Disabled Children

Abstract

The REE approach aims at aiding children to become better problem solvers. A structured program of activities furthers this end. Typically, this involves three phases. Phase One, the planning phase, consists of targeting problem areas, planning formal lessons, and deciding how to integrate the concepts with the regular curriculum. Phase Two, the implementation phase, involves presenting the formal lessons and the integrated curriculum activities, and employing appropriate intervention strategies as problems arise. Phase Three, the feedback phase, overlaps with the others and involves lesson modifications. For example, the teacher can shorten lessons to accommodate certain children's unusually short attention spans, or make them more abstract for a group of children originally thought able to handle only the most concrete and experientially presented concepts. These integral program changes, based upon observational feedback, reflect the philosophy of the REE system which seeks to promote experimentation and the refinement of skills for effective problem solving. — 420 East 79th St., New York, N. Y. 10021.

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