Learning Disability Quarterly

An advance organizer, TELLS Fact or Fiction, was used to orient students to stories prior to reading them. The steps represented by the acronym were: (T) study story titles, (E) examine and skim pages for clues as to what stories were about, (L) look for important words, (L) look for hard words, (S) think about the story settings, and (Fact or Fiction) decide whether stories were factual or fictional. Teachers used the probing technique to guide 4 LD elementary students and 2 secondary students from general special education classes.

Analysis of performance on comprehension questions showed that, in general, students' average performance on factual, sequential, and inferential questions improved when they used the technique. The two older students maintained acceptable performance on inferential questions when the technique was removed; the remainder of the subjects were unable to maintain their improved performance after teacher-guided assistance was removed.

Numerous connections between allergies and learning disabilities have been made in the popular press and other media directed to parents of the learning disabled. This article briefly traces the reasons for this association and critically analyzes existing research of such factors as school underachievement and learning problems, listening and hearing problems, absenteeism, and social-emotional disorders. Results of a comparison of group achievement scores, school attendance records, and medical symptoms of allergic and nonallergic students with and without learning disabilities raise serious questions about the purported relationship between allergies and learning problems.

Observations of 18 learning disabled (LD) and 18 low-achieving adolescents were compared to identify differences which may lead to differential labeling and placement. Multiple measures were used, including observations of task-related behaviors and teacher ratings of specific low-frequency problem behaviors. Observational results indicated that LD and low-achieving populations differed in total on-task behavior with the low-achieving groups demonstrating higher percentages of on-task behavior. Also, the LD group engaged in more passive off-task behavior. Teacher ratings of specific problem behaviors showed no group differences, although some LD students tended to demonstrate disturbed peer relationships. Noted behavioral differences were interpreted as leading to application of the learning disabilities label.

This study examined learning disabled students' spelling performance in response to strategy training and variations in study conditions. After training in the use of a five-step study strategy, subjects studied spelling words under one of three conditions: (a) directed study; (b) student-controlled; and (c) teacher-monitored. Students assigned to a control group studied words in any manner they chose. Results indicated that students who were taught the five-step study strategy recalled the correct spelling of more words than controls who devised their own study method. However, the spelling performance of students who received strategy training was not differentially affected by variations in study conditions. Results were interpreted to suggest that learning disabled students' spelling difficulties are associated with problems in self-regulation of organized, strategic behavior.

Two methods for adapting a seventh-grade physical science text were investigated. In one approach, Precision Teaching (PT), specially designed see-to-say and see-to-write practice sheets were used featuring the important words and definitions of a chapter. For the other method, Study Guide (SG), sheets emphasizing the sequenced main ideas of a chapter were developed. Experimental, control, and contrast groups were formed in seven science classrooms at one school to assess the effects of the adaptations. PT was scheduled in four sections, SG in three. Gain scores on a multiple-choice test indicated that the two adaptations were equally effective. Youngsters who received either treatment did better than those who did not. Further, positive changes were noted for pupils at all achievement levels, including LD children.

Twenty-four empirical investigations of tutoring interventions were evaluated. Although all authors favored their use, equivocal results were reported. Particularly weak were substantiated reports of social benefits to tutors or tutees. Methodological problems associated with such research in field settings are discussed, and implications for future research are given.

Thirty-six learning disabled junior-high school students were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions to learn three dichotomous classifications for each of eight minerals: hardness level (hard-soft), color (pale-dark), and common use (home-industry). In the direct-instruction condition, students were taught the mineral classifications according to the principles of direct instruction (i.e., student participation with repeated practice and reinforcement). In the mnemonic-instruction condition, students were shown thematic illustrations that integrated each of the minerals and its symbolized attribute classifications. Finally, in the free-study condition, students were instructed to learn the eight minerals using whichever method they chose. Results showed that students who learned via mnemonic instruction outperformed those who were allowed free study. The latter group, in turn, outperformed the direct-instruction subjects. Implications for classroom instruction are drawn.

The number of special education programs for mildly handicapped adolescents has rapidly expanded in the past few years. Evidence that many such programs serve a primarily tutorial or supportive function raises serious questions about their appropriateness. To date such questions have routinely been approached from a legal standpoint. In this article the issue of tutorial instruction is examined from an ethical rather than a legal perspective. Principles and guidelines for enhancing the ethical appropriateness of tutorial instruction are suggested.