Cherry K. Houck

Written Expression of Students With and Without Learning Disabilities: Differences Across the Grades

This study compares the written expression of 48 students with learning disabilities (LD) and 48 normally achieving (NA) students (Grades 4, 8, and 11). Productivity, syntactic maturity, vocabulary, and mechanics were examined using writing samples obtained in response to a standard stimulus. Results indicate that, compared to their NA peers, students with learning disabilities write fewer words and sentences, write more words per sentence, produce fewer words with seven letters or more and fewer sentence fragments, and have a higher percentage of capitalization and spelling errors. No group differences were found for the number of T-units produced or the number of morphemes per T-unit. Comparison of group differences at each grade level and differences by groups across the grades reveals persistent written expression difficulties and signals a need for a careful review of current instructional practices and how they can be improved.

Getting them to Write

Looking for ways to enhance your written expression program? Twelve ideas that will surely help!

LD and Math: Is It the Math or the Child?

Cherry Houck, EdD, is an associate professor of education and supervisor of the learning disabilities program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061. Robert M. Todd, EdD, is an associate professor of mathematics and of education at Virginia Polytechnic. Doris H. Barnes, MEd, is a high school learning disabilities teacher for the Montgomery County Schools. Judy B. Englehard, MEd, is the learning disabilities coordinator for the Roanoke County Schools. Professional attention to the existence of specific mathematical learning disabilities has been minimal when compared to that given to reading deficits. This lack of attention may be partially explained by two factors: (1) a seemingly lower incidence, compared to reading disabilities, and (2) the reduced societal pressure for success in this skill area, as compared to the demand for reading proficiency. Yet, for whatever reasons, current interest in the basic competency movement demands attention to

Special Education Supervisors' Perceptions of Secondary LD Programs: A Comparison with LD Teachers' Views:

Perceptions of secondary LD program supervisors were identified and compared with views of secondary LD teachers regarding the presence of specific program features, field-related issues, and suggestions for program improvement. Responses indicated that the supervisors were more positive and, in many cases, held significantly different views than LD teachers.

Personnel Preparation for the Learning Disabled Adolescent A Statewide Model

The Statewide Personnel Preparation Project was designed to provide training and on-going support for teachers of learning disabled adolescents. Conceptually, the preparation model consists of four major components. They are (a) a summer institute addressing the nature and needs of learning disabled adolescent, (b) a full-year follow-through directed study program, (c) a four-activity technical assistance program, and (d) a preservice component. Together, the first three components permit an immediate upgrading of current educational programs for the learning disabled adolescent via a carefully planned sequence of inservice training activities and support systems for secondary teachers. Curricula modifications in the preservice program will enable future professionals to acquire both knowledge and experience necessary for effective programming at the secondary level as part of their overall preparatory experience. Apart from the current and projected statewide impact, it is anticipated that this project will result in a validated training model which is transportable totally or in parts for use in other SLD personnel preparation efforts.

You've Got a Brand New Pair of Roller Skates: I've Got a Brand New Key

hen the beginning teacher encounters the realities of teaching, the appropriateness of his pre service preparation is subjected to a critical test: appli cation. Whether the teacher is successful appears to de pend on: (1) the accuracy to which the required skills have been identified by the course instructors and (2) the extent to which the preservice teacher masters the required skills. One set of competencies which we have identified as essential and seek to develop are those procedures which permit the teacher to systematically plan and effect behavior change. We are convinced that many, if not all, of the inap propriate or undesirable behaviors which are exhibited by the teacher and learner in the schools result from two major sources : ( 1 ) insufficient opportunities to learn adaptive behaviors and (2) conflicting inappropriate be haviors which have been learned. We are equally as cer tain that the major thrust should not be directed solely toward a behavior change on the part of the elementary and secondary school student but toward the preservice teacher who is a primary influencer in terms of what experiences will be arranged for the learner. Assuming that modeling (observing and imitating anothers behavior) is a source of learning, the pre service teacher has experienced approximately fifteen years of observation which probably will influence his own teaching behavior. In addition, because of the realities of the student teaching experience, there is a tendency to imitate the cooperating teacher who serves as the model. In order to decrease the propensity of the student teachers to randomly imitate teaching behaviors previously observed, we have developed a program to purposefully shape the systematic acquisition of tech niques of proven effectiveness. Generally, preprofessional training includes extensive experiences of observation where the appropriateness of the exposure to models is uncontrolled. It therefore seems imperative that opportunities be provided so that those teaching behaviors presented during the teacher prepara w tin sequence will be the best possible model. In addition, we think that application of these principles should be supervised with sufficient opportunity for evaluation and redirection so that the preservice teacher can experience success.